Editorial: The New York Times

• Political leaders wanting a more authoritarian form of government often aim to undermine independent sources of information and accountability, as done by Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Narendra Modi, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• The weakening of higher education tends to be a crucial part of this strategy, as budding autocrats recognize that empirical truth can threaten their authority.
• President Trump has mimicked this approach, firing government watchdogs, military leaders, prosecutors, and national security experts.
• Trump has also launched a multifaceted campaign against higher education, including enacting or contemplating major cuts to universities' resources.
• The Trump administration has made it harder for students to receive financial aid and decided to cancel grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
• Although many of the solutions proposed by Trump and his advisors will not solve the underlying problems, it is crucial to highlight the importance of universities and their contribution to public health, economic growth, and national security.

Conclusion: Universities should reaffirm their commitment to open debate while acknowledging and addressing their own weaknesses, and society should speak out publicly about the importance of these institutions. Meanwhile, the society needs to publicly speak about the importance of these institutions.

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