The U.S. Department of Education has opened a foreign funding investigation into the University of Michigan after reports showed inaccurate and incomplete disclosures.
The department’s Office of General Council announced the investigation on Tuesday, following a number of high-profile cases involving the university.
“Despite the University of Michigan’s history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence, recent reports reveal that UM’s research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage,” said Chief Investigative Counsel Paul Moore. “Including what the U.S. Department of Justice recently described in criminal charges as ‘potential agroterrorism’ by Chinese nationals affiliated with UM.”
Those criminal cases involved three arrests made by the FBI of Chinese foreign nationals, two of which were graduate students at the University of Michigan.
In early June, graduate student Yunqing Jian was arrested on charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.
Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, are accused of smuggling a “dangerous biological pathogen” called fusarium graminearum into the United States to study.
According to statements Liu made to law enforcement, the fusarium graminearum was smuggled into the United States via the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The couple then intended to use their access to the labs at the University of Michigan to research it.
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Author: Ray Hilbrich
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