Universities across the country have closed academic programs they shared with China, under pressure from a House committee report that said those programs threaten U.S. national security.
Republican Congressman Eli Crane says Northern Arizona University ended its dual degree electrical engineering partnership program with Chongqing University in China after it appeared in a report co-authored by the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.
"I applaud Northern Arizona University for taking this course of action," Crane said. He said he'd sent NAU a letter urging the university to terminate its relationship and that now, NAU halted student recruitment, started to wind-down the program, and entered contract termination discussions, expecting the program will fully end in 90 days. "While there are few issues in our country that are bipartisan these days, addressing national security concerns with China is one of them," Crane said.
NAU said in a statement it "continuously reviews all international partnerships to ensure they align with federal guidance, institutional priorities, and the best interests of students and faculty.
Following a careful assessment, the university has decided to sunset the 3+1 program with CQUPT. A structured wind down is underway to support current students and faculty while aligning with institutional priorities and bipartisan national security considerations."
The news comes after the University of Arizona shuttered four tech microcampuses in China after the committee noted its partnership.
"We've communicated directly with those affected and are working with enrolled students to help them continue their education," said spokesman Mitch Zak.
The report states UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech and at least six others have all shut down their Chinese partnership programs. But it said more than 50 others continue them.
NAU announced its partnership with Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2014, stating that the Chinese Ministry of Education developed the program as a way to provide western educational opportunities to its students at an affordable price.
The September House committee report listed that partnership as a high risk one that was linked to potential military end-use or espionage. It states that eight universities, including U.C. Berkeley and Georgia Tech, shut down their programs after they were probed using publicly available data. But the report warned more than 50 other partnerships pose national security risks.
