American universities have quietly severed partnerships with organizations supporting doctoral candidates from minority backgrounds, according to a Washington Post investigation. These cuts – accelerated by Trump-era policies targeting diversity initiatives – are reshaping opportunities for students of color in 2026.
🔍 Why it matters: Programs like the National Name Exchange (connecting underrepresented scholars with grad schools) saw participation drop 40% since 2020. Critics argue this rollback undermines decades of progress toward equitable academia.
💡 Big picture: While some schools claim budget constraints, advocates call it a political response to last year's Supreme Court rulings limiting race-conscious admissions. The trend coincides with rising debates about systemic racism in education.
📢 Student voices: "This feels like erasure," says Priya Kapoor, a South Asian biology PhD candidate. "We're losing mentorship networks right when representation matters most."
🌐 Global context: As Asian diaspora communities track these developments, many worry about ripple effects in international academic collaborations and research diversity.
