The leaders of two House committees have sent a letter to the president of Duke University, urging the North Carolina institution to sever its ties with Wuhan University in China.
Reps. John Mourenard (R-Mich.) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) expressed their concerns over China’s potential access to U.S. research in a letter sent on Wednesday.
“Wuhan University is not just another academic entity. It’s closely linked to the Chinese military and intelligence operations,” the two lawmakers stated.
The collaboration between Duke and Wuhan has resulted in the establishment of Kunshan University Duke University (DKU), which has around 3,000 students and facilitates exchanges between the U.S. and China.
“Many DKU students have attended Duke University, entering into federally funded U.S. research environments. With the Chinese Communist Party’s known attempts to take advantage of U.S. academic openness, this partnership has unfortunately formed a conduit for U.S. innovation to reach China’s military sector,” they remarked.
They also pointed out that the DKU website features a section dedicated to military training for the People’s Republic of China, showcasing students in uniform engaged in combat training. “It’s troubling for Duke to associate with this type of training,” they added.
Other U.S. universities, including the University of Oakland and the University of Michigan, have previously severed partnerships with Chinese institutions.
A spokesperson for Duke commented, “Duke has received letters from Reps. Mourenard and Walberg. We appreciate the important oversight role of Congress and strive to further educate them about Duke’s global educational mission.”
The letter references a previous incident where numerous Duke students faced backlash from local media while in China, being prompted to express sentiments like, “I love China.”
“This was exploitation, not education,” one lawmaker remarked.
The communication coincides with rising tensions between the U.S. and China amid a trade war, which could pose further challenges for Duke University as the Trump administration has shown a willingness to withdraw funding from schools that don’t align with its policies.
“Given the university’s federal funding, the partnership with military-affiliated Chinese institutions poses a national security threat. Such collaborations risk compromising the integrity of U.S. research and jeopardizing taxpayer investments aimed at enhancing U.S. technological and defense capabilities,” the letter warned.
Updated 2:20pm EDT
