Former United States President Barack Obama has said that Harvard University has set an example for all higher educational institutions as it stood against "unlawful attempt to stifle academic freedom." His statement comes after the Donald Trump administration in the US froze more than $2 billion in grants to Harvard University. In a post on X, the former US president urged other institutions to follow suit. 

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Trump administration freezes $2.2billion to Harvard

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The United States government on Monday announced its decision to freeze more than $2 billion in grants to Harvard University after the college rejected the Donald Trump administration's demands for changes in admission policies as well as audit views of student clubs to curb 'anti-Semitism.' 

The White House has also frozen $60 million in contracts to Harvard University. 

Trump administration's demands

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In a letter to Harvard on Friday, President Trump's administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university as well as derecognisation of some student clubs involved in anti-Semitic activities. The Trump administration also wanted Harvard to implement a comprehensive mask ban with serious and immediate penalties for violation.

Here are the key demands:

  • Governance and leadership reforms
  • Merit-Based Hiring Reform
  • Merit-Based Admissions Reform
  • Viewpoint Diversity in Admissions and Hiring
  • Reforming Programs with Egregious Records of Antisemitism or Other Bias
  • Discontinuation of DEI (diversity, equity, and
    inclusion.)

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Harvard refuses the demands of Trump administration

However, Harvard University refused to accept the deal saying it would not "negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights." Harvard President Alan Garber, in a letter to the Harvard community, said the demands violated the university's rights under the Constitution's First Amendment and “exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI,” which prohibits discrimination against students based on their race, colour or national origin. Garber also said that while some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the 'intellectual conditions.'

While freezing the grants, the Trump administration said, "Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges- that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws." 

Read More | Trump administration freezes $2.2bn to Harvard after college defies demands

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