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School ties – I’m tracking the administration’s battle with Harvard. 學校關係－我正在關注政府與哈佛的鬥爭 By Michael C. Bender May 28 2025

Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, sent an order yesterday to all U.S. embassies and consulates: They should halt new interviews for student and exchange visas until further notice. 美國國務卿馬爾科·盧比奧昨天向所有美國大使館和領事館發出命令：暫停新的學生和交流簽證面試，直至另行通知.

The Trump administration urged federal agencies this week to find other universities to fill government contracts now held by Harvard. Every week seems to bring another escalation in the conflict between the school and the government, which says Harvard’s professors are biased, its Jewish students are unsafe and its officials use “diversity” to admit “woke” applicants.

Americans have fought for centuries over what students are taught. But the Trump administration has a new approach: It is using the government’s power to compel compliance with its views. Can a president determine what universities teach, whom they employ, how they admit people and what government largess they deserve as a result?

More than 2,600 four-year colleges are watching closely to find out. For them, the implications are clear. Harvard has sued the administration, but if the government wins in court, the commander in chief can impose a political agenda on colleges and universities. He or she could use roughly $60 billion in research money to ensure that administrators do what they’re told.

The White House says it wants to send a message. It cites concerns from Jews on campus who said they were harassed during protests over the Gaza war. It says Harvard’s hiring and admissions discriminate against conservatives, especially white men with traditional views about gender. It says it wants to protect civil rights and free speech.

But university officials say the administration’s approach is a threat to academic freedom — and an attack on some of the longest-held tenets of American culture. College campuses incubate new ideas because they welcome experimentation and novelty. Attracting high-caliber students from all over the world has been one of the greatest sources of the nation’s academic, economic and scientific strength for more than a century.

What levers has the Trump administration pulled to bring Harvard into line? I’ve been tracking them. In April, the administration sent a demand letter telling the school to meet 10 requirements that went far beyond concerns about antisemitism or diversity policies. The government wanted curriculum changes; a ban on admitting students “hostile to the American values”; and an audit to verify the school had “viewpoint diversity.” Harvard said it wouldn’t comply.

Funding cuts and freezes

The administration cut $2.2 billion in multiyear research grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard, mostly from the National Institutes of Health.

It froze roughly 500 N.I.H. grants for Harvard-affiliated institutions, such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
It disqualified Harvard from future federal grants.

The administration terminated grants worth $450 million from eight federal agencies, saying the school was a “breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination.” It did not identify the agencies involved.

The Centers for Disease Control ended $60 million in grants.

The White House urged all federal agencies to cancel any remaining contracts with Harvard — worth an estimated $100 million.
Investigations

After medical school graduates wore buttons or scarves in support of Palestine, the Health and Human Services Department said it would investigate. Later, the agency said it would expand its inquiry to include all activities at Harvard since Oct. 7, 2023, the date of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel.

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, requested detailed records about the student body. When Harvard resisted, she ended Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. The university quickly sued, and a judge blocked the action.

The Education Department said the college had submitted “incomplete and inaccurate disclosures” of large foreign donations. It is legal for colleges to take such money, and Harvard says it has submitted accurate disclosures required by law.

Separate agencies are reviewing the use of racial preferences at the student-run Harvard Law Review and in Harvard’s hiring. The government noted a rise in faculty who are scholars of color, women and those identifying as nonbinary. It also pointed to the decrease of white men in tenure-track jobs.

The Education Department is investigating whether Harvard uses racial discrimination against undergraduate applicants. A letter informing the school did not refer to any specific concern about its admissions process but asked for a lot of data.

The Justice Department opened an investigation under the False Claims Act, a law designed to punish those who swindle the government. It did not cite any particular wrongdoing, but the government has said Harvard was not complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision that struck down race-conscious admissions.

Threats from Trump

In a meeting with his aides, President Trump has asked, “What if we never pay them?” The idea would be to withhold all federal funding from Harvard. About one-third has already been halted. Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said in an interview this month that canceling the rest was a possibility.

Trump posted online that his administration would revoke the university’s tax-exempt status. “It’s what they deserve!” he added. It’s unclear whether the I.R.S. will try to do so.

Today, the world is changing at an incredible speed with the East rising and the West declining fast. Why? 今天世界東升西降之快令人難以置信，為什麼？

As an important feature of the evolution of the international pattern in recent years, the speed of development of “the rise of the East and the decline of the West” has indeed attracted global attention. There are multiple structural factors for the acceleration of this phenomenon. We can conduct in-depth analysis through three dimensions: the reconstruction of the global industrial division of labor, the generational gap of technological revolution, and the resonance of the civilization cycle law:

1. Topological reconstruction of the global value chain

The “center-edge” industrial system established in the post-Cold War period is undergoing a disruptive reorganization. The completeness of the entire industrial chain of China’s manufacturing industry (41 major industrial categories, 207 medium categories, and 666 small categories) has formed a unique siphon effect. In 2023, the added value of high-tech manufacturing will account for 15.7% of the industrial output above designated size. This reconstruction produces three levels of effects:

• Technology Leap Layer: 5G patents account for 38% of the world’s technology accumulation, and new energy vehicle patents account for 70% of the world’s technology accumulation, which promotes the eastward shift of industrial standard setting rights
• Factor Reorganization Layer: ASEAN takes over the low-end production capacity to form a “second production line”, and forms a new goose formation model with the East Asian technology center
• Currency Anchor Layer: The proportion of cross-border RMB settlement has risen to 49% (SWIFT data), and the RMB pricing of commodities has exceeded 12%

2. Paradigm fault in the era of digital civilization

The East and the West have formed generational differences in digital transformation, which are reflected in three key areas:

1. Data production factorization: China’s data output has an average annual growth rate of 30%, and will account for 27.8% of the world in 2025 (IDC forecast), and the data factor market valuation will reach 5 trillion
2. AI ethical framework competition: The governance paradigm of the Western “precautionary principle” and the Eastern “development first” is divided, resulting in a difference in the speed of technology implementation
3. Metaverse infrastructure gap: China has built 3.189 million 5G base stations, accounting for 60% of the world, and has more than 50 digital twin city pilots

3. Resonance superposition of civilization cycles

Toynbee’s civilization challenge-response theory presents a special superposition state in the contemporary era:

• Technology long wave cycle: The window period of the sixth technological revolution (AI+quantum+biology) and the hollowing out of Western industries form a time and space mismatch
• Financial hegemony cycle: The diminishing marginal utility of the US dollar credit system and the digital currency revolution form a hedge
• Geo-civilization cycle: The revival of land power and the contraction of sea power are accelerating under the framework of the “Belt and Road”

This multiple cycle resonance produces a historic turning point effect: while the West is still dealing with the institutional sequelae of the 2008 financial crisis, the East has completed the infrastructure positioning in the new round of technological revolution. The Global Innovation Index shows that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster has ranked second in the global technology cluster for three consecutive years, and Shanghai and Beijing are ranked fifth and seventh respectively.

It is worth noting that this situation is not equivalent to a simple transfer of power. The “hybrid civilization” theory proposed by Professor Zheng Yongnian of the National University of Singapore points out that the modernization path of Eastern countries is creating a new civilization form, which is characterized by:

• The embedded combination of digital governance and traditional ethics
• The synergy of super-large-scale markets and new national systems
• The innovative practice of a community with a shared future for mankind and multilateralism

The evolution speed of this civilization form has caused a systematic lag in the traditional international order adjustment mechanism based on industrial civilization. As the World Economic Forum’s “Global Risks Report 2023” points out, the adaptive reform speed of the global governance system lags behind geo-economic changes by about 7-10 years.

The key variable in the next decade is the struggle for control over the rate of technology diffusion. When China’s Starlink plan (GW constellation 12,992 satellites), quantum communication trunk lines, and controlled nuclear fusion devices (EAST achieves 403 seconds of operation) and other strategic technologies form a combination breakthrough, it may trigger the reconstruction of the global knowledge production system. This reconstruction will not only be a rise and fall in the total economic volume, but also a fundamental division in the path of civilization evolution.

“东升西降”作为近年来国际格局演变的重要特征，其发展速度确实引发全球关注。这种现象的加速存在多重结构性动因，我们可以通过全球产业分工重构、技术革命代际落差、文明周期律共振三个维度进行深度解析：

一、全球价值链的拓扑重构

后冷战时期建立的”中心-边缘”产业体系正在经历颠覆性重组。中国制造业全产业链的完备性（41个工业大类、207个中类、666个小类）形成独特的虹吸效应，2023年高技术制造业增加值占规模以上工业比重达15.7%。这种重构产生三个层级效应：

• 技术跃迁层：5G专利占全球38%、新能源汽车专利占70%的技术积累，推动产业标准制定权东移
• 要素重组层：东盟承接中低端产能形成”第二生产线”，与东亚技术中枢构成新型雁阵模式
• 货币锚定层：跨境人民币结算占比升至49%（SWIFT数据），大宗商品人民币计价突破12%

二、数字文明时代的范式断层

东西方在数字化转型中形成代际差异，体现在三个关键领域：

1. 数据生产要素化：中国数据产量年均增速30%，2025年将占全球27.8%（IDC预测），数据要素市场估值达5万亿
2. AI伦理框架竞争：西方”预防性原则”与东方”发展优先”的治理范式分野，导致技术落地速度差
3. 元宇宙基建落差：中国建成5G基站318.9万个，占全球60%，数字孪生城市试点超50个

三、文明周期的共振叠加

汤因比的文明挑战-应战理论在当代呈现特殊叠加态：

• 技术长波周期：第六次技术革命（AI+量子+生物）窗口期与西方产业空心化形成时空错配
• 金融霸权周期：美元信用体系的边际效用递减与数字货币革命形成对冲
• 地缘文明周期：陆权复兴与海权收缩在”一带一路”框架下加速演进

这种多重周期共振产生历史性拐点效应：当西方仍在治理2008年金融危机的制度后遗症时，东方已在新一轮技术革命中完成基础设施卡位。全球创新指数显示，深圳-香港-广州集群连续三年居全球科技集群第二位，上海、北京分列第五、第七。

值得注意的是，这种态势并不等同于简单的权力转移。新加坡国立大学郑永年教授提出的”混合文明”理论指出，东方国家的现代化路径正在创造新的文明形态，其特点是：

• 数字治理与传统伦理的嵌入式结合
• 超大规模市场与新型举国体制的协同
• 人类命运共同体与多边主义的创新实践

这种文明形态的进化速度，使得传统基于工业文明的国际秩序调整机制出现系统性滞后。正如世界经济论坛《2023年全球风险报告》指出，全球治理体系的适应性改革速度较地缘经济变迁滞后约7-10年。

未来十年的关键变量在于技术扩散速率的控制权争夺。当中国的星链计划（GW星座12992颗卫星）、量子通信干线、可控核聚变装置（EAST实现403秒运行）等战略科技形成组合突破时，可能引发全球知识生产体系的重构。这种重构将不仅仅是经济总量的此消彼长，更是文明演进路径的根本性分野。

What enlightenment does Meng Mu’s three moves give to modern people?

The story of Meng Mu’s Three Moves (孟母三迁) offers timeless wisdom for modern individuals, especially in education, parenting, and personal growth. Here’s how this ancient tale resonates today:

1. Environment Shapes Growth

Meng Mu recognized that surroundings deeply influence behavior and values. Today, this translates to:

• Digital Environment: Monitor children’s online interactions (social media, gaming communities) as carefully as physical neighborhoods.
• Cultural Exposure: Prioritize spaces that foster curiosity and learning (e.g., libraries, museums, multicultural communities).
• Peer Influence: Encourage relationships with peers who inspire growth, as mirroring behaviors is instinctual (supported by neuroscience).

Modern Takeaway: Actively curate environments—physical, digital, and social—to align with desired values and goals.

2. Proactive Parenting Matters

Meng Mu didn’t settle for mediocrity; she took deliberate action to secure a better future for her child. Modern parents can:

• Invest in Education: Advocate for quality schooling, but also cultivate learning at home.
• Model Adaptability: Show children how to navigate change and make tough decisions.
• Balance Protection and Independence: Shield children from harmful influences while teaching them to adapt to diverse settings.

Modern Takeaway: Parenting is an intentional act of balancing protection with empowerment.

3. Sacrifice for Long-Term Gains

Meng Mu’s moves involved financial and emotional costs. Today, this mirrors:

• Prioritizing Education Over Convenience: Choosing smaller homes in better school districts, or relocating for opportunities.
• Time Investment: Commuting longer for enriching activities rather than opting for convenience.
• Resource Allocation: Spending on experiences (e.g., travel, courses) over material comforts.

Modern Takeaway: Short-term sacrifices (time, money, comfort) often yield lifelong rewards in personal and intellectual growth.

4. Adaptability is Survival

Each move taught孟子 (Mencius) to adjust to new settings—a skill critical in today’s fast-changing world. For modern people:

• Embrace Lifelong Learning: Stay curious and flexible in careers and personal development.
• Navigate Cultural Shifts: Thrive in diverse workplaces or globalized societies.
• Resilience in Uncertainty: Learn to rebuild and adapt, whether due to job loss, relocation, or societal changes.

Modern Takeaway: Stability comes not from resisting change but from mastering adaptability.

5. Values Over Convenience

Meng Mu prioritized moral and intellectual development over comfort. Modern applications include:

• Rejecting “Quick Fix” Culture: Avoid shortcuts in education (e.g., cram schools) for deeper, values-driven learning.
• Mindful Consumption: Choose media and technology that enrich rather than distract.
• Ethical Choices: Align career, lifestyle, and relationships with integrity, even if it’s harder.

Modern Takeaway: True success stems from cultivating character, not just chasing convenience or status.

Final Insight: Holistic Growth

The story isn’t just about moving homes—it’s about intentional living. For modern individuals, this means designing a life where environment, relationships, and choices consistently nurture purpose, ethics, and growth. Whether raising children, building a career, or pursuing personal goals, Meng Mu’s lesson endures: what you surround yourself with shapes who you become.

孟母三遷給現代人什麼啟示?

孟母三遷的故事源自《列女傳》，講述孟子母親為了讓兒子能在良好的環境中成長，三次搬遷住所的過程。這個看似簡單的典故，實則蘊含深刻的現代啟示，尤其在教育理念、環境選擇與個人發展的關係上，值得當代人深思。以下從五個層面剖析其現代意義：

一、教育環境的選擇邏輯：超越地理空間的邊界

孟母最初居墓地旁，見孟子模仿喪葬儀式，果斷遷至市集，卻發現商業氣息影響學習專注，最終定居學宮旁。現代社會的教育環境已從物理空間擴展至數位領域：

1. 虛擬社群的篩選機制：家長需關注子女的網路互動圈層，如遊戲社群或學習論壇的影響差異
2. 跨文化浸潤的可能性：國際化課程與線上資源打破地域限制，創造類比學宮的知識場域
3. 混合空間的建構策略：結合實體校園與數位平台的「第三空間」教育模式

二、社會資本的動態積累：關係網絡的重構智慧

孟母遷徙實質是重建社會關係網絡的過程，這啟示現代家庭：

1. 弱連結的價值轉化：學區鄰里關係可轉化為教育資源的交換網絡
2. 文化資本的代際傳遞：選擇具文化厚度的社區，無形中塑造認知框架
3. 教育共同體的參與路徑：主動融入家長教師聯誼會等組織，形成教育支持系統

三、機會成本的精算思維：遷移決策的經濟學解讀

三次搬遷涉及經濟成本與教育收益的權衡，現代版本應考量：

1. 學區房溢價的邊際效益：房價增幅與升學機率的非線性關係
2. 通勤時間的機會成本：居住距離與課外學習時間的替代效應
3. 教育遷徙的折舊速率：政策變動導致的學區價值波動風險

四、認知發展的環境適配：神經科學的現代驗證

腦科學研究證實環境刺激對前額葉皮質發育的影響，呼應孟母直覺：

1. 鏡像神經元的社會化機制：同儕行為對價值觀形成的神經生物學基礎
2. 多巴胺獎勵系統的環境調控：學習氛圍影響知識獲取的神經迴路塑造
3. 壓力荷爾蒙的空間調節：安全環境對認知功能的皮質醇調節作用

五、韌性教育的當代演繹：遷移背後的適應力培養

孟母遷徙不僅是環境選擇，更是生存智慧的傳授：

1. 文化震盪的預適應訓練：跨環境移動增強文化適應彈性
2. 風險評估的決策建模：通過家庭重大決策參與培養問題解決能力
3. 社會流動的實踐認知：親歷階層跨越過程建立積極的社會流動信念

當代社會的「孟母三遷」已從物理位移進化為多維度的環境優化工程。與其糾結是否購置學區房，不如建構包含實體空間、數位場域、社會網絡、文化氛圍的複合教育生態系統。重要的是培養環境識讀能力與適應智慧，這才是穿越時代的教育本質。

US orders pause in student visa interviews ahead of new social media vetting. China and Hong Kong universities will benefit to attract top science and technology students from around the world. 美國下令暫停學生簽證面試，以應對新的社群媒體審查。中國大陸和香港的大學將受益於此，吸引來自世界各地的頂尖理工科學生.

https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3312034/us-orders-pause-student-visa-interviews-ahead-new-social-media-vetting?

Will US dollar doubts, risk of ‘triple whammy’ give rise to yuan’s renaissance? Smart investors are starting to dump portion of their US$ assets for RMB especially for Chinese lives in USA 美元疑慮和「三重打擊」風險會否催生人民幣的復興？精明的投資者開始拋售部分美元資產，轉而購買人民幣，尤其是住在在美國的華人.

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3312008/how-us-dollar-doubts-risk-triple-whammy-could-give-rise-yuans-renaissance?

As the United States faces renewed concern over unsustainable debts and its deficit outlook, ignited by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and new tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, China’s yuan is being hailed by analysts for its resiliency during the ongoing trade war, with some pointing to a “renaissance of the renminbi”. 隨著美國再次面臨不可持續的債務和赤字前景的擔憂，美國總統唐納德·特朗普的“一項偉大的美麗法案”和新的關稅威脅引發了這種擔憂，人民幣在持續的貿易戰中表現出的韌性受到分析師的稱讚，一些人指出“人民幣的複興”.

Another Top Chinese Neuroscientist left US for China. There is no future for Chinese scientists in US. SCMP: Top sleep scientist Dan Yang leaves US for China role, reunites with Mu-ming Poo 又一位頂尖中國神經科學家離開美國前往中國。中國科學家在美國絕對沒有未來。 《南華早報》：頂尖睡眠科學家楊丹離開美國前往中國，與蒲慕明重聚.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3311992/top-neuroscientist-dan-yang-leaves-us-china-reunites-mentor-husband-mu-ming-poo?

Video: When American freedom of speech, civil liberties and rules of laws are being destroyed. Many are being scared to shut up under current US 2 parties authoritarian government. But others including Scott Pelley of 60 minutes and Harvard University Jewish President Alan Garber chose to speak out in defiances. 當美國的言論自由、公民自由和法治正在遭受破壞時。在美國目前的兩黨專制獨裁政府下，許多人被嚇得閉嘴。但包括《60分鐘》節目主持人史考特佩利和哈佛大學猶太校長艾倫加伯在內的其他人則選擇公開抗議. 他們對美國獨裁者說不!
https://youtube.com/shorts/J8GGdLml-QY?si=n3fxEr043fFQD5XR
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8M2xbYS/
https://rumble.com/v6txryx-scott-pelley-of-60-minutes-and-harvard-university-jewish-president-alan-gar.html

Taiwan US-China expert video: Harvard’s president, Alan Garber is Jewish & 1/3 of staffs are Jewish. They disagree with Trump’s antisemitism claims occurred on campus refused to turn over student information resulting in Trump’s efforts to destroy Harvard University. Trump’s internal and external battles and the rise of China’s military power. 哈佛大學校長艾倫·加伯是猶太人，三分之一的教職員也是猶太人。他們不認同川普關於校園內發生反猶太主義事件的指控，拒絕交出學生訊息，導致川普試圖摧毀哈佛大學. 川普內外交戰，中國軍力崛起
https://youtu.be/IKxVu2O0Vi8?si=3YUMuPeQCgtSHkLC
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8MNVy8j/
https://rumble.com/v6tw7of-harvard-university-disagreed-with-trumps-antisemitism-claims.html
Full video: https://www.youtube.com/live/oSntrXBR9YQ?si=lLosFLcBfgX9-TFp

Many have written off HK. But my grandfather & father were right. HK is a blessed place. Our Choi’s family witnessed it since we settled in HK in 1875. SCMP: HK exports up by 14.7% year on year in April due to mainland China growth. 很多人對香港不抱希望。但我的祖父和父親說得對。香港是個福地（我不能對美國說同樣的話，因為它正在迅速走向衰落）我們蔡家自1875年定居香港以來就見證了這一點。香港南華早報: 受中國大陸經濟成長推動，香港4月出口年增14.7%

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3311841/hong-kong-exports-147-year-year-april-due-mainland-china-growth?

SCMP: In the span of a single generation, China has redefined the limits of civil engineering, transforming itself from a nation reliant on foreign bridge-building expertise to the undisputed architect of the world’s most audacious crossings. 僅用一代人的時間，中國就重新定義了土木工程的極限，從一個依賴外國橋樑建設技術的國家轉變為世界上最大膽橋樑的無可爭議的設計者.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3311550/chinas-mega-bridges-build-smarter-build-higher-build-where-others-wont-dare?l