Key Takeaways
- Pentagon orders 30 universities to complete a Pentagon University Audit of foreign academic partnerships by Aug. 31.
- Schools risk federal funding over partnerships deemed national security risks.
- China rejects U.S. concerns and calls for open academic exchanges.
The Pentagon has ordered 30 U.S. universities to review foreign research partnerships by Aug. 31 or risk losing future federal funding over national security concerns.
Pentagon Sets Aug. 31 Deadline
The Department of War said Monday that the universities must conduct comprehensive reviews of academic, financial, and research ties with foreign institutions identified as security concerns. As part of the Pentagon University Audit, the reviews must assess exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research and include plans to end partnerships considered problematic.
The department said the move aims to protect taxpayer-funded research from unauthorized technology transfers, intellectual property theft, and foreign exploitation. The Pentagon University Audit focuses largely on partnerships involving Chinese institutions, although the Pentagon’s list also includes organizations in Russia and Iran.
The Pentagon did not publicly identify the 30 universities. A U.S. official told AP that the list includes Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University. Other institutions identified by officials include Georgetown University, Cornell University, Stanford University and several University of California campuses.
“The Department of War has zero tolerance for academic partnerships that compromise our national security,” Emil Michael, the department’s under secretary for research and engineering, said in a statement.
Universities Face Scrutiny Over China Ties
The order follows the Pentagon’s release last month of an updated list of 130 foreign universities and research institutions that it says could increase the risk of U.S.-funded research being misappropriated. Most of the institutions are in China, including the University of Science and Technology of China and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences.
The foreign-institution list was created during President Donald Trump’s first term under a provision of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The American Council on Education helped develop the original list, according to Sarah Spreitzer, a vice president at the organization.
The Pentagon University Audit has raised concerns higher education group is concerned the new order could suggest universities are engaged in wrongdoing without evidence. She said many institutions had already changed or ended research partnerships with organizations on the Pentagon’s list.
“We don’t appreciate the implication that we are not good partners on research security,” Spreitzer said, noting that the council has worked with the federal government on national security concerns.
China Rejects U.S. Concerns
The directive comes as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of China’s influence in U.S. research and other sectors. The administration has also raised concerns about Chinese investments in infrastructure and telecommunications in the Americas.
China has rejected the U.S. government’s characterization of academic cooperation as a security threat. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy said Beijing opposes the politicization of “normal scientific, educational, and academic exchanges.”
The spokesperson urged the United States to abandon what China called a Cold War mentality and maintain an open and fair environment for academic and scientific exchanges between the two countries.
Under the Pentagon University Audit, the universities must submit their audit findings and any corrective actions to the Pentagon by Aug. 31 to maintain eligibility for future federal research funding, according to the department.
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