International Students at UMD Caught in Crossfire of Academic Freedom

Between growing scrutiny of international students in U.S. universities, pressure has reached the University of Maryland, where College Park officials are now caught between defending academic openness and responding to rising concerns from policymakers.

University President Darryll Pines received a letter from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, along with four other universities, raising serious concerns about the university’s policies for admitting and monitoring Chinese students in advanced STEM programs, on March 19. 

The letter claimed that U.S. universities have become overly reliant on tuition from international students, particularly those from China. The committee warned that “unchecked enrollment” of Chinese nationals could enable technology transfers that bolster Beijing’s military and economic power at the expense of the United States.

Student visas are being revoked due to increased scrutiny over national security concerns, particularly around fears of technology transfer and espionage. U.S. officials have suggested that some international students might use their access to cutting-edge research at American universities to benefit foreign military or economic agendas.

A month later, a campus wide email on April 17 Pines along with senior Vice President Jennifer King Rice emphasized International Student and Scholar Services as a resource for international students.

The shift followed the Trump administration’s decision on April 25 to reinstate legal status for international students across the country

“To our international students, faculty and staff: you are a valuable part of our community,” Pines and Rice wrote in Friday’s email. “We understand the stress you may be feeling, and we are here for you.”

Margaret Pearson, an expert on Chinese politics and distinguished scholar-teacher in UMD’s government and politics department said the letter highlights growing tensions between national security interests and the values of academic openness and collaboration.

“This has a strong chilling effect, and that is troubling given the enormous contributions international students have made to U.S. science, technology and other endeavors,” Pearson said.

Pearson continued, saying that while there are some legitimate national security concerns, the subcommittee’s moves are a drastic overstep. 

“Why ask for information on all students, undergraduate and graduate, across all fields? Why not target specific areas where there might be concerns? As carried out, it veers into racial profiling,” she said.

 Out of 1.1 million international graduate students, Chinese nationals make up over 46,000 in the U.S., especially in STEM fields, according to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Sophomore Rhys Allen, an economics major from Britain said, “It’s stressful because we came here to study, not to be questioned or watched so closely. I just want to focus on my education. It feels like we’re being treated with suspicion just because of where we’re from.”

Other local students shared similar concerns. 

“It’s crazy how hard it is for international students to stay and work here, especially in STEM fields where we already work so hard,” sophomore Giancarlo Paz, a mechanical engineering major, said. “A lot of my international classmates are just as qualified.”

Although Paz is a local Maryland resident, he sympathizes with those in his class and how they should be treated equally.

As universities like UMD navigate these challenges, they face the task of balancing national security considerations with students’ education.