Latest news with #Garber
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
The man who stood up to Trump
In May last year, as Alan Garber stepped up to the podium on Harvard Alumni Day, a woman suddenly emerged from the crowd and poured gold glitter all over his head. She then began demanding the release of monkeys from the university's laboratories. With his face still covered in shimmering flecks, Mr. Garber calmly assured the attendees that he was unharmed and then declared, 'I hope that Harvard will always continue to be a place where… free speech continues to thrive.' Unbeknownst to him at the time, the physician and economist would soon become a central figure in the pushback against the Trump administration's escalating assault on academic freedom across American university campuses. The latest salvo in this ongoing conflict came when the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's certification to enrol international students. The move prompted an immediate lawsuit from the university and a swift restraining order from a federal judge. Though the decision is interim, it brought palpable relief to students as the university held its commencement on May 29. In his address, Mr. Garber did not refer to the standoff directly, but his words struck a defiant note: Harvard, he said, welcomes students from around the world 'just as it should be'. Mr. Garber's association with Harvard spans over half a century, beginning in 1973 when he enrolled as an undergraduate. He went on to earn three degrees from the Ivy League institution — a bachelor's, a master's, and a doctorate, all in economics. He later pursued a medical degree from Stanford University, where he eventually built a distinguished academic career spanning over 25 years. Presidency forged in crisis In 2011, then-Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust invited him to serve as provost, the university's chief academic officer. Reflecting on the decision in an interview with The New York Times, she recalled being impressed by his calm demeanour and ability to build consensus in moments of conflict. Over the next 12 years, Mr. Garber solidified his reputation as a formidable senior administrator while maintaining a low public profile. By 2023, he was preparing to step away from administrative duties and return to teaching. However, fate had other plans. That year, Claudine Gay made history as Harvard's first Black female president. But her tenure came to an abrupt end just six months later, following allegations of plagiarism and mounting criticism over her handling of alleged anti-Semitism on campus. Soon thereafter, Mr. Garber found himself suddenly thrust into the spotlight, tasked with steering the university through one of its most turbulent chapters. In his first interview as interim president with The Harvard Crimson, he candidly acknowledged that he was assuming office at a 'painful and disorienting time for Harvard'. One of his first administrative decisions was to establish twin presidential task forces to address anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus. His appointment of Derek J. Penslar, a professor of Jewish history, as co-chair of the anti-Semitism task force drew immediate criticism, largely due to Mr. Penslar's prior writings that were critical of the Israeli government. Just over a month later, Mr. Garber made another contentious decision by appointing John F. Manning, a conservative law professor, as interim provost. This move stirred quiet discontent among the university's predominantly liberal faculty. Around the same time, Harvard adopted a new policy of not issuing official statements unrelated to its 'core functions', following the recommendations of a faculty committee. Its largest academic division also announced that it would no longer require job applicants to submit written statements affirming their commitment to diversity. What ultimately solidified Mr. Garber's reputation as a resolute leader unafraid to make unpopular decisions for the university's betterment was his handling of the pro-Palestinian encampment protests that spread across campuses. While many peer institutions responded with police crackdowns, he opted for restraint and dialogue. The encampment at Harvard concluded peacefully after he agreed to expedite petitions for reinstating suspended students and facilitated a meeting between protesters and the university's governing bodies to discuss divestment. To the Harvard Corporation, his measured response exemplified the leadership the university needed. Consequently, on August 2, 2024, Mr. Garber was appointed president through the 2026–27 academic year. During his 2024 campaign, Mr. Trump pledged to reclaim American universities from 'radical Left and Marxist maniacs', indicating that reining in academia would be a priority in his second term. Initially, Mr. Garber avoided confrontation with the new administration. When the White House announced in March that it was reviewing $9 billion in grants and contracts over Harvard's alleged failure to protect students from anti-Semitic discrimination, his response was measured rather than defiant. He expressed a willingness to work with the federal task force in outlining the university's efforts to combat anti-Semitism. In a rare personal disclosure, he revealed that he had encountered anti-Semitism himself, even while serving as president. However, the administration's next move marked a sharp escalation. On April 11, an email from federal officials laid out sweeping demands: federal oversight of faculty hiring, mandatory reporting of misconduct by international students, and the appointment of an external overseer to enforce 'viewpoint diversity' within academic departments. Three days later, Harvard released a searing letter penned by Mr. Garber. 'No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,' he wrote. Legal fight with government In the days that followed, federal officials announced the suspension of $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts awarded to the university, alongside threats to revoke its tax-exempt status. Harvard responded by suing the Trump administration, accusing it of exerting financial coercion to interfere with academic governance. The 51-page lawsuit also accused the administration of violating the First Amendment by restricting what Harvard's faculty could teach students. Harvard has already announced cuts to degree-granting programmes and halted faculty recruitment. It is also staring down a catastrophic Republican-backed endowment tax Bill. Although most of the administration's sanctions are being challenged in court, the litigation will take months if not years. Even if the courts ultimately side with Harvard, appeals are almost certain, and some hits to funding may be irreversible. Mr. Garber, too, has been compelled to concede ground. Last month, he announced that Harvard would undertake reforms to 'focus on individuals and their unique characteristics rather than their race'. Soon after, the university cancelled graduation ceremonies for affinity groups. His strategy reflects a delicate balancing act — shielding the institution from political assault while undertaking reforms that may ensure its survival.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard graduation ceremony: Harvard University President Alan Garber's speech to the Class of 2025 goes viral — here's the full text
ADVERTISEMENT FAQs: ADVERTISEMENT At the Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard Harvard's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 happened on May 29. The event happened while Harvard was being criticized by the Trump administration , as per Alan Garber started his speech by welcoming students from 'down the street, across the country, and around the world.' He repeated 'around the world' again for emphasis, which many saw as a dig at Trump's effort to block international students . This line got him a standing ovation, according to the Harvard Trump administration had recently tried to stop Harvard from admitting international students and cancel $100 million in federal research contracts. Garber responded to the funding cut by calling it 'perplexing' and said, research funding isn't a gift, it's for important work the government wants done. Cutting it hurts the whole country, not just Harvard. He also said that linking these actions to antisemitism doesn't make sense, as mentioned in the report by People told students to keep being curious and stay 'comfortable being uncomfortable', starting with the folding chairs they were sitting on. He warned against 'comfortable thinking' and being so sure of your opinions that you stop learning. He said being wrong can teach us humility, empathy, and growth, and told students to stay open-minded, as per the Harvard praised the graduates as proof that Harvard's mission works and said their achievements will help communities around the world. Keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, who is a Stanford professor and author, praised students for defending Harvard's values and America's values, according to People told students that 'no recent events can diminish' what they achieved at Harvard. In April 2025, the Trump administration sent Harvard a list of demands about, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs, admitting international students, and handling of pro-Palestinian protests. After Harvard refused to comply, they became a target for the Trump administration, as per Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, ended Harvard's certification to enroll international students. But on May 23, a federal judge stopped the move temporarily. On May 27, Trump canceled all remaining government contracts with Aidan Robert Scully gave a Latin speech and said, 'Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength.' Chinese graduate Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang said meeting classmates from 32 countries helped her see that the world is 'full of real people, with dreams and laughter.'Thor Reimann, another graduate, said, 'We're leaving a campus very different from the one we joined. Harvard is now at the center of a national battle over higher education.' He admitted the university is 'not perfect', but said he's proud to stand with his classmates, faculty, and President Garber, defending Harvard's mission of truth, according to the People supported international students during his speech, which many saw as a response to Trump's administration tried to block foreign students and cut $100 million in federal research funding.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard University President Alan Garber's speech to the Class of 2025 goes viral — here's the full text
At the Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard Harvard's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 happened on May 29. The event happened while Harvard was being criticized by the Trump administration , as per reports. President Alan Garber started his speech by welcoming students from 'down the street, across the country, and around the world.' He repeated 'around the world' again for emphasis, which many saw as a dig at Trump's effort to block international students . This line got him a standing ovation, according to the Harvard Website. The Trump administration had recently tried to stop Harvard from admitting international students and cancel $100 million in federal research contracts. Garber responded to the funding cut by calling it 'perplexing' and said, research funding isn't a gift, it's for important work the government wants done. Cutting it hurts the whole country, not just Harvard. He also said that linking these actions to antisemitism doesn't make sense, as mentioned in the report by People Magazine. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60m2 prefabricated bungalow for the elderly in Cibadak Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Garber told students to keep being curious and stay 'comfortable being uncomfortable', starting with the folding chairs they were sitting on. He warned against 'comfortable thinking' and being so sure of your opinions that you stop learning. He said being wrong can teach us humility, empathy, and growth, and told students to stay open-minded, as per the Harvard website. Garber praised the graduates as proof that Harvard's mission works and said their achievements will help communities around the world. Keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, who is a Stanford professor and author, praised students for defending Harvard's values and America's values, according to People Magazine. Live Events He told students that 'no recent events can diminish' what they achieved at Harvard. In April 2025, the Trump administration sent Harvard a list of demands about, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs, admitting international students, and handling of pro-Palestinian protests. After Harvard refused to comply, they became a target for the Trump administration, as per reports. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, ended Harvard's certification to enroll international students. But on May 23, a federal judge stopped the move temporarily. On May 27, Trump canceled all remaining government contracts with Harvard. Salutatorian Aidan Robert Scully gave a Latin speech and said, 'Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength.' Chinese graduate Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang said meeting classmates from 32 countries helped her see that the world is 'full of real people, with dreams and laughter.' Thor Reimann, another graduate, said, 'We're leaving a campus very different from the one we joined. Harvard is now at the center of a national battle over higher education.' He admitted the university is 'not perfect', but said he's proud to stand with his classmates, faculty, and President Garber, defending Harvard's mission of truth, according to the People Magazine. FAQs: Q1. Why did Alan Garber get a standing ovation? He supported international students during his speech, which many saw as a response to Trump's policies. Q2. What did Trump do to Harvard in 2025? His administration tried to block foreign students and cut $100 million in federal research funding.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Harvard University holds graduation in shadow of Trump threat
CAMBRIDGE: Harvard held its annual graduation ceremony Thursday as a federal judge considers the legality of punitive measures taken against the university by US President Donald Trump. Hundreds of robed students and academics squeezed onto the steps of the campus's main library as Trump piles unprecedented pressure onto the university, one of the most prestigious in the world. The president is seeking to ban Harvard from having foreign students, shredding its federal contracts, slashing its multibillion-dollar grants and challenging its tax-free status. The Ivy League institution has continually drawn Trump's ire while publicly rejecting his administration's repeated demands to give up control of recruitment, curricula and research choices. The government claims Harvard tolerates anti-Semitism and liberal bias. 'Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect, and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper,' Trump said Wednesday. Harvard president Alan Garber got a huge cheer Thursday when he mentioned international students attending the graduation with their families, saying it was 'as it should be'—but Garber did not mention the Trump fight directly. Garber has acknowledged that Harvard does have issues with anti-Semitism and that it has struggled to ensure that a variety of views can be safely heard on campus. Ahead of the ceremony, members of the Harvard band sporting distinctive crimson blazers and brandishing their instruments filed through the narrow streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts—home to the elite school, America's oldest university. In front of a huge stage, hundreds of chairs were laid out in a grassy precinct that was closed off to the public as the event got under way. Students wearing black academic gowns toured through Cambridge with family members taking photographs. Madeleine Riskin-Kutz, a Franco-American classics and linguistics student at Harvard, said some students were planning individual acts of protest against the Trump policies. 'The atmosphere (is) that just continuing on joyfully with the processions and the fanfare is in itself an act of resistance,' the 22-year-old said. Court battles Garber has led the legal fightback in US academia after Trump targeted several prestigious universities—including Columbia, which made sweeping concessions to the administration in an effort to restore $400 million of withdrawn federal grants. A federal judge in Boston will on Thursday hear arguments over Trump's effort to exclude Harvard from the main system for sponsoring and hosting foreign students. Judge Allison Burroughs has temporarily paused the policy which would have ended Harvard's ability to bring students from abroad who currently make up 27 percent of its student body. Harvard has since been flooded with inquiries from foreign students seeking to transfer to other institutions, Maureen Martin, director of immigration services, said Wednesday. 'Many international students and scholars are reporting significant emotional distress that is affecting their mental health and making it difficult to focus on their studies,' Martin wrote in a court filing. Retired immigration judge Patricia Sheppard protested outside Harvard Yard on Wednesday, sporting a black judicial robe and brandishing a sign reading 'for the rule of law.' Basketball star and human rights campaigner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar addressed the class of 2025 for Class Day on Wednesday. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard to give up their academic freedom and destroy free speech, Dr Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures,' he said, comparing Garber to civil rights icon Rosa Parks. — AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Harvard University President Gets Standing Ovation After Taking Dig at Trump During Graduation Speech
Harvard University President Alan Garber received a standing award for celebrating students from "around the world" during his commencement speech. The ceremony came amid relentless attacks on the university by the Trump administration. In recent days, the White House has attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students and cancelled $100 million more in federal contracts with the institution. Harvard University hosted its commencement ceremony for the class of 2025 on Thursday, May 29, amid the institution's ongoing feud with President Donald Trump and his administration. The ceremony, held at the historic Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard, featured remarks from prominent students, illustrious keynote speakers and faculty heads, each of whom addressed the tensions between the university and the current political administration. Most notably, Harvard President Alan Garber began his remarks with an apparent dig at the Trump administration's attempts to kick out all of the university's foreign students. "To the class of 2025, from down the street, across the country and around the world," he began, pausing for applause before repeating himself for emphasis. "Around the world, just as it should be." The simple expression of solidarity with the entirety of his student body earned Garber a standing ovation. Keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, a bestselling author and professor at Stanford Medical School, praised Harvard and its students for 'courageously defending the essential values of this university and indeed of this nation.' 'No recent events can diminish what each of you have accomplished here,' he told the graduates. In April, the Trump administration issued Harvard — and several other prominent U.S. universities — a list of demands targeting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, the admission of international students, pro-Palestinian protests and more. Since their bold refusal to comply with Trump's demands, Harvard has become the lightning rod for the administration's ire. Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she had ordered the termination of the school's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, which allows Harvard to enroll international students. The university sued, and on May 23, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's SEVP certification without further legal process. Then, on May 27, Trump ordered the cancellation of the government's remaining federal contracts with Harvard, worth an estimated $100 million. At the time, Garber called the move "perplexing," but said he believed the university needed to remain "firm in our commitments to what we stand for. And what we stand for — I believe I speak for other universities — is education, pursuit of the truth, helping to educate people for better futures." "Why cut off research funding?" Garber continued. "Sure, it hurts Harvard, but it hurts the country because after all, the research funding is not a gift. The research funding is given to universities and other research institutions to carry out work — research work — that the federal government designates as high-priority work. It is work that they want done. They are paying to have that work conducted." "Shutting off that work does not help the country, even as it punishes Harvard, and it is hard to see the link between that and, say, antisemitism," he noted. Students also referenced the ongoing attacks on their university during Thursday's commencement speeches. Salutatorian Aidan Robert Scully, who delivered his speech in Latin, told the crowd that, 'Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength.' Chinese graduate student Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang, reflected on how Harvard had opened her eyes to a global community. 'When I met my 77 classmates from 32 different countries, the countries I knew only as colorful shapes on a map turned into real people, with laughter, dreams, and the perseverance to survive the long winter in Cambridge,' she said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Fellow graduate Thor Reimann noted, 'We leave a campus much different than the one we entered, with Harvard at the center of a national battle over higher education in America.' 'Our university is certainly imperfect, but I am proud to stand today with our graduating class, our faculty, and our president in the shared conviction that this ongoing project of veritas is one worth defending,' he shared. Read the original article on People
