Madrid, 27 May 2025. The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) expresses its concern over the growing challenges to university autonomy and points to the situation currently facing Harvard University as an illustrative example, following a number of recent decisions adopted by the United States administration.
CRUE reiterates that university autonomy is not a privilege, but an essential safeguard enabling universities to fulfil their mission in the service of knowledge, education and social progress. Only through institutional freedom can universities conduct research without constraints, foster critical thinking and provide rigorous solutions to major global challenges. Undermining this autonomy weakens the university’s ability to carry out its transformative mission, its commitment to the common good and its role as a cornerstone of democracy.
For these reasons, CRUE expresses its solidarity with Harvard University and with all higher education institutions worldwide whose independence is being called into question. It also reaffirms its commitment to defending the university system as a public good serving society, a guarantor of free thought, a driver of sustainable development and a space for democratic coexistence. The academic community must remain united and vigilant in the face of any attempt to weaken the principles on which it is founded.
With regard to Harvard, CRUE notes that the cancellation of all federal contracts, fiscal restrictions and pressures to modify internal policies seriously compromise the institutional autonomy of this prestigious university. Beyond the specific case, the situation raises deeper concerns about the risks posed by certain forms of political interference in the university sphere. Equally troubling is the recent ban on visas for international students admitted to Harvard, based on criteria perceived as arbitrary and difficult to justify. This measure causes clear harm to the students concerned and represents a violation of the principles of openness and international vocation that define higher education. Similarly, pressure on diversity and inclusion policies may be interpreted as an attempt to condition universities’ autonomy in managing their institutional principles and values.
