German minister regrets U.S. decision to block foreigners from Harvard

German minister regrets U.S. decision to block foreigners from Harvard

German Research Minister Dorothee Bär on Friday expressed regret at a decision by the Trump administration to block foreign students from enrolling at elite Harvard University.

“This saddens me very much. That’s not a positive signal, neither for the young generation nor for the free world,” Bär said, as she arrived at a meeting with her European Union counterparts in Brussels.

“I very much hope that the U.S. government will revoke this decision, because it really is fatal,” she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Harvard and other elite U.S.universities of pursuing a left-wing ideology and allowing anti-Semitism on campus.

His administration sent a list of demands on April 11 to the school, which Harvard has refused to adopt.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday the administration was “holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, anti-Semitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

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She revoked the university’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme Certification for what she said was “pro-terrorist conduct.”

This means that Harvard’s international students would have to transfer to other universities or risk losing their legal status, Noem said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration froze more than two billion U.S. dollars in federal grants and contracts at Harvard. (dpa/NAN)

German minister regrets U.S. decision to block foreigners from Harvard