Protesters gather at Cambridge Common during a rally calling on Harvard's leadership to oppose federal government interference in the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 12. Photo: REUTERS
According to Reuters, on April 14, Harvard University said it had rejected many requests from President Trump.
Just hours after Harvard made its stance known, the US government announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school.
In addition, the White House is considering freezing $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard as part of a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests that have erupted on college campuses over the past 18 months.
White House spokesman Harrison Fields said Mr Trump was "working to make highereducation great again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism. Furthermore, this effort ensures that federal tax dollars do not fund dangerous acts of racism or violence".
Not only Harvard, the conflict between other universities and the US government is also escalating, raising concerns about freedom of speech and academic freedom when Mr. Trump chose to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for universities, pressuring schools to change policies.
Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a public letter on April 14 that the demands the administration made last week included reducing student and faculty rights to university matters, immediately reporting foreign students who violate the law to federal authorities, and other requirements.
The Trump administration has also generally spoken of seeking a wide range of political views, including conservative ones.
Harvard argued that agreeing to the request would allow the federal government to "take control of the Harvard community" and threaten "the university's values as a private institution dedicated to the pursuit, creation, and dissemination of knowledge."
“No government – or party – should dictate what universities can teach, who they can recruit, and what areas of research they can pursue,” Mr Alan asserted.
"The university will not give up its independence or give up its constitutional liberties. Harvard, like any other university, will not be taken over by the federal government," Mr. Alan emphasized.
Protesters supporting Mahmoud Khalil - a graduate student who organized pro-Palestinian protests - gathered in Times Square on April 12 - Photo: REUTERS
Harvard said it had also made significant changes over the past 15 months to improve its academic climate and combat anti-Semitism, including disciplining students, dedicating resources to programs that promote diversity of thought, and improving security. But Harvard said it was disappointed “that the administration has ignored these efforts and instead has violated the university’s freedoms in ways that are unlawful.”
Pro-Palestinian campus protests erupted before Trump took office for a second term, following Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza, Reuters reported.
Hundreds of international students have had their visas revoked and deported due to these protests. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that since the beginning of the year, at least 300 international student visas have been revoked.
Harvard's tough stance on April 14 was welcomed by many students and universities, becoming the first university to directly refuse to comply with the government's demands and setting up a confrontation between the federal government and the university.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/harvard-bat-tuan-ong-trump-cho-dong-bang-2-3-ti-usd-tai-tro-20250415101017161.htm
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