Michigan lawmakers asking Oakland University, two others to sever ties with Chinese universities

Kim Kozlowski, Tribune News Service

Federal legislators still put three universities of Michigan under pressure to break ties with Chinese universities in the midst of national security problems by GOP legislators.

Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University and the University of Detroit Mercy are encouraged to end the partnerships of their schools with different Chinese universities by the American Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the US. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Lenawee County, chairman of the home education and personnel committee.

The call at the universities to end their partnerships with universities -based universities was set out in a letter sent to the presidents of the universities earlier this week.

“The research at your university is financed by the American people and must be protected,” the legislators wrote in letters sent to EMU, OU and Detroit Mercy.

The relocation follows a similar request from the legislators last month at the University of Michigan, who then announced last month that it would start the process to terminate joint institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China for a two decade. During the 20 years of the program, UM officials said that 1,000 students from UM and other universities have experienced worldwide learning opportunities, including academic trade fairs such as programs with two degrees, trade fairs and opportunities for study-out country.

UM made the switch after a report of September from the house committee that claims that the government helped China financed by the government to promote technologies in military and other applications, which may have formed a national security threat to the US shortly thereafter. Suggesting that UM’s collaboration with Sjtu had been compromised.

UM President Santa Ono said the decision followed on discussions with legislators and UM interests. Although the university would continue to pursue worldwide partnerships as part of its academic mission, Ono added: “As we do, we must also give priority to our dedication to national security.”

Other universities who asked federal legislators to end partnerships with universities -based universities include the University of California, Berkeley; Georgia Technological University, a public university in Atlanta; and Alfred University, a private university located 90 miles southeast of Buffalo. All closed partnerships, said David Russell, spokesperson for the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Oakland University officials said they have not received any requests from the legislators who have specifically asked OB to end collaborations with Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry and Beijing Information Science and Technology University, and especially Zhengzhou University’s and Oakland into the Intelligent Engineering Joint Institute of the University China.

“But we will continue to investigate all our continuous collaborations,” said Kevin Corcoran, Interim Provost and Interim -Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.

The letter to EMU asked for the breaking of relationships with Beibu Gulf University and Guangxi University via the Joint Engineering Program and the Information Security Joint Program in China.

EMU officials said they revise the concerns of the legislators.

“When drawing up these articulation agreements, EMU meets all federal laws, including those with regard to information and technology transfer,” said Melissa Thrasher, spokesperson for EMU. “We carefully evaluate the worries presented and will respond to them in the near future.”

At Detroit Mercy, the legislators President Donald Taylor told them that they are concerned about joint educational programs at four Chinese institutions, including Hubei University of Technology, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Anhui Polytechnic University in China.

Through a university spokesperson, Taylor said that he asked the Senior Leadership Team of Detroit Mercy to assess the collaboration programs that the university has with four Chinese universities.

“Soon we will inform Moolenaar, Rep. Walberg and their staff of UDM plans for his partnerships with Chinese institutions,” Taylor said.

Originally published: February 20, 2025 at 5:15 PM Est