Queen’s is one of the first Canadian universities to receive direct pushback from the Trump Administration due to “wokeness.”
On Feb. 27, the Pentagon released a memo titled Memorandum For Senior Pentagon Leadership Commanders of the Combatant Commands, Defence Agency and Dow Field Activity Directors. The document announced the cancellation of Senior Service Fellowships at 22 different institutions, with Queen’s making the list as the only Canadian university. At Queen’s, the program is called the Visiting Defence Fellowship (VDF), and it brings active-duty military officers from the U.S. to Queen’s to study defence and security issues and complete strategic research.
The document stated that the Department of War is “strategically refocusing” graduate education for its senior officers and that beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the department will no longer fund fellowships at 22 post-secondary institutions. Alongside Queen’s, Ivy League American universities and colleges, including Harvard and Yale, will no longer be a part of the fellowship program.
In addition to the list of colleges and universities cut from the program, there was a list of “potential new partner institutions,” including Liberty University, the University of Florida, and 20 others.
Following the release of the memo, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, posted a four-minute video and a short written statement on X about the announcement to cancel the 22 military fellowships.
“For too long, the Ivy League and similar institutions have been subjecting our warriors to woke indoctrination-those days are over,” Hegseth’s statement on X read.
In the video, Hegseth discussed a “secret trust” between institutions and military officers, stating that this trust has been “broken” and that the government is no longer funding the “corruption” of its officers. He went on to argue that military graduate education has been corrupted by “elite universities,” stating these institutions have abused their access to the Department of War and “betrayed their purpose.”
“The Ivy League and similar institutions have gorged themselves on a trust fund of American taxpayer dollars, only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military distance,” Hegseth said.
In a written statement to The Journal, former Director of the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen’s, Stéfanie von Hlatky, explained that the United States Defence Fellowship Program began in 1982 and focused on providing officers with an education in research, policy, and defence.
“The fellowship brings active-duty military officers from allied defence forces to Queen’s to engage in research, policy discussion, and community outreach on defence and security issues. Fellows focus on military affairs and strategic policy, engaging in classes at Queen’s University and the Royal Military College,” von Hlatky wrote.
She shared that one or two fellows participate in the program each year, arriving with operational and research experience, and Queen’s provides fellows with “first-hand insight into military affairs from seasoned practitioners.”
According to von Hlatky, the cancellation is disappointing, but Queen’s goals of promoting knowledge and civilian-military understanding are maintained.
“The VDF program remains a model of what respectful, nonpartisan engagement between universities and defence institutions can achieve. At a time of global uncertainty, maintaining these channels of dialogue is more important than ever,” von Hlatky stated.
The cancellation of the program due to universities failing to align with the US government’s goals follows a consistent pattern from the Trump administration, utilizing federal funding as influence against Universities it views as “woke” or “anti-American.”
Tags
Centre for International and Defence Policy, Pentagon, Trump, Visiting Defence Fellowship
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Zedrick Serson
Why is the Queen’s Journal calling the Department of Defense by the wrong name?
Richard E
It’s unfortunate that expressing hate to the Kingston and global Jewish communities in the name of “respectful nonpartisan engagement” is more important than suppressing it which is now considered some kind of “betrayal” of a “global truth”.
Of course the US should not be funding a University that hosts hate filled protests and encampments sponsored and inspired by globalized jihadists. I’m ashamed of our city and sorry for our Jewish community for allowing this to intimidate us.