The MTA Speaks: What animosity is Donald Trump taking out on Harvard University? Full analysis here

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump is no stranger to controversies. From taking on the media to criticizing global leaders, tech companies, and even his own country’s institutions, Trump’s actions often spark heated debates. This time, however, the controversy has taken an unusual turn Trump has clashed with one of the world's most prestigious academic institutions, Harvard University.

Veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash analyzes this standoff in his special show “The MTA Speaks” and breaks down the ideological roots of the conflict.

Donald Trump Critic Of Harvard

Donald Trump has long been a critic of Harvard University, Trump alleges that prestigious institutions like Harvard promote leftist agenda, which is against his "America First" policy and traditional values. He has also raised questions on Harvard for suppressing freedom of expression, marginalizing conservative ideas and questionable use of financial aid received from countries like China.

Apart from this, during the Trump administration, Harvard openly raised its voice against immigration policies and environmental laws, which further deepened this conflict. Harvard has produced 161 Nobel laureates so far. Harvard has been vocal against Trump's radical ideology. For this reason, Trump always keeps looking for an issue to corner it.

After this controversy, now US President Donald Trump has issued an order that now foreign students will not be admitted to Harvard University. Within 24 hours of the issuance of this order, a US court put an immediate stay on Trump's order. On this, Harvard University President Alan Garber said that foreign students are the identity of Harvard University. We are not going to bow down to Trump at any cost.

What Is Harvard University?

Harvard University is one of the few institutions in the world that foreign students prefer the most for education. It was founded in the year 1636, which is the oldest higher education institution in America. This university is located in the city of Cambridge in the state of Massachusetts, which is famous for its academic and intellectual environment.

Harvard is a private research university and a member of the prestigious Ivy League, which is considered a symbol of quality of education and academic reputation. There are about 21,000 students studying in the university, of which more than 7,000 are foreign students. This diversity makes it a global academic platform, where students from different countries and cultures share knowledge and experience.

There are more than 2,400 permanent faculty members and more than 10,000 academics employed in Harvard-affiliated hospitals, ensuring that students receive the highest level of education and guidance. Harvard's financial position makes it unique. With a wealth of $41.9 billion, it is the richest academic institution in the world. This helps the university to provide state-of-the-art facilities, extensive scholarships and world-class research resources.

Harvard Academic Record

Harvard's academic record is also impressive. Its alumni include Nobel Prize winners, US presidents, world-renowned scientists, businessmen and social leaders, which further enhances its reputation. Here students are prepared for future leadership. Due to all these characteristics, Harvard University becomes not just a university, but an international academic experience, which every ambitious student wants to get.

Now a look at the alumni here who have made their mark around the world by getting education here. Many US presidents like John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barack Obama studied here, while former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were also its students. Big names like Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg started their careers here.

Influential personalities like Michael Bloomberg in the business world and former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein have also been associated with Harvard. Influential names in social and scientific fields like Michelle Obama, Helen Keller and Dr. Kizie Corbett are also Harvard alumni, making it a leading school of global leadership. Many big personalities of India like Amartya Sen, Rahul Gandhi, Ratan Tata, Arvind Kejriwal, Gurcharan Das, Manish Sabarwal, Raghuram Rajan, Nikhil Srivastava, Priyanka Chopra Jonas have been associated with Harvard University in some form or the other.

Countries With Harvard

After Donald Trump banned the enrollment of foreign students from Harvard University, many countries have criticized the move and stood in support of Harvard. China has called the decision harmful to the US international image and promised to protect the rights of its students and researchers.

In addition, institutions such as the University of Hong Kong have made proposals to transfer the affected students. India has also expressed concern over the status of its students studying at Harvard. The international academic community has called the move a threat to academic freedom and global cooperation, and many universities have expressed solidarity with Harvard.

This matter is being discussed in India. Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha has shown solidarity with Harvard University in this matter. Raghav wrote on social media, "President Trump's recent move threatens the dreams and future of international students at Harvard and beyond. As a proud Harvard community member, I wear my colors to show support for inclusion and academic freedom. I stand with Harvard and all international students whose dreams and futures are at risk. We must protect academic freedom and global collaboration."

According to the Harvard University website, 500 to 800 Indians study at Harvard University every year. In the current session, 10,158 international students from more than 140 countries are studying at the university. The number of Indian students among them is 788. Most of the students are on F-1 or J-1 visas. F-1 visas are for students studying at American educational institutions, while J visas are for exchange visitors including scholars, researchers.

What Does Trump Want?

Trump wants Harvard University to stop anti-Semitic activities, stop pro-Hamas sentiment and stop the growth of racial discrimination through diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. Foreign influence and the threat to national security through Chinese and Iranian research funding should be stopped. Anti-Semitic protesters should be sent to their country. The university should get audited by an external agency.

This matter should be resolved soon because about seven thousand non-American students are currently studying in Harvard. After the court decision, there has been immediate relief in this, but the hearing will continue and it remains to be seen what the final decision of the US Supreme Court is.