Why do we need to address antisemitism in university research? A warning for all universities and academic institutions across the country, and what we should do about it
Inskeep: One other thing in reading the DHS statement about Harvard, there is a line that struck me: “Let this serve as a warning.” They’re talking about their actions against Harvard. This will serve as a warning for all universities and academic institutions in the country. I wonder if you agree with that statement that this episode is, in fact, a warning to all universities across the country.
In mid-May, a federal antisemitism task force wrote a letter telling Harvard it would lose an additional $450 million in grants from eight federal agencies, in addition to the $2.2 billion that was already frozen. That came in response to a letter the Harvard president, Alan Garber, sent to Linda McMahon, the U.S. secretary of education, denying the administration’s allegations that the school was partisan. He maintained the school was “not an arm of any political party” and would never be.
“Why cut off research funding? The research funding is not a gift, so it hurts Harvard, but it’s not a gift to the country.
A faculty member of ours just got the Breakthrough Prize for work that led to the discovery of GLP-1 drugs, which are now revolutionizing how we approach obesity, diabetes and many other conditions. The breakthrough prize this year was won by a faculty member for the advancement of gene editing, which is being used to cure diseases. This is a huge part of what we do. The work of universities like ours is good for everyone. And it is not only about Harvard. I think it’s important to keep this in mind. The kinds of changes that the administration has begun and is contemplating, which include deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health and to the National Science Foundation, will affect all research universities and will have a real impact on the ability of the United States to remain at the forefront of science and technology.
The federal government says we need to address antisemitism, but it has raises other issues, and also claims that we don’t lack viewpoint diversity. We think that we do have issues, and I would emphasize the speech issues. It is a real problem if students aren’t free to speak their minds and faculty aren’t free to think before they talk about the subjects that they’re teaching. That’s a real problem that we need to address. It’s concerning when people think their views are unpopular. And the administration and others have said conservatives are too few on campus and their views are not welcome. In so far as that’s true, that’s a problem we really need to address.
Garber sat for an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep and discussed Harvard’s ongoing legal fights with the Trump administration, the work of major research universities, and the administration’s concerns about antisemitism on campus and its assertion that Harvard lacks political “viewpoint diversity.”
Inskeep: In the letter cutting off your ability to host international students, the Department of Homeland Security made a number of accusations, including that Harvard, brazenly refused to provide information that was demanded about international students and that you also “ignored a follow up question about them.” Is that statement true?
Garber: To the best of my knowledge, they are not true. I need to add, by the way, that this is clearly the subject of litigation, as you pointed out earlier. We have always complied in line with the law.
The Harvard Effect in the High School: What Have We Learned in the Last Three Years? [As Trump targets elite schools, Harvard’s president says they should’stand firm‘]
Garber: I believe that we have made substantial progress on campus over the past year, and that’s what I’ve heard from many faculty and staff and students. There has been progress. Comparing what goes on on campus to what goes on in the rest of the country is a little bit difficult because the manifestations may be different. From what I’ve heard, we have many fewer violent incidents. They’re almost unheard of on our campus and probably a lot less vandalism. Antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias is linked to social exclusion. It is related to shunning. If a student sits at a dining table with other students that they don’t know, and they discover one of them is an Israeli, it’s a serious problem we need to address.
What is it that you’re attempting to do in a large way? You would like for people to engage with each other civilly, but you do not want to allow all sorts of ideas.
I can say exactly what you are saying. We want people to be able to discuss topics that disagree with each other. They should not be in an echo chamber. Everyone in the community needs to be heard. And let me add, that’s one reason why it is so important for us to be able to have international students on our campus. There is so much that they contribute to our environment and they enable everyone else to open their minds.
What do you say to a person in the middle of the country who is listening, but doesn’t really have a stake in this? I did not go to Harvard. I’m not sending my kid to Harvard. I really don’t like Harvard that much. It appears that this is about a different group of people. And Harvard deserves what they’re getting. It doesn’t matter much to me. What would you say to someone with that attitude?
I would demand they learn a little more about Harvard, as well as other research universities. The center of the university is teaching and learning. Research is the main focus of the university’s activities. There have been many discoveries from Harvard and other universities that have helped with the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Up First: The Most Effective Use of the Federal Government’s Funds on Research: It’s a Warning, not a Threat
The federal government is able to reallocate funds through the budgeting process. But the question to ask is what problem is he trying to solve by doing that? The money that goes to research universities in the form of grants and contracts, which is almost all of the federal support that we get, is used to pay for work that we perform at the behest of the government. It means that work won’t be performed when you reallocate to a trade school. So the right question is, is this the most effective use of federal funding? Do you really want to cut back on research? I’m less concerned about whether it goes to a trade school or if it goes to some other project, like working on highways. How much value does the federal government get from its expenditures on research? There is a lot of actual research demonstrating the returns to the American people have been enormous.
They said Garber: They said it. I have to repeat it myself and I have to believe it. It’s understood how it is in other universities by the other leaders I have talked to. It is a warning. The consequences will occur if you don’t comply with our demands, that’s what they see as the message.
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The Distancing of Corporate America from DEI: NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer reports on DEI job losses
Corporate America is distancing itself from DEI. This shift shows a shift from five years ago when companies raced to staff up after the murder of George Floyd. NPR reports on the extent of job losses in this field.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group backed by the U.S. and Israel, is starting to bring limited quantities of food to Gaza, where hunger is widespread and extreme. The group is facing criticism from the UN and other aid groups. Jake Wood, the executive director, resigned on Sunday, saying he could not abandon principles of humanity, impartiality and independence.
A couple in Minnesota learned they had two young grandsons trapped in a Syrian desert camp after their son left the US to join Isis. They’re among an estimated 22 U.S. citizens still in the sprawling, primitive camps, including about 17 American children, according to the State Department. The two Minnesota boys were there until May 2024, when they were flown in a military cargo plane to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to start a new life in the American Midwest. The full story is by NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer.
NPR’s Brian Mann: An Excursion through the Canyons of the Andes. The Associated Impact of a Critique of the Trump-Regime on University Student Visa Applications
Santiago, Chile is the capital of South America, and it has beautiful hiking conditions in autumn. There are wonderful views of the pines forests and the mountains at the center of Cerro San Cristbal. NPR’s Brian Mann made the trek, where he ventured through forested hills of volcanic rock and groves of cactus. Look at photos from his journey and listen as he describes his experience on the trail.
Agencies are ordered by the General Services Administration to give a list of their terminated contracts to the university by June 6.
The letter states that the GSA encourages the agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where they had previously considered Harvard.
The government official, who did not want to be named because they were not authorized to speak, confirmed the authenticity of the letter, first published by the New York Times.
President Donald Trump’s previous administration stepped up scrutiny of all visa applicants, introducing reviews of their social media accounts. The policy was retained by President Joe Biden.
An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding-school or exchange students’ plans to enroll in summer and fall terms.
A downturn in enrollment of international students could hurt university budgets. Some colleges increased the number of international students who pay full tuition in order to make up for federal research funding cuts.
Foreign Students in the U.S.: The Suspension of Visum Interviews as a Signature of an Expanded Social Media Strategy
A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document.
A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting.
“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity” until the guidance is issued, the cable says.
Asked about the suspension at a briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. uses every available resource to vet people applying for visas.
In the spring of this year, the administration revoked legal status of international students in the U.S., causing some to leave the country. After many students filed successful legal challenges, the administration said it was restoring the students’ legal status. Going forward, the government expanded its grounds for ending international students’ legal status.
While the State Department works to expand the screening of their activity on social media, it has stopped scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students.