There is a rift in the Ivy League, the group that brings together the eight most traditional and prestigious universities in the United States. And the reason for the rift is Donald Trump, who wants to force educational institutions to adopt his political agenda and his measures to limit activism on campus.
To force them to align with his plans, many of which go against freedom of expression and the tradition of university centers, Trump threatens to freeze the multimillion-dollar grants provided by the federal government.
The President of the United States was successful with Columbia University, which caved to government pressure, but he did not fare well with Harvard, despite the fact that the university risks losing $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts.
Obama breaks his silence to criticize Trump’s measures
In his first political statement on social media since Trump’s presidential inauguration, former president Barack Obama expressed his support for Harvard University for not giving in to Trump’s pressure to change its internal policies.
Obama described this offensive move by the current President of the United States as an “an unlawful and ham-handed attempt” to restrict academic freedom in the country.
The Trump administration had demanded that Harvard alter its criteria for admission, hiring, and educational programs, arguing that such changes were necessary to curb antisemitism on campus.
A graduate of Harvard Law School in 1991, Obama has maintained the tradition of former United States presidents (except for Trump with Biden) of keeping a low profile when it comes to direct political criticisms against the sitting president in the White House. However, this time he decided to speak out clearly: “Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom,” wrote the former president on his social media.
Obama also emphasized that Harvard is working to maintain an environment where intellectual debate and respect prevail, which, according to him, should be the model to be followed by other universities in the country.
The top universities are divided
Trump accused several universities of not protecting Jewish students during recent protests related to the war in Gaza and the United States’ position in the conflict.
While some institutions, like Columbia, have agreed to certain demands from the Trump administration, Harvard became the first traditional university to openly oppose pressures from the federal government. That same day, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced a similar stance, also rejecting Trump’s demands.
Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, defended his position and pointed out that “no government should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can admit or hire, and what areas of study and research they can pursue”.
Harvard’s refusal to comply with these requests sparked an escalation that included the suspension of some federal funding primarily aimed at scientific research.
From Stanford, one of the top universities on the West Coast, a statement was issued supporting Harvard and criticizing government interference.