Key Takeaways
- Important research at Harvard University is at risk without US Govt funding, sparking concerns over federal government support.
- The US government is reviewing funding for Harvard University due to concerns over its failure to combat antisemitism.
- Harvard University has made efforts to combat antisemitism over the past 15 months, but US Govt funding is still at risk.
Washington: Harvard President Alan Garber said that important research would be at risk without US government support.
“Earlier today, the federal government’s task force to combat antisemitism issued a letter putting at risk almost $9 billion in support of research at Harvard and other institutions, including hospitals in our community. If this funding is stopped, it will halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation … Much is at stake here,” Garber said in an internal communication.
The government is reviewing the funding because it is concerned about the university’s failure to meet its commitments to curb and combat antisemitism, the letter read. Gerber stressed, in turn, that Harvard supports the idea of combating antisemitism, and it has made a lot of efforts in this area over the past 15 months.
The White House has previously demanded that American universities provide protection for students of Jewish origin, threatening to cut funding. Anti-Israel protests are taking place at American universities in connection with the escalation of the Middle East conflict.
