The Tartan

By Vedanth Ramanathan and Holly Wang

Carnegie Mellon faced intense scrutiny after receiving a letter from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) requesting extensive information about Chinese international students and their research activities. The letter, one of six sent to prestigious research universities during the past two weeks, represents one of Congress’s most direct interventions into academic affairs under the Trump Administration.

The Congressional Letter

The committee letter from the Select Committee to President Jahanian states that “The CCP has established a well-documented, systematic pipeline to embed researchers in leading U.S. institutions, providing them direct exposure to sensitive technologies with dual-use military applications.” According to the letter, “One-third of all foreign graduate students studying STEM fields at U.S. universities are Chinese nationals.” The letter further alleges that “America’s student visa system has become a Trojan horse for Beijing” and demands detailed information about Chinese students’ funding sources, research activities, and educational backgrounds. The letter calls for a response from President Jahanian no later than April 1.

The letter also claimed that “too many U.S. universities continue to prioritize financial incentives … by admitting large numbers of Chinese nationals into advanced STEM programs, potentially at the expense of qualified Americans,” as international students are ineligible for federal financial aid. 

The letter raises concerns over “the long-term implication for U.S. technological leadership and economic security,” as “enrollment of Chinese nationals in American institutions risks facilitating the technological transfers that strengthen Beijing’s military and economic competitiveness at our nation’s expense.” The letter highlights “the CCP’s talent recruitment programs actively incentivize students and researchers to return to China.”

This request comes amid growing congressional interest in regulating higher education, with multiple pieces of legislation being introduced that could fundamentally alter how universities operate. It follows the hearings that resulted in presidential resignations at Harvard and Penn last year. Organizations including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) have argued that such actions constitute discrimination and have a potential chilling effect on international education at elite U.S. universities. The AAUP states that “[these rules] subvert the possibility that, as a site of free inquiry, the university can serve the common good”. In previous years, agencies such as the FBI have warned universities about the influence of Chinese state-affiliated institutions.

President Jahanian’s Response

In response to this pressure, President Jahanian issued a message to the university community on March 26, titled “Navigating a Shifting Landscape.” In the letter, President Jahanian addressed several points related to the uncertainty of the future of higher education due to government policies and regulations.

Jahanian responded to community concerns regarding the letter. While stating that the university is “carefully reviewing the letter,” he emphasized that “our commitment to fostering an inclusive, engaged and supportive community remains unshakable.”

In the letter, President Jahanian also touched upon the uncertain future of federal funding. Unlike peer institutions that have paused doctorate program admissions due to increased government oversight on government grants for research, Jahanian confirmed, “We are not pausing Ph.D. admissions and remain committed to supporting access and opportunity for all our talented students.”

To gain further clarity regarding Carnegie Mellon’s plans on the letter they have received, The Tartan reached out to President Jahanian for comment. Interim Director of Media Relations Cassia Crogan directed The Tartan to the official letter Jahanian sent and provided no further comment.

Community Response

One Chinese national student, speaking anonymously to The Tartan, expressed profound anxiety: “I don’t really know. It’s scary. I don’t know if I’ll be in the country with everything happening. And it’s very, very confusing … I don’t know if I’ll stay at Carnegie Mellon or go back to China.”

The student noted that language barriers, among other factors, exacerbated the difficulty of navigating this situation: “It’s difficult to understand everything. We don’t know what [fully] happened.” Despite these concerns, the student expressed cautious optimism about Carnegie Mellon’s response: “I think Carnegie Mellon will keep us. I’m very optimistic … We bring significant value to Carnegie Mellon. We provide a lot of value to these companies [in the surrounding areas].” 

Members of the Carnegie Mellon community have also expressed their concerns about the implications of this letter from the U.S. Congress. Several public statements and petitions have been published within the week following the letter.

One that has been circulating among campus clubs and organizations is jointly issued by nine student body organizations, now published on Instagram as a joint post by Carnegie Mellon College Progressives (CMCP) and Carnegie Mellon University Free Speech. The open letter, addressed to President Jahanian, cited recent deportations and detentions of students nationwide. The letter condemns what it describes as a growing campaign of harassment targeting individuals critical of the Trump administration. The signatories argue that compliance with the House Select Committee on the CCP’s request would endanger vulnerable community members, and they call on Carnegie Mellon to formally reject the request in writing, refuse voluntary cooperation with immigration authorities, and take practical measures to protect international students from government surveillance and harm. From a recent statement The Tartan received from CMCP, the organizations involved have decided not to publish the signatures due to safety concerns.

In a separate open letter, part of the Carnegie Mellon faculty and research community condemned recent Trump administration actions. They claim that the new policies and regulations threaten academic freedom and undermine the safety and inclusion of international scholars. The letter urges the university to take a firmer stance by denouncing federal efforts to detain and deport international academics, refusing to comply with non-mandatory federal information requests, and committing to protect academic freedom regardless of political pressure. Similar to the letter from campus clubs and organizations, this letter also cites cases of scholars recently detained or deported despite legal immigration status. The letter warns of a chilling effect on global collaboration and urges Carnegie Mellon to lead in defending the values of free expression, academic independence, and international diversity. The letter is signed by 38 faculty, staff, and alumni across different departments, 32 graduate students, and 16 undergraduate students. At the time of publication, the letter is still collecting signatures.

A National Pattern

On March 20, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson demanded protection for Chinese students in the U.S. following letters sent by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to six research universities, including Carnegie Mellon.

Carnegie Mellon is not the only institution grappling with political pressure. Columbia University, for instance, recently agreed to a list of demands from the Trump administration to start negotiations on restoring $400 million in federal funding that had been stripped from the university. Particularly controversial is the new federal oversight of Columbia’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS). Critics argue the intervention signals a broader trend: that any academic program receiving federal support could be subject to similar scrutiny or funding threats.

These developments reflect the deepening political divisions in the U.S., with higher education becoming a battleground in the intensifying U.S.–China competition. As congressional oversight of universities increases, academic leaders face mounting pressure from the government to demonstrate that their institutions aren’t compromising national security.

The committee’s actions raise profound questions about academic freedom and the future of international education in the U.S.

As Jahanian noted, “Free speech and academic freedom are complementary forces that drive innovation, critical thinking, and societal progress.”