Funding Freeze to Court Reprieve, the Harvard vs Washington Case for Academic Autonomy
Merin Varghese | 26 June 2025 | The Indian Express
A US court has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to bar international students from enrolling at Harvard University, handing the Ivy League institution a crucial legal victory. But even as Harvard celebrates the reprieve, the deeper confrontation over academic freedom, political interference, and institutional autonomy continues to escalate.
The ruling by US District Judge Allison Burroughs offers immediate relief to nearly 7,000 international students, including approximately 800 from India, who had been caught in a geopolitical crossfire. Yet the university remains at the centre of a campaign by the US government to assert control over its admissions, curriculum, and funding, raising questions that go well beyond immigration policy…