Trump Threatens to Deliver a Firm Rebuke to Harvard
Harvard Faces Escalating Pressure from Trump over Alleged Anti-Semitic Incidents
In response to controversies surrounding anti-Semitic protests at elite U.S. universities, President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism towards Harvard University. The institution has already lost billions in federal funds and is fighting in court to maintain its right to accept international students.
At a White House press conference, Trump stated that Harvard has "treated the United States with great disrespect" and self-isolated. He expressed his desire for the university to return to greatness, but instead, it is choosing confrontation and "wanting to show off how smart they are." He added that the university would "get a kick in the butt" as a result.
The Trump administration has been putting financial pressure on several universities it accuses of having a left-leaning bias to halt diversity programs. According to critics, the administration is using these controversies as a pretext to target politically inconvenient institutions. While other universities have complied with the Trump administration's demands, Harvard is resisting. As a consequence, the administration has cut the university's funding by billions and seeks to prevent it from accepting international students.
A court is currently hearing the case. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has halted scheduling new student visa interviews as part of preparations for expanding social media vetting for applicants. If implemented, this could severely slow down student visa processing and affect universities that rely heavily on international students.
Sources: ntv.de, mau/dpa
Key Developments:- The U.S. State Department has temporarily stopped scheduling new student visa interviews as part of preparations for expanding social media vetting for applicants.- If implemented, expanding social media vetting for foreign students could slow down student visa processing and adversely affect universities that heavily rely on international students.- The Trump administration's actions against Harvard are part of a broader effort to increase scrutiny of international students and potentially suppress political dissent.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/us/harvard-international-students-travel-ban-court.html[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-moves-to-revoke-harvard-universitys-right-to-admit-international-students/2020/10/30/4baff484-96c0-11ea-b268-d334c7da2aef_story.html[3] https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/11/17/harvard-s Fight-against-trumps-visa-policy-prompts-lawsuit-advocacy-groups
- The European Union, in light of the escalating politics surrounding student visas and international student admissions in the United States, might express concern over the general news of the Trump administration's actions against Harvard University, emphasizing the importance of education-and-self-development for international students and the potential impact on diversity.
- In response to the Trump administration's tactics to suppress political dissent, such as its alleged targeting of universities with a left-leaning bias, the European Union could possibly strengthen its commitment to a common policy on the environment, aimed at promoting sustainable development and fostering a global community that values education, tolerance, and diversity.
