University of Michigan ends partnership with Chinese university

The University of Michigan is ending its partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University after two decades, M Live reports. The university is reportedly ending the partnership over security concerns.

According to The Detroit News, the University of Michigan announced its decision on Friday. The announcement was made on the university’s website and in a letter to U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

“International academic partnerships have deeply enriched our academic offerings and strengthened the global education of our students, and we will continue to pursue partnerships around the world as part of our academic mission,” Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., the president of the University of Michigan said in a statement, according to The Detroit News. “As we do so, we must also prioritize our commitment to national security.”

According to M Live, the decision comes after five University of Michigan students, who were affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, faced federal charges last fall for photographing a 2023 strike training at Camp Grayling.

Ono also says the University has also “required all faculty and staff associated with the UM-SJTU Joint Institute to fully disclose any affiliations they may have with external entities, including other academic institutions, government agencies, or businesses, as well as any commitments within different units of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.”