Education Department Launches Investigation Into University of Michigan
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Department of Education (DOE) on Tuesday announced that it's opening a "foreign funding" investigation into the University of Michigan.
Newsweek reached out to the university for comment via email on Tuesday.
What To Know
"Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of the General Counsel (OGC) opened a foreign funding investigation into the University of Michigan (UM) after a review of the university's foreign reports revealed inaccurate and incomplete disclosures," the DOE said in a news release.
Paul Moore, the chief investigative counsel, issued a statement accompanying the news release accusing the state school of "downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence," adding that "recent reports reveal that UM's research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage" by Chinese foreign nationals.
Moore specifically pointed to recent criminal charges that the Department of Justice brought against two Chinese nationals accused of conspiracy and smuggling material into the U.S. that could be a "potential agroterrorism weapon."
"As the recipient of federal research funding, UM has both a moral and legal obligation to be completely transparent about its foreign partnerships," Moore said. He added: "OGC will vigorously investigate this matter to ensure that the American people know the true scope of foreign funding and influence on our campuses."
A detail view of the University of Michigan Wolverines "Go Blue" logo prior to an NCAA college football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 7,...
A detail view of the University of Michigan Wolverines "Go Blue" logo prior to an NCAA college football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 in Ann Arbor, Mich. More
Aaron M. Sprecher via AP
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