Harvard does not yield to Donald Trump

In response to Donald Trump's anti-science policies, until now fear seemed to reign supreme among American universities. If not at Harvard University. Which refuses to budge, putting billions of dollars of public money at risk. 

The White House wants to keep paying only if it can interfere in the university's selection process of students, staff and researchers, according to a letter Harvard posted online. Also, the co-determination council should give up its power and all of the university's diversity measures should end immediately. 

‘Anti-Semitism’
The long  list of demands makes clear, says the Harvard boss, that government has no intention of working together in a “cooperative and constructive manner” to combat anti-Semitism at the university. 

Because that is the main stick to beat universities with: the government believes they are rife with anti-Semitism. From Harvard, it is now demanding that an outside party investigate the “ideology” of some faculty.

Coercion
Trump's approach to universities is much like his recent trade war: first promulgate harsh measures and then wait for the aggrieved party to come begging for a deal. For example, Trump threatened to cut Columbia University by $400 million. That university quickly buckled and is putting itself under far-reaching government surveillance. 

Two weeks ago, Trump had a similar hunch about Harvard. After he finished his lunch, the New York Times writes in a reconstruction, the president suddenly wondered aloud: what if we didn't give Harvard another dime at all? “Wouldn't that be cool?”Nine billion was at stake, but Monday night the administration decided to make it 2.2 billion. 

Harassment
A rule of law must protect individuals and organizations from the whims of those in power.Consequently, a number of Harvard professors have announced  lawsuits against the government. The question is whether Trump will end up being disciplined by judges. 

Another question is whether it will matter. After all, Trump's threats alone can have an effect, as at Columbia.The government warned 60 universities in early March to take action because of alleged anti-Semitism on their campuses.

Harvard, the richest and oldest university in the USA, now serves as an example. If Harvard gets through the pump, the other institutions may be more easily intimidated, says an anonymous government official in the Times.

Visas revoked
The government has now also revoked more than a thousand student visas, Times Higher Education data show. Some students have been known to publicly oppose Israel's war in Gaza.

Just last Friday, a local judge authorized the government to expel pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University. His lawyers are appealing the decision. During the trial, they revealed that their client had spoken out against anti-Semitism several times, but that apparently did not matter.