Zooming In at The UnPopulist China's Authoritarian Regime Is Censoring American Universities: A Conversation with Sarah McLaughlin
22 snips
Oct 5, 2025 
In this thought-provoking discussion, Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, explores the insidious influence of authoritarian regimes, especially China, on American universities. She reveals how financial ties and the presence of international students can lead to censorship and self-censorship within academic institutions. McLaughlin also addresses why many universities choose silence over standing up against these pressures, and she advocates for a more courageous approach to protect free expression on campuses.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
How Authoritarians Leverage Universities
- Authoritarian governments use financial leverage and international students to pressure universities and export censorship abroad.
- These levers are available to many states, so understanding them reveals a broader threat to academic freedom.
International Students Concentrate Risk
- International students make about 6% of U.S. enrollments but can be a much larger share at elite programs.
- That concentration raises unique free-speech vulnerabilities when students come from authoritarian countries.
Students Threatened For Campus Protests
- Sarah McLaughlin interviewed students whose parents were questioned and who received threats after protesting in the U.S.
- Those students often fear returning home and feel universities ignore their safety and expression rights.
