Pentagon orders audit of 30 universities’ partnerships with foreign institutions

The Pentagon has directed 30 U.S. universities to conduct audits of their partnerships with foreign institutions, particularly those in China, amid growing concerns over the country's increasing global influence. The Trump administration is scrutinizing these partnerships to protect taxpayer-funded research from potential theft and exploitation.

The audit deadline is in two weeks, after which non-compliant universities risk losing funding. The goal is to safeguard national security interests. The Department of Defense has ordered the audits without naming the involved universities, but sources reveal they include prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, and Johns Hopkins University.

The American Council on Education, representing college and university presidents, expressed concerns that the order implies wrongdoing without evidence. This order follows the Pentagon's release of an updated list of 130 foreign institutions accused of engaging in activities that could lead to the misappropriation of U.S. government-funded research and development.

The list includes mostly Chinese institutions, but also a few Iranian and Russian ones. The audit follows other recent federal inquiries, including a Justice Department investigation into Harvard University's handling of Chinese donations and scholarships. The Chinese embassy responded, opposing what it called the "politization" of academic exchanges and urging the U.S. to adopt a more open and non-discriminatory approach.