On Thursday, August 13, the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor, along with the Special Committee on China, jointly released a 53-page investigative report titled “Compromised Independence: CCP Influence at Harvard University”.
The report revealed that Harvard researchers collaborated with several Chinese universities known as the “Defense Seven” to publish over 140 academic papers. It raised concerns about Harvard’s disclosure of foreign funding, research collaborations with Chinese defense universities, and potential loopholes in campus compliance management, which could allow improper influence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated entities on American universities.
The focus of the report was on Harvard’s non-profit organization, Harvard Global. The committee questioned whether this organization was being used to handle funds that Harvard couldn’t directly accept due to legal or financial reasons, potentially circumventing or weakening federal requirements for disclosure of foreign donations.
Harvard Global previously stated on its website that it could serve as a transaction channel to handle deals where Harvard couldn’t accept donations directly due to legal or financial reasons. After the committee submitted a draft report to Harvard, the university removed related statements from its website.
Citing data collected by the U.S. Department of Education under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, the report stated that Harvard recently reported receiving over $600 million in donations from China, significantly higher than other U.S. universities. The committee emphasized the need to strengthen transparency on foreign funding, review the flow of funds, and assess research cooperation risks.
The report highlighted that Harvard researchers collaborated with several Chinese defense universities, known as the “Defense Seven”, to publish over 140 academic papers. These universities have close ties to China’s defense industry and military complex, posing higher research security risks to the United States according to Congress.
After reviewing papers covering dozens of disciplines, the committee found that engineering had the highest proportion of collaborative research between Harvard and these Chinese universities. The report warned that some collaborations involved technologies with dual military and civilian potential, which could enhance China’s technological or military capabilities.
One particular 2023 paper on bio-inspired soft robot technology for deep-sea exploration, co-authored by a Harvard affiliate researcher and a researcher from Beihang University, raised concerns. Beihang University has been on the U.S. Commerce Department Entity List since 2001.
The report pointed out that deep-sea exploration and underwater robotics technologies could have military application value. However, Harvard’s research compliance office classified the project as non-military research. The committee questioned whether Harvard adequately assessed the background of its partners and the risk of technology leakage.
Another 2023 paper involving researchers from Harvard and China’s National University of Defense Technology, also restricted by the U.S., focused on magnetic materials. The paper acknowledged partial funding from the U.S. Army Research Office, highlighting compliance concerns arising from research funded by the U.S. federal government in collaboration with Chinese military-affiliated entities.
During the investigation, the committee reviewed thousands of documents provided by Harvard, Chinese government documents, conducted interviews with Harvard personnel, and heard testimonies from multiple witnesses.
The report mentioned that a senior compliance officer at Harvard initially gave ambiguous responses regarding whether the CCP was committing genocide against Uighurs in Xinjiang. After meeting with lawyers, the officer later stated that they “do not deny that the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uighurs.”
In another interview, the report stated that a key compliance officer at Harvard refused to outright rule out the possibility of collaborating with the Chinese military.
Additionally, the report mentioned an event at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health where a training seminar for healthcare administrators was held, allowing a member claimed to be affiliated with a Chinese quasi-military organization sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury to participate. The committee raised concerns about the adequacy of Harvard’s screening for sanctions, project admissions, and geopolitical risk management.
Chairman Tim Walberg of the House Committee on Education and Labor, a Republican representative from Michigan, stated that Harvard Global “openly attempts to circumvent federal foreign funding disclosure laws” and called for the advancement of the DETERRENT Act to enhance transparency and oversight of foreign donations to universities.
Chairman John Moolenaar of the Special Committee on China, also a Republican representative from Michigan, emphasized that top U.S. universities should protect American research and innovation rather than serve the interests of hostile nations. He urged Harvard to undergo significant reforms to reduce the influence of the CCP on campus and research activities.
In response to inquiries, Harvard University issued a statement to Fox News, expressing their concern about geopolitical risks and the threat posed by the CCP, and their commitment to prioritizing measures that protect American interests and national security while conducting research and academic projects.
Harvard stated that they adhere to national security standards and guidelines set by the federal government for international cooperation. However, they contested some descriptions in the report, calling them “distortions of facts” and asserting that these claims failed to reflect Harvard’s “documented contributions” to compliance, regulatory compliance cooperation, and protection of American interests, national security, and international standing.