By all appearances, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has declared war on Harvard University.
It has demanded changes in university policy that would give it a veto over much of its academic activities. When Harvard refused, the government cut all federal grants and contracts with the school. The steps are unprecedented and likely to fail as courts block the most onerous measures.
That is not likely to undo the damage that is being done to the United States’ international image and the country itself. Its educational institutions have been the envy of the world, one of its most powerful exports and a source of considerable economic activity and advantage. The fight against Harvard, which is only the most contentious front in a wider war against educational institutions that insist on maintaining their independence from Trump administration dictates, will do extensive and potentially irreparable injury. It is an extraordinary act of self-harm.
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