The Hill : AUBG’s Margee Ensign Writes about Negative Impacts of Foreign Aid Cuts on Universities
“Past U.S. administrations have played a valuable role in supporting (universities). But now they are widely under attack,” writes Margee Ensign, President of AUBG, in The Hill.
Ensign recently learned that many programs at AUBG are being suspended, a loss for everyone involved, she says.
“One of our projects whose funding is suspended addresses the need for media literacy,” writes Ensign. “It equips young Bulgarians with critical thinking skills to navigate the increasingly complex information landscape, strengthening societal defenses against disinformation.”
Other AUBG projects whose U.S. aid is suspended involve educating for democracy, writes Ensign. “They organize youth citizen assemblies and educate youth leaders from Bulgaria and around Eastern Europe about civil rights and to encourage democratic engagement.”
In the article, Ensign calls for a reinstatement of past USAID programs that trained thousands of people from Asia, Africa and Latin America in U.S. universities. “In turn, those universities benefited from having students and scholars, entrepreneurs and government officials from around the world on their campuses,” she writes.
Ensign writes that Congress needs to reassert its authority and stop the current administration from “mindlessly cutting foreign aid.” “Past U.S. administrations have played a valuable role in supporting (universities). But now they are widely under attack,” she says.
Post Date: 02-07-2025