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Eyewitness News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Harvard students march after Trump seeks to cut remaining contracts
CAMBRIDGE - Harvard students protested Tuesday after the US government said it intends to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the university, President Donald Trump's latest attempt to force the prestigious institution to submit to unprecedented oversight. Hundreds of students gathered to oppose Trump's widening offensive, including Tuesday's measures estimated to be worth $100 million, against the university that has drawn his ire for refusing to give up control of curriculum, admissions and research. "Trump = traitor" read one student placard, while the crowd chanted "who belongs in class today, let them stay" in reference to Harvard's international students whose status Trump has upended by summarily revoking the university's accreditation to the country's Student and Exchange Visitor program. A judge issued a restraining order pending a hearing on the matter scheduled for Thursday, the same day as the university's commencement graduation ceremony for which thousands of graduating students and their families had gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts near Boston. The White House, meanwhile doubled down in its offensive, saying that instead of Harvard public money should go to vocational schools that train electricians and plumbers. "The president is more interested in giving that taxpayer money to trade schools and programs and state schools where they are promoting American values, but most importantly, educating the next generation based on skills that we need in our economy and our society," Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News Tuesday evening. "We need more of those in our country, and less LGBTQ graduate majors from Harvard University." Tuesday's protest unfolded as news helicopters hovered overhead and graduating students in academic attire and their guests ate finger food at a reception on the lawns of Harvard Square nearby. "All my international friends and peers and professors and researchers are at risk and (are) threatened with being deported -- or their option is to transfer" to another university, said Alice Goyer, who attended the protest wearing a black academic gown. "As a US student, it's my responsibility to speak out for them." One history of medicine student from Britain graduating this week who gave his name only as Jack said that the policies pursued by Trump would make US universities less attractive to international students, even if the courts overturn the most damaging measures. "The cloud may pass, but the damage will be done," said Jack, whose parents had travelled from Britain for the graduation ceremony. Foreign students "who are here don't know where they stand, those overseas don't know if they'll be able to get back in... I don't know if I'd pursue a PhD here, six years is a long time," he added. Harvard itself has filed extensive legal challenges against the Trump measures, which legal experts say are likely to be overturned by the courts. Separately, alumni plan to file a lawsuit against Trump on June 9, filmmaker Anurima Bhargava told a virtual meeting staged by Crimson Courage, a grassroots alumni group that held a mass webinar to raise awareness and a fighting fund from former students. 'AMERICAN VALUES' The cutting of contracts announced Tuesday -- estimated by US media to be worth $100 million -- would mark the slashing of business ties between the government and a university that is the country's oldest and a research powerhouse. Amid a broad campaign against seats of learning that Trump accuses of being hotbeds of liberal bias and anti-Semitism, the president has singled out Harvard for particular punishment. In the last few weeks, the elite educational powerhouse has seen billions of dollars in federal grants frozen and millions of dollars of federal contracts torn up. The university has sued both to block the revocation of its right to recruit and sponsor foreign students, 27 percent of its total roll, as well as to overturn the withdrawal of federal funding. A legal expert suggested Harvard could file a lawsuit to overturn the latest contract cuts as part of existing legal action. "The case is so strong that the court system is not going to step to the side and allow this... to go forward," said Albany Law School professor Ray Brescia. He said the Trump administration's assault on Harvard was so flawed that a higher court would likely strike down the campaign against the university if the Trump administration were to challenge it on appeal. On Monday, Trump nonetheless vowed he would prevail in the increasingly public struggle, claiming that foreign students at Harvard included "radicalized lunatics, troublemakers."
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Harvard students march after Trump seeks to cut remaining contracts
Harvard students protested Tuesday after the US government said it intends to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the university, President Donald Trump's latest attempt to force the prestigious institution to submit to unprecedented oversight. Hundreds of students gathered to oppose Trump's widening offensive, including Tuesday's measures estimated to be worth $100 million, against the university that has drawn his ire for refusing to give up control of curriculum, admissions and research. "Trump = traitor" read one student placard, while the crowd chanted "who belongs in class today, let them stay" in reference to Harvard's international students whose status Trump has upended by summarily revoking the university's accreditation to the country's Student and Exchange Visitor program. A judge issued a restraining order pending a hearing on the matter scheduled for Thursday, the same day as the university's commencement graduation ceremony for which thousands of graduating students and their families had gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts near Boston. Tuesday's protest unfolded as news helicopters hovered overhead and graduating students in academic attire and their guests ate finger food at a reception on the lawns of Harvard Square nearby. "I'm graduating this week and not only is my last week as a Harvard student but it's a very important week as all my international friends and peers and professors and researchers are at risk and be threatened with being deported or their option is to transfer" to another university, said Alice Goyer, who attended the protest wearing a black academic gown. "As a US student, it's my responsibility to speak out for them." One history of medicine student from Britain graduating this week who gave his name only as Jack said that the policies pursued by Trump would make US universities less attractive to international students. "The cloud may pass but the damage will be done," said the graduating student whose parents had travelled from Britain for the graduation ceremony, suggesting that the courts would likely overturn the most damaging measures. " who are here don't know where they stand, those overseas don't know if they'll be able to get back in... I don't know if I'd pursue a PhD here, six years is a long time." Harvard itself has filed extensive legal challenges against the Trump measures, which legal experts say are likely to be overturned by the courts. Separately, alumni plan to file a lawsuit against Trump on June 9, filmmaker Anurima Bhargava told a virtual meeting staged by Crimson Courage, a grassroots alumni group that held a mass webinar to raise awareness and a fighting fund from former students. The cutting of contracts announced Tuesday estimated by US media to be worth $100 million would mark the slashing of business ties between the government and a university that is the country's oldest and a research powerhouse. Amid a broad campaign against seats of learning that Trump accuses of being hotbeds of liberal bias and anti-Semitism, the president has singled out Harvard for particular punishment. In the last few weeks, the elite educational powerhouse has seen billions of dollars in federal grants frozen and millions of dollars of federal contracts torn up. The university has sued both to block the revocation of its right to recruit and sponsor foreign students, 27 percent of its total roll, as well as to overturn the withdrawal of federal funding. A legal expert suggested Harvard could file a lawsuit to overturn the latest contract cuts as part of existing legal action. "The case is so strong that the court system is not going to step to the side and allow this... to go forward," said Albany Law School professor Ray Brescia. He said the Trump administration's assault on Harvard was so flawed that a higher court would likely strike down the campaign against the university if the Trump was to challenge it on appeal. On Monday, Trump nonetheless vowed he would prevail in the increasingly public struggle, claiming that foreign students at Harvard included "radicalized lunatics, troublemakers." Professor of government Ryan Enos said that Trump's campaign against Harvard had already made the United States less attractive as a destination for top scholars. "I've already heard this from professors in other countries who say 'we encourage our best students to go to the United States'," he told AFP at the rally, adding "we wonder if we can tell them that anymore." gw-bur/sla
The Star
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
'This is the reason': Citing China activity, Trump administration bars Harvard from enrolling foreign students
US President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday said it had revoked Harvard University's right to enrol international students, citing its 'coordinated activity' with China's Communist Party as a factor in the decision. The move, which comes amid an escalating clash between Trump and the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university, was expected to affect almost 6,800 foreign students – more than a quarter of Harvard's student population. Each year, anywhere from 1,800 to 2,300 Chinese students and scholars study at Harvard, according to its website. 'Effective immediately, Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor (Sevis) Programme certification is revoked,' US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the prestigious university. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Sevis, managed by the Department of Homeland Security, is the main system that authorises students from foreign countries to study in America. The decision means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and those who are already there must transfer or lose their legal status, Noem said. The letter on Thursday, addressed to Maureen Martin of Harvard's International Office, did not refer to China and focused primarily on Harvard's treatment of Jewish students and activities related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. But a press release on the Department of Homeland Security's website referred explicitly to China's Communist Party. 'Harvard's leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students,' it said. 'Many of these agitators are foreign students. Harvard's leadership further facilitated, and engaged in coordinated activity with the CCP, including hosting and training members of a CCP paramilitary group complicit in the Uygur genocide,' it continued. In a statement, Harvard described the action as punitive and posing a serious threat to the institution. 'The government's action is unlawful,' it said. 'We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university – and this nation – immeasurably.' Noem said Harvard had 72 hours to alter the fate of its international students, requesting that the school provide, among other items, records of illegal, 'dangerous' and protest activity by foreign students from the past five years. Last month, Noem wrote to Harvard seeking a similar list of records by April 30 and threatening to revoke the university's ability to host foreign students if it did not comply. The Homeland Security chief on Thursday called Harvard's response to that request 'insufficient'. Around the time of her April letter, the Department of Homeland Security froze US$2.7 million in grants to the university. And as part of a broader bid in his second presidential term to revamp private universities across the US that he says foster 'radical left' ideologies, Trump has taken multiple hits at Harvard, criticising it for appointing high-profile Democrats to teaching and leadership positions. Since the crackdown on universities began, some international students have seen their visas revoked, Sevis records terminated and described self-censoring to avoid being deported. Noem's letter on Thursday comes less than 24 hours after two Israeli embassy workers were shot to death in Washington by a suspect who reportedly chanted 'free, free Palestine' at the scene. It also coincides with intensifying congressional scrutiny of Harvard's ties to China. On Monday, John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Tim Walberg of the Committee on Education and Workforce wrote to the university requesting information regarding its relationship with Chinese entities 'implicated in human rights abuses'. Last year, Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, wrote Harvard criticising its treatment of students who protested against the Chinese government. More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysia reaffirms commitment to diversity
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that higher education fosters an environment where people from diverse backgrounds can learn with and from one another, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. He emphasised that Malaysian universities embody this commitment through policies and partnerships that prioritise access, collaboration, and mutual respect, values that guide our decisions and shape the future Malaysia aims to build. 'The global higher education community is observing with concern the growing rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States. 'These shifts challenge long-standing principles that have allowed universities to build trust across borders and foster shared intellectual growth,' he said in a statement today. Earlier, it was reported that the Trump administration barred Harvard from enrolling international students, escalating tensions with America's oldest university. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration had revoked Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor programme. Zambry added that the decision to restrict international student access at Harvard reflects a wider trend. While this case is timely and familiar, it signals a broader retreat from inclusion and openness in higher education worldwide. He also affirmed that Malaysia will continue to support inclusive education and stand in solidarity with institutions and communities affected by measures that restrict access and undermine diversity. 'We remain committed to the principles that give education its true purpose and reach,' he said.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysia reaffirms commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that higher education fosters an environment where people from diverse backgrounds can learn with and from one another, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. He emphasised that Malaysian universities embody this commitment through policies and partnerships that prioritise access, collaboration, and mutual respect, values that guide our decisions and shape the future Malaysia aims to build. 'The global higher education community is observing with concern the growing rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States. 'These shifts challenge long-standing principles that have allowed universities to build trust across borders and foster shared intellectual growth,' he said in a statement today. Earlier, it was reported that the Trump administration barred Harvard from enrolling international students, escalating tensions with America's oldest university. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration had revoked Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor programme. Zambry added that the decision to restrict international student access at Harvard reflects a wider trend. While this case is timely and familiar, it signals a broader retreat from inclusion and openness in higher education worldwide. He also affirmed that Malaysia will continue to support inclusive education and stand in solidarity with institutions and communities affected by measures that restrict access and undermine diversity. 'We remain committed to the principles that give education its true purpose and reach,' he said.
