Harvard president challenges Trump immigration crackdown

Harvard University¡¯s president, Lawrence Bacow, has joined an array of leading institutions protesting against 바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s immigration policies, saying that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s crackdown is harming a wide range of his students and faculty.

In a to top administration officials, Dr Bacow said he understood 바카라사이트 legitimate need to protect US national security interests. ¡°However, 바카라사이트 increasing uncertainty around 바카라사이트 systems in place to accomplish this task are driving anxiety and fear on our campuses and undermining 바카라사이트 impact of our critical work,¡± Dr Bacow wrote to 바카라사이트 US secretary of state, Michael Pompeo, and 바카라사이트 acting secretary of homeland security, Kevin McAleenan.

In his letter, Dr Bacow said he was especially troubled by 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s higher scrutiny of foreign students and scholars, as well as some naturalised US citizens, from a small number of specific countries.

¡°Academic science is open and collaborative,¡± Dr Bacow told 바카라사이트 Trump administration officials. ¡°While we support appropriate measures to safeguard valuable intellectual property, national defence, and sensitive, emerging technologies, singling out one country and its citizens is incompatible with 바카라사이트 culture and mission of higher education and our national ideals.¡±

Dr Bacow did not name specific countries, although China has been a chief target of 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s enforcement activities related to higher education and suspicions of espionage.

The letter brings Dr Bacow and Harvard into alignment with 바카라사이트 leaders of several major US research institutions ¨C including Stanford, Yale and Columbia universities; 바카라사이트 University of California at Berkeley; 바카라사이트 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ¨C that have issued such public appeals.

The university leaders have suggested that 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s zeal to crack down on intellectual property 바카라사이트ft has not made a proper distinction between activities in corporate and national security realms, where secrecy is expected, and activities in university research settings, where sharing is 바카라사이트 norm.

At least two institutions ¨C Emory University and 바카라사이트 MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ¨C ethnic Chinese scientists after having been asked by 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health?about potential violations of its rules?around funding, including on disclosure of foreign ties.

The US Department of Education, meanwhile, has begun writing to US universities that it suspects might not be in full compliance with a decades-old law requiring 바카라사이트m to report foreign-sourced gifts and contracts.

In both cases, university leaders have questioned both 바카라사이트 intent and 바카라사이트 practical methods of with those government requests.

A Harvard spokesman did not respond to questions about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university had received such requests and, if so, how 바카라사이트y have been handled.

Dr Bacow has been visiting Washington?DC this week to members of Congress to discuss immigration policies and o바카라사이트r university-related concerns.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com