Pressure on Harvard from the Trump administration: education for foreign students banned

One of the biggest crises in the US education system has emerged - in accordance with the decision of the country's Department of Homeland Security, the famous Harvard University will no longer be able to accept foreign students as part of exchange programs. This was reported by The New York Times, citing its sources.

In an official letter sent to the university, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had immediately revoked the certificate granting the right to accept students for exchange programs. This document was an important legal basis that allowed the university to officially accept international students. Now this right has been suspended.

According to NYT journalists, this decision is considered the culmination of the complex relations between the government and Harvard University, that is, a “serious escalation of the confrontation.”

Although no official explanation has been given so far, the roots of the problem are much deeper. On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to the university’s leadership demanding comprehensive reforms in university governance, changes in admissions policies, and a review of the university’s diversity policy for faculty and administration. The Trump administration also proposed banning the wearing of face masks on campus as a measure to counter pro-Palestinian rhetoric by students and faculty.

By April 14, the Trump administration had frozen $2.2 billion in grant funds and $60 million in contracts allocated to Harvard University. This decision also caused a sharp turn in the financial policy of higher education in the United States.

In turn, Harvard University has openly stated its intention to fight this decision. At the end of April, the educational institution announced that it was preparing a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

From the Zamin.uz editorial office:
Limiting the right of foreign students to receive an education could be a serious blow to the free and inclusive nature of the US education system. Harvard is not just a university, but a symbol of academic freedom, scientific independence, and a global educational legacy. This decision once again shows how dangerous political pressure in education is.

What do you think of this incident? Is the American education system really becoming a political weapon?