❓WHAT HAPPENED: The State Department is proposing to suspend 38 universities from a federal research collaboration program due to their involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and others; the State Department; President Donald J. Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The suspensions, if finalized, will take effect on January 1, 2026, affecting institutions across the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The State Department is reviewing all programs to ensure that they are in line with the President’s agenda.” – State Department spokesman
🎯IMPACT: If implemented, program slots will be reallocated to schools like Liberty University, Brigham Young University, and others.
The U.S. State Department is reportedly considering removing 38 universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, from its Diplomacy Lab program due to their continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. According to a memo dated November 17, institutions that “openly engage in DEI hiring practices” or set DEI goals for candidates could face suspension from the program starting January 1, 2026. Other universities potentially affected include Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and the University of Southern California.
Established in 2013, the Diplomacy Lab connects the U.S. Department of State with academic institutions to collaborate on research related to policy issues. The program currently partners with over 60 U.S. universities. Should suspensions move forward, available program slots are expected to shift to universities such as Liberty University, Brigham Young University, and other institutions in Missouri and Texas.
President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly criticized DEI programs within federal agencies and has cautioned universities that continued DEI engagement could risk federal funding. A State Department spokesman emphasized, “The State Department is reviewing all programs to ensure that they are in line with the President’s agenda.”
The move comes amid a broader shift in higher education, with several universities, including some in California, scrapping DEI offices and initiatives in recent months. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also proposed new funding incentives for universities that promote conservative perspectives, including stipulations to ban race or sex as factors in admissions and hiring, freeze tuition, and cap international student enrollment.
Participating institutions are expected to foster a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” and eliminate departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”
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