A directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio prompted the termination of IU’s Title VIII program, a research fellowship focused on sustaining expertise on countries in Eastern Europe and of the former Soviet Union.
The federally funded fellowships provide tuition, fees and housing stipends for U.S. graduate students and scholars studying the target region or languages at IU’s Summer Language Workshop or at other eligible programs, with the goal of expanding U.S. intelligence capabilities in Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space.
IU said Rubio’s directive was intended for “alignment with Agency priorities and national interest."
The university, nor the Foreign Language and Area Studies program at IU, immediately responded to a request for comment.
The termination of this program reflects the Trump administration’s major shifts in foreign policy. On his visit to Europe in mid-February, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that “stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe,” and that, “The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific.”
This article may be updated.
