Virginia Tech is expediting the closure of its joint undergraduate program with China’s Xidian University, ending a partnership that was originally scheduled to continue until 2029. The decision follows increased pressure from the U.S. Department of Defense to tighten oversight of American universities’ research collaborations with Chinese institutions, as part of broader national security measures targeting foreign partnerships.
A university spokesperson confirmed that the program will conclude after the current academic year. According to an official letter sent by Virginia Tech to the Pentagon, the university had halted new admissions to the program in 2025, allowing already enrolled students to complete their studies by 2029. However, the timeline has now been accelerated. Details regarding the impact on current students have not been disclosed. Efforts to obtain comment from Xidian University were unsuccessful.
The letter also outlines steps Virginia Tech has taken to mitigate security risks before the full termination of the program, including mandatory research security briefings for faculty traveling to Xidian University. Additionally, the university addressed concerns about joint publications with Shandong University, a Chinese institution added to the U.S. blacklist in July 2026. Virginia Tech stated that the collaborative work originated from prior research and that formal cooperation ended in 2019.
The Pentagon’s August directive required 30 American universities to audit their foreign research connections, especially with institutions placed on the Section 1286 list, which identifies 130 foreign organizations—mainly Chinese, but also Russian and Iranian—as potential threats to U.S. national security. This list includes prominent Chinese universities such as Fudan University. Media reports have identified some of the scrutinized institutions as leading universities like Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell.
On Monday, the Department of Defense announced that all 30 universities had completed initial audits and taken steps to address flagged partnerships. It recognized seven universities, including Virginia Tech, for swift compliance. However, the department did not provide further specifics on the nature of the terminations or scaling back of collaborations.
Emil Michael, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, emphasized that institutions failing to meet research security standards risk losing federal funding if their relationships potentially compromise U.S. military personnel or technological advantages.
The tightening of research ties has provoked criticism from Beijing, which maintains that academic exchanges should remain open. Liu Chang, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, accused the U.S. of politicizing research and warned that restricting normal collaborations could harm both countries’ scientists. He urged the American government to abandon a “Cold War mentality” and uphold a fair and open academic environment.
Other universities have also responded to Pentagon pressures by scaling back engagements. Southern Illinois University Carbondale ended its relationship with Shenyang Aerospace University after a Pentagon review, despite initially seeing no reason to sever ties. Drake University reported government concerns over a joint degree program with Qingdao University, although the latter is not on the U.S. blacklist.
These developments reflect heightened scrutiny of academic and research partnerships amid growing tensions between the United States and China over technology and security issues.