[New York Diary] Trump's "Taming of Universities"

Last weekend, I visited Columbia University, located near Harlem in northern Manhattan, New York, with my children. I wanted them to experience the academic passion of Ivy League students who will lead the world, especially at Columbia University, the alma mater of former U.S. President Barack Obama. After a 20-minute drive, we arrived to find the gates of Columbia University firmly closed. Since last April, when anti-war protests against Israel's attack on Gaza began at Columbia University, the school has locked its campus gates, allowing only students to enter. This measure was taken to prevent illegal protests. Nearly a year has passed since the anti-war demonstrations began, yet Columbia University still does not permit outsiders on campus, and I had to return empty-handed on a weekend morning.

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The aftershocks of the anti-war protests, much like the tightly shut campus, have yet to find a resolution. Above all, President Donald Trump remains unwavering in his determination to hold the university accountable. The Trump administration recently canceled federal grants and government contracts worth $400 million for Columbia University. This amounts to an 8% reduction of the $5 billion in federal funding that was to be provided to Columbia University over the next several years. The stated reason for the funding cut is the university's failure to address antisemitism on campus. The Trump administration claims that since October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, Jewish students at Columbia have suffered violence, threats, and antisemitic harassment on campus, and that the university has neglected its duty to protect them. The administration has also signaled that similar funding cuts will be imposed on other universities.

The U.S. government maintains that the funding cuts are justified. In January of this year, Trump signed an executive order allowing the Department of Education to investigate federally funded universities that fail to adequately protect Jewish students and staff from antisemitism. He also stated that foreign protesters who entered the U.S. on student visas should be deported, and just a few days ago, he declared on social media that foreign students participating in protests would be sent back to their home countries, while American students would face permanent expulsion. These actions are seen as reflecting not only Trump’s pro-Israel stance but also the influence of Jewish capital in U.S. politics. Most of all, from Trump's "America First" perspective, anti-Semitic protests by foreign students on student visas would have been especially unacceptable.

Trump's response has sparked growing concern in American society. As a businessman who even authored "The Art of the Deal," he understands the power of capital better than anyone. Trump's overt attempt to control universities by manipulating financial resources is enough to raise alarm. Many agree that anti-war protests must never lead to any form of violence against Jewish Americans. However, it is also clear that eliminating antisemitism must not infringe upon the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Universities, often called ivory towers of academia, should remain open spaces for the exchange of diverse ideas. Yet, Trump's capital-driven approach to controlling universities threatens to stifle freedom of expression and academic research, potentially undermining America's fundamental competitiveness. Katrina Armstrong, the interim president of Columbia University, has expressed concern that such funding cuts will have an immediate impact on crucial university activities, including research and patient care.

In the plaza in front of Columbia University's library stands the Alma Mater statue, modeled after Minerva (Athena), the goddess of wisdom. Hidden in the folds of the statue's robe is a carving of an owl, symbolizing Minerva's owl and hence wisdom itself. In the Trump era, when the right to speak freely on campus is restricted, one wonders if Minerva's owl will ever soar again.