Harvard put China ties over US security, Republican-led probe alleges
Washington, Aug 14 (IANS) Harvard University prioritised lucrative ties with China over US national security and maintained research relationships with entities linked to Beijing’s military and human rights abuses, a Republican-led congressional investigation alleged.
The 53-page report, titled “Compromised Independence: CCP Influence at Harvard University”, was released by the House Select Committee on China and the House Education and Workforce Committee.
The committees said they reviewed thousands of pages of Harvard and Chinese government documents, interviewed university personnel and heard testimony from several witnesses.
“The American people expect our nation’s leading universities to protect American research and innovation, and never advance the interests of our nation’s adversaries. Right now, Harvard is failing to deliver on that expectation,” Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar said.
“From allowing violence against anti-China protestors to collaborating with entities linked to the PLA, Harvard has made serious mistakes and must act now to prevent more,” he said.
The report alleged that Harvard-affiliated researchers worked with scholars at universities connected to China’s defence research and industrial base. It said some of the research involved areas with civilian and military applications, including robotics.
It also said Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health organised an executive education programme that may have been attended by members of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The Chinese paramilitary organisation has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.
The report acknowledged that the evidence on attendance was unclear. It said the Harvard professor who organised the programme testified that she had not been informed of any requirement to vet participants.
The investigation also focused on Harvard Global, a non-profit affiliate. The committees alleged that it was structured to route funding in cases where the university could not accept a sponsor’s conditions for legal or financial reasons.
Harvard removed that description from the affiliate’s website after receiving a draft of the report, the committees said.
“Harvard created an entity in a blatant attempt to get around federal foreign funding disclosure laws,” Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg said. “That’s unacceptable, especially given Harvard’s history of failing to comply with these requirements.”
The materials released by the committees did not include a new public response from Harvard to the final report.
The report called on Harvard to centralise its research security operations, overhaul its vetting procedures, hire officials with national security and export-control expertise and prohibit collaboration with entities on US restricted or sanctions lists.
--IANS
lkj/rs
Disclaimer: This post has been auto published from IANS news agency without any modifications.
