Pentagon Ends Academic Partnership with Harvard University

The Pentagon has officially decided to sever all academic connections with Harvard University, which includes military education programs, fellowships, and certificate courses. This decision was announced in a statement released on a recent Friday.

This move marks a continuation of the Trump administration's ongoing disputes with Harvard, particularly over accusations that the Ivy League institution fosters a 'woke' ideology.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed in the statement, "For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university would better understand and appreciate our warrior class." He added, "Instead, too many of our officers came back looking too much like Harvard heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks."

The Pentagon plans to implement this disconnection starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, although military personnel currently enrolled will be allowed to complete their studies.

In a separate communication on X, Hegseth remarked, "Harvard is woke; The War Department is not." He also mentioned that a review of relationships with all Ivy League schools regarding military training and education is forthcoming.

Hegseth aims to assess whether these institutions provide cost-effective strategic education for future military leaders, especially in comparison to public universities and military graduate programs.

Interestingly, Hegseth himself is an Ivy League alumnus, having graduated from both Princeton and Harvard. He has previously criticized Harvard for its left-leaning policies.

Furthermore, President Trump announced plans to seek $1 billion in damages from Harvard after allegations arose regarding the university's treatment of Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

This ongoing pressure from the Trump administration has raised concerns among academics about the potential erosion of academic freedom at universities like Harvard.

Trump also previously proposed cutting over $2.6 billion in funding to Harvard and has sought to limit the admission of international students, who constitute a significant portion of the student body.