Washington:

The US should welcome more students from China, but to study the humanities rather than sciences, the second-ranked US diplomat said on Monday, noting that US universities are limiting Chinese students’ access to sensitive technology given security concerns.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said not enough Americans were studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. He said the US needed to recruit more international students for those fields, but from India – an increasingly important US security partner – not China.

For years, Chinese students have made up the largest foreign student body in the US and totaled nearly 290,000 in the 2022/23 academic year. But some in academia and civil society argue that deteriorating US-China relations and concerns about theft of US expertise, have derailed scientific cooperation and subjected Chinese students to unwarranted suspicion.

“I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics,” Campbell told the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank.

Campbell was asked about the China Initiative introduced by the Trump administration, intended to combat Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, which ended under the Biden administration after critics said it spurred racial profiling of Asian Americans.

Campbell said US universities had made “careful attempts” to support continuing higher education for Chinese students, but had also been “careful about the labs, some of the activities of Chinese students.”

“I do think it is possible to curtail and to limit certain kinds of access, and we have seen that generally, particularly in technological programs across the United States,” he said.

Campbell said some had suggested that China was the only source to make up the shortage of science students.

“I believe that the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields.”

Campbell said the US had to be careful to not eliminate links between China and the US, but officials in Beijing were largely to blame for any withering in academic, business or non-profit sector ties.

“It really has been China that has made it difficult for the kinds of activities that we would like to see sustaining,” Campbell said, adding that foreign executives and philanthropists were wary about long-term stays in China due to concerns about personal security.

Columbia’s embattled president came under renewed pressure on Friday as a university oversight committee met to address her attempt two weeks ago to clamp down on protests that have roiled the Ivy League school and spread across the country and aboard.

President Nemat Minouche Shafik faced an outcry from many students, faculty and outside observers for summoning New York police to campus on April 18 to dismantle an encampment of tents set up by protesters against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Police arrested more than 100 people that day and removed the tents from the main lawn of the school’s Manhattan campus, but the protesters quickly returned and set up the encampment again, narrowing Columbia’s options on shutting down the protest.

Since then, hundreds of protesters have been arrested at schools from California to Boston as students set up encampments similar to the one at Columbia, demanding that their schools divest from companies involved in Israel’s military.

Like-minded protests against Israel’s actions have spread overseas, as well, with tensions flaring in front of Paris’ prestigious Sciences Po university on Friday as pro-Israeli protesters came to challenge pro-Palestinian students occupying the building. Police had to move in to keep the two sides apart.

At Columbia, the university senate will hold a hearing on Friday afternoon to vote on a resolution about the president’s actions that could range from an expression of displeasure to an outright censure.

The White House has defended free speech on campus, but Democratic President Joe Biden denounced “antisemitic protests” this week and stressed that campuses must be safe.

Some Republicans in Congress have accused Shafik and other university administrators of being too soft on protesters and allowing Jewish students to be harassed on their campuses.

After failing to squelch the protests two weeks ago, Columbia administrators have turned to negotiating with students, so far without success. The school has set two deadlines for an agreement this week – the latest at 4 a.m. on Friday – both of which came and went without a deal being struck.

“The talks have shown progress and are continuing as planned,” Shafik’s office wrote in a brief email to the university community late on Thursday night. “We have our demands; they have theirs. A formal process is under way and continues.”

TEXAS CLASH

The president of the University of Texas at Austin, Jay Hartzell, faced a similar backlash from faculty on Friday, two days after he joined with Republican Governor Greg Abbott in calling in police to break up a pro-Palestinian protest.

Dozens of protesters were arrested but charges against most were dropped the next day.

Nearly 200 members of the faculty at the university signed a letter dated April 25, saying they have no confidence in Hartzell after he “needlessly put students, staff and faculty in danger” when hundreds of officers clad in riot gear and on horseback swept away the protests.

Hartzell in a statement said he made the decision on grounds that protest organizers aimed to “severely disrupt” the campus for a long period.

The clash in Texas was one of many that broke out this week between demonstrators and police summoned by university leaders, who say encampments constitute unauthorized protests, jeopardize the safety of students, and at times, subject Jewish students to antisemitism and harassment.

Civil rights groups have condemned the arrests and urged authorities to respect free speech rights. The activists behind the protests say their aim is to pressure schools to divest from companies that contribute to Israeli military actions in Gaza, and blame any hostile behavior on outsiders seeking to hijack the movement.

While Columbia remains the epicenter of the student protest movement, the national spotlight has shifted to new campuses – from the University of Southern California (USC) to Atlanta’s Emory University to Boston’s Emerson College – nearly every day this week. USC this week canceled its main May 10 graduation ceremony, saying newly required security measures would have placed excessive delays on crowd control.

On Friday, about 200 protesters gathered at George Washington University, a few blocks from the White House, carrying “Free Palestine” posters, wearing black and white Palestinian keffiyehs and chanting slogans.

“We will pursue disciplinary actions against the GW students involved in these unauthorized demonstrations that continue to disrupt university operations,” the university said.

Authorities also began making arrests at a protest encampment at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, on Friday.

A livestream by the organizer showed dozens of demonstrators setting up tents on lawns on campus. Police moved in within half an hour, telling protesters they could not camp there but could stay if they didn’t have tents

California’s Cal Poly Humboldt, a public university in Arcata, said it had shut down its campus through the weekend and moved all classes online, as protesters continued a weeklong occupation of a school building.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Pro-Palestine encampments at Columbia University in the US are still going strong, despite 108 students being arrested and three suspended last week. Contrary to what the police’s sweep of the encampments had hoped to achieve, the crackdown has simply stoked the fires of dissent.

Students from several other universities in the US have followed suit, setting up their own encampments, occupying buildings, and holding rallies.

Amid growing demands of divesting from Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza, prestigious schools like Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and New York University (NYU) have been trying to suppress these protests, but have failed. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have also been ongoing at universities like UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan.

Tensions at Columbia University continue to run high as students refuse to comply with demands to vacate their encampments. Negotiations to reach a deal between the administration and protesters have been unsuccessful.

As a result, authorities announced that classes will be switched to a hybrid learning mode till the end of the Spring semester, ending next week.

These protests have catalysed the eruption of student-led pro-Palestine movements nationwide.

At New York University, 133 protesters were taken into custody after they allegedly threw bottles at the police, who were tasked to clear the encampments. They have since been released with a summons to appear in court on charges of disorderly conduct.

Calling the arrests “outrageous”, Byul Yoon, an NYU law student exasperatedly asks, “Why are we not allowed to be here? Why are we not allowed to express ourselves?”.

Reiterating the protesters’ demands, she said, “We’re here to maintain a presence and to demand that the university divest from weapons corporations and from the Israeli occupation.”

MIT student Quinn Perian delved into the school’s involvement in the violence unfolding in Gaza, explaining, “They’ve [MIT] had over $11 million allocated in investments for projects directly relating to the Israeli Ministry of Defense in the past decade. MIT is building the weapons that Israel and the Israeli military are using to terrorise and to bomb the Palestinians in Gaza.” 

UC Berkeley Student and Protest Organizer Malak Afaneh echoed the resolve of protesters, claiming, “Quite frankly, we’re going to be here until we achieve divestment. We’re willing to risk suspension. We’re willing to risk expulsion. We’re willing to risk arrest.”

At Yale University, protesters declined negotiations with the administration, which asked them to end demonstrations, leave the encampments, and meet with the school’s trustees. After defying several warnings, the administration authorised police to clear encampments. About 60 protesters, of which 47 were students, were arrested. 

Harvard University also took preventive measures by locking most gates into its famed Harvard Yard and limiting access to those with school identification. Signs were also posted that warn against setting up tents or tables without permission. Despite these, encampments have been set up and protests are ongoing.

Following this, the student group ‘Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee’ was suspended for violating university policies.

It is unlikely that the protests will be snubbed anytime soon. Resistance continues to soar as every attempt to suppress protesters is leading to more disillusioned individuals joining the pro-Palestinian cause. 

It has been 200 days since Israel launched its brutal war in Gaza, retaliating against the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas.

As the calls for the ceasefire grow in different parts of the world, university and college students in the US have also launched protests demanding an end to Israel’s military campaign that has killed over 34,000 people.

Why US University Students Are Protesting

Students across the US universities and colleges have been holding sit-ins to register their protest against not just the war in Gaza but also the US’s continuous support of Israel.

Besides calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, students have demanded an end to US military assistance for Israel, and university divestment — withdrawal of stocks, bonds, or investment funds from arms suppliers and companies benefitting from the war.

Their demands also include reprieve for students and faculty members disciplined or fired for protesting.

Are Protests Anti-Semitism?

While the pro-Palestine protests have taken centre stage, several Jewish student groups have labelled these demonstrations as “anti-semitism”.

They claim that the pro-Palestine protests are against Israel and Zionism, which calls for a separate Jewish state on the Palestinian lands.

However, these claims have been dismissed by pro-Palestine protesters, who said there was a clear distinction between anti-Zionist/anti-Israel views and antisemitism. They say being anti-Israel or anti-zionism — calling for a Jewish-exclusive state — was not the same as anti-semitism, which means the hatred for and of all Jews. 

How Protests Have Affected Campus Life

At Columbia University, the protests have contributed to high tensions on campus, with some students fearful about attending classes.

The varsity has announced that they will switch to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester.  

California State Polytechnic University’s campus will remain closed until Wednesday due to protesters occupying a building on campus.

“The University is concerned about the safety of the students who remain in the building, and has been asking the students to remain open to dialogue around a peaceful resolution,” the varsity said.

Classes are cancelled, leading to the evacuation of students, faculty, and employees from five ongoing courses.

They have shut down the building after protesters disrupted classes, and university operations, and vandalised university property. They have incorporated remote work and In-person classes and activities are shifting to remote formats wherever possible, with instructors providing course updates online.

An encampment of at least 20 tents encircled by metal fencing, was established in front of a campus chapel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Tuesday. They are protesting for the university to cut its research ties with the Israeli military, reported CNN. 

At the University of California, Berkeley, protestors have set up a “free Palestine encampment” in Sproul Plaza, a central area on campus. Spokesman Dan Mogulof told CNN, “We are getting reports from Jewish students who feel uncomfortable.” There have been no reports of arrests as of yet. 

An encampment of approximately 20 tents was set up at the University of Michigan on Monday. In response, the school has increased security measures on campus. Colleen Mastony, the university’s assistant vice president for public affairs, stated, “We are carefully monitoring the situation and remain prepared to appropriately address any harassment or threats against any member of our community,” as per NBC News. 

Students gathered at the University of Southern California campus on Sunday to rally behind Asna Tabassum, the 2024 class valedictorian. Earlier this month, university officials banned Ms Tabassum from speaking at the upcoming graduation ceremony, due to safety concerns because of her pro-Palestinian social media posts. 

Pro-Palestinian protestors at Emerson College in Boston are advocating for the college to endorse “Palestinian liberation” and have set up encampments in an alley off Boylston Street as part of their protest. Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt clarified that the area was not exclusively owned by the college and falls under the jurisdiction of the Boston Police. 

How Authorities Have Responded

Nine University of Minnesota students were arrested on Tuesday morning, just hours after they initiated an encampment on the campus. 

Meanwhile, Columbia University authorities have set a deadline for midnight to strike a deal with pro-Palestinian protesters to “dismantle the encampment, disperse, and follow university policies going forward,” President Minouche Shafik revealed, reported NBC.

At New York University, protests turned chaotic on Monday night, when officers were pelted with bottles after the authorities called for their help to disperse the growing crowd, according to the New York Police Department. About 150 people, including NYU students and faculty, were arrested. 

Yale University saw a rise in Pro-Palestinian protests on Tuesday, following the arrest of at least 45 protesters. They had set up an encampment at Beinecke Plaza on campus since Friday night, with the arrests made on Monday morning on trespassing charges. 

According to the Harvard Crimson, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee faces suspension and potential expulsion if it does not stop all organisational activities for the remainder of the 2024 semester. Harvard University has also restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday, aiming to prevent any pro-Palestinian protestors or encampments. 

This is “out of an abundance of caution and with the safety of our community as a priority,” read an email sent out to students and faculty in the affected area. 

These protests are part of a broader wave of student activism in response to Israel’s continued assault on Gaza after the October 7 attack on a music festival in the country’s southern region. Over 1,200 Israelis lost their lives in the Hamas attack, while over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, and all schools and hospitals in Gaza have been reduced to rubble in the retaliatory strikes.

New York, United States:

Student anger with university officials and law enforcement fueled worsening tensions on several US campuses Tuesday after days of pro-Palestinian protests that have triggered mass arrests and shut down classes.

Some of America’s most prestigious universities have been rocked by protests in recent weeks as students and other agitators take over quads and disrupt campus activities, furious over the Israel-Hamas war and ensuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

At Columbia University in New York, the core of the spreading protests, organizers are calling for the university to divest from companies “that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine.”

Pro-Israel supporters and others worried about campus safety have pointed to anti-Semitic incidents and argue that campuses are encouraging intimidation and hate speech.

“Students have the right to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt campus life or harass and intimidate,” Columbia’s vice president of public affairs Ben Chang told reporters Monday. 

“We are acting on concerns we are hearing from our Jewish students,” he said, adding that university officials were meeting “in good faith” with the demonstrators.

Protesters meanwhile — including a number of Jewish students in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” — say they’ve disavowed instances of anti-Semitism and are there to support Palestinians.

“My college administration, my representatives in Congress and my own president have continually acted as spokespeople for the Jewish community, equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism,” Jewish student Sarah Borus, from Columbia’s Barnard College, said at a news conference held by Jewish and Palestinian students.

“They silence us, suspend us,” she added.

Protesting students also said they had been called slurs by a pro-Israel professor and that anti-Muslim incidents on campus were being ignored.

But another Jewish student at Columbia, Nick Baum, told CNN he has felt “downright unsafe” on campus in recent days, saying anti-Semitism there has “reached a boiling point.” 

Professors have pushed back since Columbia President Minouche Shafik called in police last week to arrest students, with some announcing they would not enforce student suspensions.

While there is a long history of campus activism around Israel and the Palestinian cause, flaring tensions amid the war have attracted major media and political scrutiny.

“Jewish students at Columbia University don’t feel safe. It’s become so dangerous that students were forced out of the classroom,” Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said Tuesday.

“Let’s be clear: these are not peaceful protests, these are anti-Semitic mobs.”

NYU arrests

Further downtown, 133 people were arrested at New York University (NYU) and released after being issued with court summons, the New York Police Department told AFP, as protests also intensify at other colleges.

An NYU spokesman said the decision to call police to the campus came after additional demonstrators, many of whom were not thought to be affiliated with the university, breached the barriers erected around the protest encampment.

This “dramatically changed” the situation, the spokesman said in a statement on the school’s website Monday, citing “disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior” along with “intimidated chants and several anti-Semitic incidents.”

On the West Coast, California State Polytechnic University announced it would be closed until at least Wednesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied an administrative building.

The protests have also drawn the attention of President Joe Biden and his administration.

“Anti-Semitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable,” US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona posted on X on Tuesday, expressing concern about the unrest. 

That afternoon, hundreds of NYU students and faculty staged a walkout.

There have also been demonstrations at MIT, the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and Yale, where at least 47 people were arrested Monday after refusing requests to disperse.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)