Pentagon ends military education and fellowship programs with Harvard

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on February 6 that the Pentagon will end all professional military education, fellowship, and certificate programs conducted in partnership with Harvard University, marking the Trump administration’s latest move against the elite institution.

The decision is part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration targeting leading US universities, including Harvard, over issues ranging from pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to diversity initiatives, transgender policies, and climate-related programs.

“File this under: LONG OVERDUE. Department of War is formally ending ALL Professional Military Education, fellowships, and certificate programs with Harvard University. Harvard is woke; The War Department is not,” Hegseth wrote on X.

Hegseth himself holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

He said the policy will apply to service members enrolling in future programs, while those already enrolled will be allowed to complete their studies. Hegseth also said the Pentagon would review similar arrangements with other universities in the coming weeks.

Civil rights advocates have raised concerns that the administration’s actions threaten free speech, academic freedom, and due process.

A Harvard spokesperson referred Reuters to a university webpage outlining Harvard’s long-standing ties with the US military, which notes that the institution has played a “significant role” in American military traditions since the country’s founding.

Harvard has previously sued the Trump administration over efforts to freeze federal funding, and those disputes remain unresolved.

Hegseth accused Harvard of engaging in what he called “hate America activism,” and described the university as anti-Semitic, referring to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.

Protesters, including some Jewish organizations, argue that the administration wrongly conflates criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with anti-Semitism, and that advocacy for Palestinian rights is unfairly portrayed as support for extremism.

Harvard has condemned discrimination on campus. In 2025, the university’s task forces on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia found that Jewish and Muslim students faced increased bigotry following the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza after the October 2023 Hamas attack.

Trump’s efforts to freeze federal funding for Harvard have encountered legal challenges, and negotiations between the two sides have so far failed to produce an agreement. Trump said this week that his administration is seeking $1 billion from Harvard to resolve investigations into the university’s policies.

Several Ivy League institutions have reached settlements with the Trump administration and agreed to certain government demands. Columbia University has agreed to pay more than $220 million to the federal government, while Brown University has committed $50 million toward local workforce development initiatives.

By Tamilla Hasanova