Hundreds of students at Harvard University are protesting. They’re angry about the US government’s decision to cut funding and cancel financial contracts with the university. The contracts are worth around $100 million.
The government, led by former President Donald Trump, says it’s doing this to pressure Harvard into following its rules. These rules include what the university can teach, who it can accept as students, and what research it can do.
Many international students at Harvard are worried. They’re at risk of losing their visas and being forced to leave the US. The students are fighting back. They held a big rally, chanting “Who belongs in class today, let them stay!”
A student named Alice Goyer said many of her friends, including international students, professors, and researchers, are facing uncertainty. Jack, a student from the UK, said the current US politics might make people not want to study in America.
The White House says it won’t give money to universities that promote liberal values or teach subjects it doesn’t think are important. A spokesperson, Caroline Levitt, said, “We should give money to schools that teach electrical work, plumbing, not Harvard’s LGBTQ master’s degrees.”
Harvard is fighting back. It’s suing the government over several issues, including the cancellation of its right to accept international students and the withholding of research funding. International students make up around 27% of Harvard’s student body.
A group of alumni, called Crimson Courage, is also planning to sue Trump on June 9. They want to protect the rights of students and educational institutions in the US.
A law expert from Albany Law School thinks the court will likely protect Harvard. The government’s actions, they say, are against the law and the principles of the US.
Source: channelnewsasia