The Trump administration has directed federal agencies to cancel contracts worth about $100 million with Harvard University, intensifying the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university.
The General Services Administration, which oversees contracting and real estate for the federal government, sent a letter Tuesday instructing agencies to review contracts with Harvard and seek alternate arrangements. The move comes as part of the administration’s broader efforts to crack down on what it sees as liberal and antisemitic tendencies at the Ivy League school.
Harvard has already lost over $2.6 billion in federal research grants due to administration demands for policy changes. The university has pushed back, filing a lawsuit over the administration’s calls for changes to its leadership, governance, and admissions policies.
The contracts under review include scientific research, executive training for Department of Homeland Security officials, and graduate student research services. Agencies with critical contracts are being directed not to halt them immediately but to devise a plan to transition to a vendor other than Harvard.
President Trump has repeatedly criticized Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. The university has responded by making changes to its governance and admissions policies, including a strategy to combat antisemitism.
International students at Harvard are facing uncertainty over their ability to enroll in summer or fall classes due to the administration’s ban on foreign students. Some say they’re discussing backup plans, while others expressed relief that some countries are responding to support Harvard’s foreign students.
The move has sparked criticism from universities and governments around the world, including Japan’s education minister, who announced plans to ask Japanese universities to compile measures to support international students.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/trump-harvard-federal-contracts-51d2d2618e1f0f5de39cb649644e1dae