PENTAGON ORDERS 30 US UNIVERSITIES TO AUDIT PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHINESE INSTITUTIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS. (PHOTO).

 Pentagon orders 30 US universities to audit partnerships with Chinese institutions over national security concerns

The Department of Defense has ordered 30 U.S. universities to review their partnerships with foreign institutions, most of them in China, as the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny of Beijing’s influence and potential threats to U.S. national security.

The universities have two weeks to complete audits of their academic relationships and end any partnerships the Pentagon considers problematic. Schools that fail to comply could risk losing federal funding. The administration says the effort is intended to protect taxpayer-funded research and prevent sensitive technology and research from being stolen or misused.

Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael said the department has no tolerance for academic partnerships that could compromise national security. The universities were not identified publicly, but the institutions reportedly include Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University.

The order has raised concerns among higher education officials, who say the administration has not provided evidence that the targeted universities have engaged in misconduct. Sarah Spreitzer of the American Council on Education said colleges and universities have previously worked with the federal government to address research-security concerns.

The Pentagon’s move follows an updated list released last month identifying 130 foreign institutions that officials said engage in activities that could increase the risk of U.S. government-funded research being improperly obtained. Most of the institutions on the list are Chinese, including the University of Science and Technology of China and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences. Several institutions in Iran and Russia were also included.

The original list was created during Trump’s first term with assistance from the American Council on Education. Spreitzer said many universities subsequently ended or reduced research relationships with institutions identified on the list. However, she expressed concern that schools could now face consequences for partnerships established before the institutions were designated as security concerns.

The university audits come as the Trump administration continues to focus heavily on China’s expanding influence around the world, including Chinese investments in infrastructure, telecommunications and strategic assets throughout the Americas.

Harvard has also faced separate scrutiny from the Justice Department over allegations involving scholarships funded by Chinese donors that allegedly exclude American students. The investigation is part of a broader series of federal actions targeting the Ivy League institution.

China has criticized the U.S. approach, arguing that Washington is improperly turning ordinary academic and scientific cooperation into a national security issue. Chinese officials have called for the United States to move away from what they described as a Cold War mindset and maintain an open and fair environment for educational, scientific and cultural exchanges between the two countries.