Harvard University
State Department Probes Harvard’s J-1 Visa Role
Washington: The United States Department of State’s investigation into Harvard University’s eligibility to sponsor the Exchange Visitor Program, announced today, threatens the university’s ability to host international students and scholars on J-1 visas.
The probe, which demands detailed programme records within one week, examines whether Harvard complies with regulations requiring transparency, legal adherence, and alignment with U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that universities must uphold safe environments and national priorities, framing the investigation as a safeguard for the programme’s integrity. With approximately 5,000 international students among Harvard’s 21,000 total enrollment and numerous scholars relying on J-1 visas, loss of sponsorship could disrupt academic programmes, force visa holders to leave the U.S. for at least two years, and weaken global research collaborations.
This investigation follows the Donald Trump administration’s April 2025 freeze of $2.2 billion in federal research grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, citing issues like antisemitism and inadequate reporting on international students.
Harvard’s lawsuit against these cuts alleges violations of its First Amendment rights and political retaliation. The broader context includes U.S.-China tensions, with policies like a 50% visa fee hike for Chinese nationals and bans on Confucius Institutes signalling efforts to curb Chinese influence in academia. Beijing has criticised the probe as part of a containment strategy, warning of reciprocal measures that could disrupt U.S.-China academic exchanges. Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton called the investigation retaliatory, asserting full compliance with program requirements and a commitment to supporting its international community.
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Claiming that now the progress is at risk, a Harvard report pointed out that since World War II, universities across the country have partnered with the government “to create an innovation ecosystem that is the envy of the world”. The University claimed threats to this funding endanger scientific breakthroughs and disease prevention, treatment, and cures.
Harvard’s reliance on federal funding, as detailed by Harvard Medical School, underscores the broader stakes. For 75 years, federal partnerships with universities, inspired by Vannevar Bush’s 1945 report, *Science, The Endless Frontier*, have driven transformative discoveries. Federal support enabled the Framingham Heart Study to identify cardiovascular risk factors and the Human Genome Project to map the genome, generating tools for disease prevention and treatment.
At Harvard, federal funding supports 75% of research, fueling advances in cancer, infectious diseases, and mental health, saving an estimated 3.5 million lives from cancer between 1991 and 2019. Collaborations with institutions like Morehouse School of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Texas Biomedical Research Institute across 32 states amplify these impacts.
Funding cuts threaten this ecosystem, halting projects on Alzheimer’s disease, gene therapy for childhood deafness, and suicide prevention for veterans.
The disruptions affect not only Harvard but also partner institutions, risking decades of progress. The investigation’s focus on national security suggests a push to align Harvard’s operations with federal priorities, possibly targeting perceived Chinese influence.
The one-week deadline indicates an intent to uncover lapses or force concessions, but targeting Harvard risks deterring global talent and weakening U.S. academic leadership. Beijing’s warning of reciprocal measures underscores the geopolitical stakes, potentially disrupting U.S.-China academic exchanges.
The probe’s outcome could set a precedent for federal oversight of universities, threatening academic autonomy and national innovation.
– global bihari bureau
