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“A Weakened Harvard is a Weakened America” — Simple English Translation of the Article:
Imagine if China or Russia tried to destroy something in America that creates billions of dollars in value, strengthens U.S. leadership in science and technology, and increases our respect and influence around the world — we would expect our government to protect it, even go to war if needed.
But the Trump administration is doing similar damage by attacking Harvard University.
Despite Harvard’s flaws and mistakes, it is a vital national asset of the U.S. Attacking it harms not just Harvard, but America itself.
If you visit Cambridge University in the UK, the tour guide will show you places where statues once stood before religious extremists destroyed them. Still, Cambridge survived and became even stronger.
Universities last for centuries. They don’t fear political governments. Harvard will remain even after the Trump administration is gone. But if America is cut off from Harvard’s contributions, the country will be poorer and weaker.
I have taught at Harvard Business School for seven years and now teach at the Harvard Kennedy School. So I feel personally connected to this issue.
I also believe that Harvard has failed in some areas. Reports about antisemitism and Islamophobia show the university hasn’t provided a safe environment for all students.
Harvard must protect its students — even from other students at times. It should also support free speech on campus and encourage diverse viewpoints.
But the Trump administration isn’t trying to improve Harvard. It wants to control it through illegal means.
Dictators often fear universities because they are places where disagreement and debate happen. That’s why J.D. Vance once said, “Universities are the enemy.”
If Trump succeeds in breaking one of America’s oldest and richest universities, no other institution will have the courage to stand up to him.
The government claims it wants to stop antisemitism at Harvard, but that’s just an excuse. Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s letter threatening to cut Harvard’s funding doesn’t even mention antisemitism — instead, it criticizes the school for offering fellowships to Democratic leaders.
Harvard is a powerful way to spread American values around the world. In the last 25 years, many world leaders — from Canada to Taiwan — have studied at Harvard.
This trend continues — Belgium’s future queen is currently a Harvard student, and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s daughter is a Harvard graduate.
The world’s powerful send their children to Harvard to understand and adopt the American way of life.
So, an attack on Harvard is really an attack on America. Just as America is not perfect, Harvard isn’t either.
But just as America must be protected, so must Harvard.
