#338 7/7 Meeting; AAU Wins Ruling; Role of Research Universities; Visa Interview to Restart

In This Issue #338

·        2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

·        US Judge Rules for AAU and Universities

·        Tony Chan: The Role of Research Universities in a Changing World Order

·        State Department Restarts Student Visa Interviews with New Rules

·        News and Activities for the Communities

2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

     The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, July 7, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from:

·        Judith Teruya, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)

·        Joanna YangQing Derman, Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC

·        Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF)

We welcome and are honored by the following confirmed distinguished speakers:

·        Lynn Pasquerella, President, American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

·        Toby Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations & Public Policy, Association of American Universities (AAU)

·        Clay Zhu 朱可亮, Founder and President, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA)

·        Paul Cheung 鄭文耀, President, Committee of 100

·        Tony Chan 陳繁昌, Former President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (2018–2024) and Former President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2009–2018)

The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎, Vincent Wang 王文奎, and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org. 

US Judge Rules for AAU and Universities 

  (Madeleine Gable, APA Justice Communications Intern, contributed to this report)According to AP News, Reuters and other media reports, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts issued a final judgment on June 20, 2025, in favor of Plaintiffs Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the American Council on Education, and 13 universities, blocking the National Science Foundation's (NSF) policy change that would have capped indirect costs for research grants at 15%.  The judge ruled that the NSF's policy change is "invalid, arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law."The civil lawsuit Association of American Universities v. National Science Foundation (1:25-cv-11231) was filed on May 5, 2025.

AAU and a coalition also brought these lawsuits against the Trump administration with recent rulings:

·        Association of American Universities v. Department of Health & Human Services (1:25-cv-10346).  On April 4, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley entered a final judgment and permanent injunction in favor of the Plaintiffs.  The Trump administration has filed an appeal.

·        Association of American Universities v. Department of Energy (1:25-cv-10912).  On May 15, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, finding that the DOE’s Rate Cap Policy likely violates the Administrative Procedure Act—by taking agency action that conflicts with existing regulation, is arbitrary and capricious, and is impermissibly retroactive—and poses a risk of irreparable harm to research institutions.

AAU is an organization of leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada, founded in 1900 to promote academic excellence and influence national higher education and research policy. Its members conduct a significant share of the nation’s research and are central to advancing innovation, economic development, and scientific leadership.Toby Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations & Public Policy at AAU, will speak at the APA Justice monthly meeting on July 7, 2025.*****

WP Opinion: Trump is Undermining U.S. Science

 On June 18, 2025, the Washington Post published an opinion authored by Neal Lane, physicist and former director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Michael Riordan, physicist and author, warning that the Trump administration’s reckless and erratic actions toward U.S. science are placing the nation at serious risk. The authors urge Congress to immediately reassert its statutory authority over National Science Foundation (NSF) funding, direction, and management in order to support and uphold the future of U.S. science, technology, economic well-being, and national security.Established in 1950, the NSF originally focused on basic research in the physical sciences, only experiencing a burst of political support and funding after the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik I satellite in 1957. Throughout its tenure, the agency has contributed to the development of the internet and World Wide Web, by funding Mosaic and Stanford University’s Digital Library Initiative, in which Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed the Google search engine. NSF has also stimulated great advances in laser and quantum technologies, as well as microbiology.However, the NSF fired 168 employees in February, roughly 10% of its workforce, in compliance with Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing federal personnel to "boost efficiency." The NSF has been terminating grants at a record pace, particularly in areas such as climate science and educational diversity. In 2025, the NSF has awarded only $1 billion in new grants, just half the usual pace compared to previous years. The future seems even more bleak — Trump’s 2026 fiscal year budget calls for slashing $5 billion from the current $9 billion NSF budget.

Neal Lane and Michael Riordan emphasize that wholesale firings, budget-slashing, and arbitrary elimination of grants particularly harm young, emerging scientists as they often depend on NSF fellowships and grants to launch their scientific careers. This discouragement directly harms the future of U.S. science.

Tony Chan: The Role of Research Universities in a Changing World Order

Tony Chan 陳繁昌 is a distinguished computational mathematician who served as the President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2009–2018, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2024 .Educated at the California Institute of Technology (B.S., M.S.) and Stanford (Ph.D.), Dr. Chan held leadership roles at Yale and UCLA before becoming assistant director of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation.  He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of IEEE, AAAS, and SIAM.

In March 2025, Dr. Chan published an essay titled "The Role of Research Universities in a Changing World Order."  He opined that as global power centers realign, research universities are more than academic institutions—they are key players in shaping global values, talent flows, and geopolitical influence. As tensions rise between East and West across sectors like trade, technology, and security, particularly STEM-focused institutions, now face pressure to engage with broader global rivalries.  In particular,

1. Geopolitics and the rise of the EastGeopolitical shifts, especially China’s rise, are reshaping the role of research universities. While U.S. and European institutions have long led in innovation and academic freedom, China’s targeted investments in top universities align education with national goals for technological and economic strength.  This rivalry now reflects a deeper contest over global norms and influence. As Chinese universities expand international engagement, U.S. institutions grow more insular under political pressure, national security concerns, and revived efforts like the China Initiative—leading to a steady unraveling of U.S.–China academic partnerships.2.  Student and faculty mobility: a double-edged swordThe global mobility of students and faculty—once a hallmark of internationalization in higher education—is increasingly shaped by shifting geopolitics, particularly the U.S.–China rivalry. While Chinese and Indian students long sought Western education, rising visa restrictions, scrutiny over security concerns, and a perception of unwelcomeness have curbed that trend. Simultaneously, China is attracting top overseas talent back home and nurturing new generations domestically, as seen in the success of DeepSeek, an AI firm staffed by local graduates. This reverse flow challenges Western universities' ability to attract top talent and underscores the need to balance openness with national security. As global dynamics shift, talent and innovation are increasingly staying in—or returning to—China, reshaping the future of academia and global leadership in science and technology.3. Research competition versus collaborationTensions between competition and collaboration in research are growing, as nations race for dominance in fields like AI and biotech while needing global cooperation on issues like climate change and pandemics. Research universities are caught in the middle—fueling national innovation but reliant on international exchange. Western governments are increasingly restricting collaboration over national security concerns, often invoking vague “dual use” rules, which may backfire and hinder progress. Chinese universities remain eager to engage globally, but geopolitical pressures make partnerships difficult. Without creative ways to balance openness and security, research may fracture along national lines, slowing global progress.

4. The way forward: Navigating a complex landscapeIn a shifting world order, research universities face the challenge of balancing national interests with global collaboration while staying true to their mission of advancing knowledge and educating future leaders. To succeed, they must uphold core values, including long-term societal service, pragmatic engagement with national security concerns, a strong defense of academic freedom, and active leadership in shaping global discourse. Navigating this complex landscape requires resilience, vision, and courage, especially as universities play a vital role in bridging political divides and fostering shared understanding across borders.

Dr. Chan will explore these issues at the APA Justice monthly meeting on July 7, 2025.

State Department Restarts Student Visa Interviews with New Rules

(author: Madeleine Gable, APA Justice Communications Intern)According to the Washington Post and multiple media reports, the State Department has begun student visa interviews after a three-week hiatus, implementing a strict social media vetting process set to take effect in the coming week.The thorough vetting process requires applicants’ social media accounts to be public in order to be scrutinized for perceived hostility towards the U.S. or risk extreme penalties in the application process. State Department staff members have been instructed to “identify applicants who bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles; who advocate for, aid or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security; or who perpetrate unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.”

The vetting process applies to all foreign nationals who apply for F, M, and J visas, regardless of the institution of study. Affecting not only new candidates but also those whose applications are currently in progress, the new vetting process also includes applicants who have already been interviewed but have not been finally approved.In justification of the policy, the State Department pointed to two executive orders from President Donald Trump, one designed to block hostile foreign actors from entering the country and the other to address antisemitism. The Department reiterated it remains concerned with protecting American institutions of higher education from those who would “steal technical information, exploit U.S. research and development, and spread false information for political or other reasons.”Several critics of the policy have expressed concern over its vague nature, suggesting a broader interpretation could result in the government denying visas from those who deserve them. Several government-affiliated individuals raised concerns about the increased burden on consulates, noting that officials do not have the time to complete the thorough vetting process for every applicant. The agency issued 446,000 student visas in 2023.While education advocates have expressed relief that the three-week hiatus is over, concerns remain that the policy will discourage international students from seeking overseas educational opportunities in the U.S.*****

In a separate development, on June 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs of Massachusetts issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to prevent Harvard University from hosting international students, according to AP News and other outlets. The ruling marks a legal victory for Harvard as it continues to challenge multiple federal sanctions in an ongoing dispute with the White House.

While the order preserves Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students while the case proceeds, it does not resolve all legal questions. Judge Burroughs noted that the federal government retains the authority to evaluate Harvard’s eligibility to host international students through standard legal procedures.

“We expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days,” Harvard said in an email to international students. “Our Schools will continue to make contingency plans to ensure that our international students and scholars can pursue their academic work to the fullest extent possible, should there be any changes to visa eligibility or enrollment status.”

News and Activities for the Communities

APA Justice Community Calendar

 Upcoming Events:2025/06/16-24 Discover China 2025: Summer Youth Exchange to the Greater Bay Area2025/06/25 Bridging Relationships with Policymakers2025/06/28-30 2025 ICSA China Conference2025/06/29 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/07/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/07/25-27 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony 2025/07/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 

2.  Andrea Chen Appointed Executive Director of the Vincent Chin Institute

The Vincent Chin Institute (VCI) has announced the appointment of Andrea Chen as its first Executive Director.  VCI was founded in 2023 to continue the mission and work of the past 40 years of movement and building solidarity against anti-Asian violence and all forms of hate.Andrea Chen brings over 20 years of experience driving systemic change through racial justice and economic inclusion initiatives.  She served for more than 15 years as CEO and Co-founder of Propeller, a nationally recognized social innovation incubator based in New Orleans, Louisiana.  In her role as Executive Director, Andrea Chen will lead three core program areas: Community Organizing, Narrative Change, and Education.A commemoration of the death of Vincent Chin took place the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles on June 23, 2025, the 43rd anniversary of his death. Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit in an anti-Asian hate crime, sparking a national movement for Asian American civil rights. Speakers at the commemoration include Aki Maehara, professor of Asian American history at East Los Angeles College, who was the victim of an apparent hate crime earlier this year and a speaker at the June 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting.

3. Physics Today Interviews Dr. Xiaoxing Xi

In a report by Physics Today on June 20, 2025, physicist Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 recounts how the Cultural Revolution deeply affected his childhood, with his father imprisoned as a “counterrevolutionary” and his education interrupted. After Mao Zedong’s death, China reopened its universities, and Dr. Xi seized the opportunity to study at Peking University—an experience that set him on the path to becoming a scientist and eventually immigrating to the U.S.These early experiences left Dr. Xi with a strong awareness of political injustice, which shaped his reaction to his own wrongful arrest in the U.S. in 2015. Some have described the United States is going through its own Cultural Revolution today.Read the Physics Today report: https://bit.ly/3HV6EGp

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APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community.  For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org. We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org.