Columbia University’s President Katrina Armstrong has resigned after pressure from Trump administration, , Heidi Zhou-Castro of Al Jazeera reports.

“Columbia University’s President Katrina Armstrong had only had this job since August,” the reporter said, adding that she is resigning amid accusations that she folded too quickly to the Trump administration.

Last week, Columbia announced that it would carry out a list of reforms demanded by the federal government, including giving campus police arrest powers and new oversight for the Department of Middle East Studies, they added.

According to the reporter, this was in order to begin the process of restoring $400m of annual federal grants that the Trump administration cancelled for Columbia. That’s about a fifth of its operating budget.

“This punishment was for alleged anti-Semitism and for the university’s response to encampment protesters who have been demonstrating against Israel’s war on Gaza,” they continued.

“Many of Columbia’s faculty, though, were not happy about what they viewed as their president’s acquiescence without even so much as a legal battle. There’s also concern that this will further embolden the Trump administration to go after other universities, which it already has,” they concluded.

Protestors wave Palestinian flags on the West Lawn of Columbia University on April 29 in New York. Student demonstrators at Columbia University. — AFP
Protestors wave Palestinian flags on the West Lawn of Columbia University on April 29 in New York. Student demonstrators at Columbia University. — AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Truce tested
28 Jun, 2026

Truce tested

THE latest exchange of fire between the US and Iran reminds us once more that ceasefires are sustained not by...
Paper promises
28 Jun, 2026

Paper promises

WHAT is a UNSC resolution worth if it is never implemented? Pakistan and China felt compelled to convene an informal...
Still the masters
28 Jun, 2026

Still the masters

CRISTIANO Ronaldo and Lionel Messi do not seem to be going away quietly. At least, not yet. The duo might have left...
After the budget
Updated 26 Jun, 2026

After the budget

Though not a bad document per se, the budget for FY27 is a familiar one, and familiarity in our economic history is rarely cause for comfort.
Missing the mark
Updated 27 Jun, 2026

Missing the mark

Pakistan cannot rely on international partners to compensate for weak governance and inconsistent implementation at home.
Up in smoke
26 Jun, 2026

Up in smoke

PAKISTAN is watching an epidemic unfold as the menace of narcotic abuse hits every fourth household in Karachi ...