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New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Officials Press Case Against Harvard, and Add a New Investigation
The White House stepped up pressure against Harvard Friday, adding a new investigation into the university's patents and renewing a host of claims that the university is unfit to host international students. The two sides have been working to resolve their differences in recent weeks, but a court motion filed by the government on Friday in a dispute over international students suggested there is still deep acrimony. The motion accuses Harvard of failure to control crime, and claims that Harvard's leadership has 'shown itself to be incapable of properly hosting, monitoring, disciplining, and reporting on its foreign student arguing.' On the same day, Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick sent a letter to Alan M. Garber, Harvard's president, claiming that the university had not lived up to its obligations surrounding federally funded patents, which are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. According to the letter, the agency will begin a comprehensive review of Harvard's compliance with federal law. In the court case, the Justice Department was asking a judge to throw out one of two pending lawsuits filed by Harvard against the administration, this one involving the right of the nation's oldest university's right to host international students. Earlier in the year, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, moved to end Harvard's right to host the students. Harvard sued. When Judge Allison Burroughs of federal court in Boston temporarily blocked the administration action, the White House countered in June by issuing a proclamation blocking international students that invoked a different provision of law. Judge Burroughs, who has expressed skepticism of the Trump administration's crusade against Harvard from the bench and also in written orders, also blocked that effort, issuing a preliminary injunction. On Friday, the government moved to dismiss the lawsuit entirely. (The government's motion on Friday applied only to the case involving international students. It has no effect on the university's lawsuit against the administration about research funding cuts, a case that focuses heavily on constitutional and procedural concerns.) The government's effort could have disrupted the lives of about 5,000 international students attending Harvard last spring, another 2,000 recent graduates, as well as a new cohort of students who plan to arrive this fall. 'Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,' the lawsuit said. The university has accused the government of retaliating against it for its refusal to bend to the White House's efforts to control the university's 'governance, curriculum and the ideology of faculty and students.' In its filing Friday, the administration denied that contention. Instead, it listed a number of accusations it has made in previous filings and statements about the school, including that violent crime has increased on campus. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the administration's claims, but the university's student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, has reported that the campus police responded to nearly twice as many crimes on campus in 2023 as in 2021, mostly over reports of stolen electric bikes and scooters. There was no evidence that international students were involved in the crimes. In a separate move on Friday, the administration added to its pressure campaign against Harvard when the Commerce Department said it would investigate whether the university was complying with federal laws and regulations around intellectual property that emerge from government-backed research. The investigation is expected to examine whether Harvard complied with myriad requirements related to how the university procures and maintains patents for its ideas and research. In his letter to Dr. Garber, Mr. Lutnick said that his department 'places immense value on the groundbreaking scientific and technological advancements from the government's partnerships with institutions like Harvard.' But, Mr. Lutnick warned, Harvard was also required to follow rules designed to maximize 'the benefits to the American public.' Mr. Lutnick did not include any evidence showing that Harvard, whose researchers generally secure scores of patents each year, had violated the law, but he said that the Commerce Department thought that the university had 'failed to live up to its obligations to the American taxpayer.' Patents can be extraordinarily lucrative for research universities, with their collective values climbing far into the millions of dollars. But if a university does not follow an array of regulatory requirements, the government can essentially dilute or strip a school of its financial stake. Mr. Lutnick said the government was 'initiating' that process. His department asked Harvard to provide a range of records to the government by Sept. 5. In a statement on Friday, Harvard blasted the Commerce Department's letter as 'unprecedented' and 'yet another retaliatory effort targeting Harvard for defending its rights and freedom.' 'Technologies and patents developed at Harvard are lifesaving and industry-redefining,' the university said, adding that it was 'fully committed' to complying with federal law. Michael C. Bender contributed reporting.
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Harvard sues Trump administration over move to bar international students
Harvard University has sued the Trump administration for a second time, less than 24 hours after the department of homeland security said it would block international students from attending the nation's oldest university and one of its most prestigious. The lawsuit, and a letter issued by Dr Alan M Garber, Harvard's president, signified a dramatic escalation of the battle between the administration and Harvard. The university's forceful and almost immediate response served as evidence that stopping the flow of international students to Harvard, which draws some of the world's top scholars, would destabilise its very existence. 'We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,' Mr Garber said in a letter to the Harvard community. 'It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.' The lawsuit followed an announcement on Thursday that Harvard's student and exchange visitor program certification had been revoked, halting the university's ability to enrol international students. The university indicated it would also be filing a request for a temporary restraining order asking a judge to immediately block implementation of the administration's action. READ MORE In the lawsuit, the university accused the Trump administration of exerting 'clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students'. 'With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the university and its mission,' the lawsuit said. 'Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.' The administration said Harvard had not complied with a list of demands sent on April 16th that contained records of protest activity dating back five years, including videotapes of misconduct and records of disciplinary actions involving international students. Harvard's lawsuit also said the university had been working to comply with the April 16th request. Despite the 'unprecedented nature and scope' of the demands, calling for information on each student visa holder, about 7,000 students across Harvard's 13 schools, within 10 business days, Harvard had submitted the required information on April 30th, the lawsuit said, and also complied with a follow-up request. 'Yet on May 22, [the department] deemed Harvard's response 'insufficient,' without explaining why or citing any regulation with which Harvard failed to comply,' the lawsuit said. The department of homeland security and the White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The Trump administration has explained its attacks on Harvard and other top private universities as an effort to combat antisemitism and confront liberal biases on campus. During his campaign, Mr Trump invoked the term 'Marxist maniacs' to refer to the Ivy League. Since inauguration, Mr Trump's administration has sought to use nearly every lever the federal government has at its disposal to force schools, Harvard especially, to bend to its will. There are now at least eight investigations into Harvard spanning at least six federal agencies. Separately, the Trump administration had sought to use the federal government's international student system as a way to remove foreign nationals from the country. Immigration officials targeted a handful of pro-Palestinian student activists, but also ended the legal status of hundreds of students, creating a general anxiety among international students at colleges and universities nationwide. Most of those students have had their status restored, but a few high profile cases are being argued in the courts. According to Harvard's website there are 24 Irish students currently studying there and 26 scholars registered. Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar is Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership's spring 2025 Hauser Leader. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .
India Today
28-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Over 150 US universities join Harvard to defend academic freedom from Trump
The battle for academic freedom in the United States has reached a pivotal moment as universities across the nation join forces to push back against the Trump administration's escalating attempts to control higher education. In an unprecedented move, Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging a 2.2 billion dollar funding freeze imposed on the legal action comes amid a broader campaign of intimidation and political interference targeting universities that have criticised or resisted the administration's BOLD LEGAL CHALLENGEHarvard's lawsuit represents a significant escalation in the fight for academic autonomy. The university argues that the government's demands to freeze research funding are unlawful and overstep its authority. President Alan M Garber of Harvard stated that the government's actions would have "stark real-life consequences" for students, faculty, staff, researchers, and the future of American higher funding freeze was triggered by allegations of antisemitism on campus, but Harvard contends that these concerns are unfounded and unrelated to the vital research being conducted at the the projects that could be jeopardized by the freeze are critical medical and scientific initiatives aimed at improving cancer treatments, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and advancing cutting-edge technological addition to freezing federal research funds, the Trump administration also threatened to withhold funding from several Boston hospitals affiliated with Harvard, despite the fact that these hospitals are independent entities not under the university's control. This move has been widely criticised as arbitrary and politically RESISTANCE AMONGST UNIVERSITIESadvertisementHarvard's legal challenge has sparked a broader movement amongst universities across the country. More than 150 university presidents have signed a joint letter condemning the Trump administration's "unprecedented government overreach."The letter, which represents a wide array of institutions, from large state universities to small liberal arts colleges, calls for a collective defence of academic freedom and institutional signatories argue that the government's attempts to manipulate university policies through the use of federal funding are a direct threat to the principles of liberal education that are foundational to letter stresses that while universities should be open to constructive reforms, they must not be coerced into aligning with political agendas that undermine the core values of academic collective stand is not limited to the leaders of these universities. A growing number of faculty members, students, and academic organisations have joined in opposing the government's interference in Wolfson of the American Association of University Professors told The Guardian that the real pushback is coming from grassroots movements within universities, particularly from students, faculty, and labour unions, rather than from university administrators Trump administration has ramped up its pressure on universities through a series of executive orders and policy changes aimed at curbing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes and punishing institutions that participate in certain social justice of the most controversial aspects of this strategy is the threat of withholding funding from universities that refuse to align with the government's policies regarding National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest funder of medical and biological research in the US, has warned that it will pull grants from universities that participate in boycotts of Israeli companies or engage in DEI programmes that don't comply with federal which received nearly 500 million dollar in NIH funding last year, is one of the universities most affected by this have warned that the fallout from these cuts could be devastating for US universities, especially those relying heavily on federal research Trump administration's tactics have been described as part of a broader "flood-the-zone" strategy, overwhelming universities with a constant barrage of executive orders and directives. This has made it difficult for academic leaders to respond to each challenge in a timely manner, but Harvard's decision to take legal action has begun to shift the tide in favour of university FOR FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUSWhile universities are increasingly standing up to the Trump administration's encroachment on academic freedom, they are also facing their own challenges related to free universities, including Yale and Columbia, have come under fire for punishing students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, particularly those who have criticised Israel's actions have raised concerns amongst civil rights advocates, who argue that universities must not only resist political interference from the government but also ensure that free speech is protected on Porell from Palestine Legal told The Guardian that universities must safeguard the right to express views critical of government policies, including those related to Israel. She added that the recent crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests has highlighted the tension between protecting academic freedom and maintaining political neutrality on OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAs the Trump administration continues its attacks on academic institutions, the fight for academic freedom is far from over. The stakes are high, with the future of research funding, free speech, and institutional autonomy hanging in the universities are slowly beginning to unite in opposition to government interference, the real challenge will be maintaining this momentum and ensuring that higher education in the US remains a bastion of intellectual resistance movement within universities is gaining strength, and experts believe that sustained pushback from students, faculty, and university leaders will be key to protecting the integrity of American higher the situation unfolds, it will require bold action and unwavering commitment from all sectors of academia to ensure that the principles of free inquiry, academic freedom, and democracy are upheld in the face of mounting political Watch
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Harvard offers free tuition to students from families earning under $200,000
Harvard University is offering free tuition to more students, the Ivy League school announced on Monday, joining a growing number of higher education institutions in the US to take such a step. The announcement from Harvard says that undergraduate tuition at the institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be free for students of families who make annual incomes of $200,000 or less. The university will also make schooling completely free for students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less, with financial aid that covers tuition, food, housing, health insurance and travel costs. Officials say the moves aim to make the 388-year-old school affordable to 'more students than ever'. The new changes will take effect in the 2025-26 academic year. The expansion will enable approximately 86% of US families to qualify for Harvard College's financial aid, according to the school. 'Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth,' the Harvard University president, Alan M Garber, said in a statement. He added: 'By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the university.' According to Harvard's website, the average annual tuition for an undergraduate student is $56,550. But with additional expenses such as housing, food, health services and other student services, the annual cost of attending Harvard can easily run over $80,000. Harvard enrolls about 24,600 undergraduate students a year. In 2024, the school accepted 3.59% of the 54,000 applicants for the class graduating in 2028. Previously, only families with incomes under $85,000 were offered free tuition. While Harvard's announcement on Monday did not mention Donald Trump's presidential administration, the changes were announced as the White House has mounted repeated attacks on higher education, including in the form of funding cuts. The Republican party has stoked distrust toward intellectualism. And according to recent polls, a growing number of Americans lack confidence in higher education. Several higher education institutions, meanwhile, have been offering expansions to their financial aid packages, with free tuition for lower income families becoming increasingly popular in recent years. Last November, the University of Pennsylvania announced that it would offer free tuition for students from families making under $200,000. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a similar $200,000 cutoff. At the same time, the University of Texas announced it would expand its free tuition program for lower-income families to include all families making $100,000 or less a year. Other universities, such as Dartmouth and the University of Virginia, have also increased their financial aid limits in the past year.
