Purdue University’s provost has been accused by The Purdue Exponent of pressuring various departments to reject graduate applicants from “enemy countries” such as communist China. According to the report by The Purdue Exponent, Brantly McCord, the vice chair of the Graduate Rights Organization (GROW) at Purdue University, stated that a university administrator informed him that department heads of graduate programs received a list of “dangerous countries,” including (Communist) China, North Korea, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela.
McCord said, “The provost made it clear that if department heads attempt to recruit students from these countries, he will not sign off on admission letters, and these students will not be allowed to enroll or work at Purdue University.”
A faculty member from the College of Science, who chose to remain anonymous and is a member of the graduate admissions committee in the department, confirmed that the graduate admissions office instructed them not to consider applicants from “enemy countries.”
This faculty member stated that the College of Engineering also received similar directives, urging them not to consider these applicants.
GROW vice chair McCord mentioned that this summer, at least 100 graduate students (most from China) received identical letters notifying them that their admission letters were rescinded without providing any explanation.
According to Purdue News, Purdue University is one of the top ten universities in the United States that attracts the most international students. International students make up 10% of Purdue’s undergraduate population and 40% of its graduate and professional degree students.
The university’s public data gateway website shows that this year, the number of international students admitted to the university hit the lowest record since 2004, accounting for only 5% of total new students.
The Purdue Exponent reported that in March of this year, the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Purdue University President Ming-Jer Tsai expressing concerns about changing stances towards international students, particularly those from China.
The letter emphasized the increasing concerns about national security issues, especially concerning China.
“It raises serious concerns to rely on foreign students, especially those from hostile countries. These concerns include the displacement of American talents, the outflow of professional skills, and the impact on the long-term technological leadership and economic security of the United States,” the letter stated.
The letter to the Chinese committee also claimed that the U.S. student visa system is a “Trojan horse of Beijing” and requested Purdue University to provide information on Chinese students attending the school.
Purdue University’s provost, Patrick Wolfe, provided data and stated in response, “Purdue University has always prioritized the interests of American citizens, committed to safeguarding national security, and offering education in critical areas to American students.”
Apart from Purdue University, other prominent U.S. universities that received the letter include Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland, and the University of Southern California. On September 19, the Chinese committee released a new investigation report based on the review of these six American universities. The report found that some Chinese graduate students who had previously studied at the Chinese “Defense Seven” universities were enrolled in these six universities.
The Chinese leader has set forth the “Chinese Dream” plan to challenge the United States and reshape the global order, leading to structural confrontation between the U.S. and China. Chinese students studying abroad are caught in the middle, facing dilemmas.
In response to the U.S. scrutiny of Chinese students, China has accused the U.S. of not fulfilling its promise of openness and freedom. This argument overlooks the fact that the U.S. is not obligated to open up its advanced technology to a malicious competitor.
Veteran commentator Lan Shu previously told The Epoch Times that the primary reason Chinese students face such challenges in the U.S. is because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks global dominance.
He analyzed that after the U.S. and Western countries admitted China to the WTO at the beginning of the century, they held a fantasy that as China’s middle class grew, political reforms might be possible. However, two decades post WTO entry, with China’s GDP growing tenfold, the result is the CCP’s global expansion, posing a threat to the entire free world.
Lan Shu pointed out that many Chinese students in the U.S. learn the most advanced technology but do not adopt values of freedom and democracy. Instead, they return and apply the acquired skills to CCP’s military-industrial complex. The most famous example is the Military-Civil Fusion plan, under the CCP’s Military-Civil Fusion Committee chaired by Xi Jinping, which necessitates vigilance from Western countries.