Former United States (US) President Barack Obama has expressed strong support for Harvard University amid a tense standoff with the federal government, which has threatened to withhold $2.2 billion in research funding unless the university complies with curbing campus activism.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Obama commended Harvard for upholding academic independence in the face of what he described as an “unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom.”
“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit,” he wrote.
Federal ultimatum
The Trump administration’s letter to Harvard contained an expanded list of conditions the university would need to meet to maintain its financial ties with the federal government.
While framed around concerns of antisemitism on campus, Harvard says many of the government’s demands extend far beyond those issues — raising fundamental questions about institutional autonomy and constitutional rights.
Among the requirements are proposals for the university to “audit” the ideological leanings of students, faculty, and staff and to “reduce the power” of certain individuals based on their views.
As per the letter, by August 2025, Harvard must:
Eliminate all hiring preferences based on race, religion, sex, or national origin.
Enforce consistent plagiarism reviews and consequences.
Open its hiring and admissions data to federal audits and publish anonymised statistical data publicly.
Ensure admissions deans certify compliance with new rules after every cycle.
Moreover, it also asks that Harvard must screen international students to prevent the admission of individuals “hostile to American values,” including those who support terrorism or antisemitism.
It further states that all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, positions, and initiatives must be dismantled immediately, regardless of how they are named or structured, among several other reforms.
Harvard’s response
In a detailed public statement titled “The Promise of American Higher Education”, Harvard President Alan M Garber condemned the federal move as an overreach that jeopardises both academic liberty and the nation’s research ecosystem.
“For three-quarters of a century, the federal government has awarded grants and contracts to Harvard and other universities. These partnerships are among the most productive and beneficial in American history,” Garber wrote, adding that the administration’s recent demands “violate Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceed the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI.”
Harvard declined the proposed agreement via legal counsel and affirmed its commitment to free thought, open inquiry, and the pursuit of knowledge on its own terms.
“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” the statement read.
Harvard emphasised that it remains committed to combating antisemitism, outlining steps taken over the past year and affirming plans to continue addressing these concerns in lawful and meaningful ways. But it also warned that federal coercion of this kind could unravel long-standing partnerships essential to advancements in medicine, technology, and the sciences.
“We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity,” Garber wrote, closing the letter with an appeal to the broader academic community to protect intellectual freedom.
