<
https://theconversation.com/universities-in-nazi-germany-and-the-soviet-union-thought-giving-in-to-government-demands-would-save-their-independence-252888>
"Many American universities, widely seen globally as beacons of academic
integrity and free speech, are giving in to demands from the Trump
administration, which has been targeting academia since it took office.
In one of his first acts, President Donald Trump branded diversity, equity and
inclusion programs as discriminatory. His administration also launched federal
investigations into more than 50 universities, from smaller regional schools
such as Grand Valley State University in Michigan and the New England College
of Optometry in Massachusetts to elite private universities such as Harvard and
Yale.
Trump ramped up the pressure by threatening university research funding and
targeting specific schools. In one example, the Trump administration revoked
US$400 million in grants to Columbia University over its alleged failures to
curb antisemitic harassment on campus. The school later agreed to most of
Trump’s demands, from tightening student protest policies to placing an entire
academic department under administrative oversight – though the funding remains
frozen.
Cornell, Northwestern, Princeton, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania have
also recently had grants frozen. Harvard was sent a list of demands in order to
keep $9 billion in federal funding.
Now, across the United States, many universities are trying to avoid being
Trump’s next target. Administrators are dismantling DEI initiatives – closing
and rebranding offices, eliminating positions, revising training programs and
sanitizing diversity statements – while professors are preemptively
self-censoring.
Not all institutions are complying. Some schools, such as Wesleyan, have
refused to abandon their diversity principles. And organizations including the
American Association of University Professors have filed lawsuits challenging
Trump’s executive orders, arguing they violate academic freedom and the First
Amendment.
But these remain exceptions, as the broader trend leans toward institutional
caution and retreat.
As a scholar of comparative and international education, I study how academic
institutions respond to authoritarian pressure – across political systems,
cultural contexts and historical moments. While some universities may believe
that compliance with the administration will protect their funding and
independence, a few historical parallels suggest otherwise."
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
