ISTANBUL

Leaders from some of America's most prestigious universities have formed a private collective to counter the Trump administration's attacks on research funding and academic independence, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

The informal group includes approximately 10 institutions, primarily Ivy League and leading private research universities, according to people familiar with the organization.

Strategy discussions intensified following the US administration's recent list of demands for "sweeping cultural change" at Harvard, which many universities interpreted as an attack on their independence.

The coalition comprises university presidents and individual trustees who have discussed "red lines" they refuse to cross in negotiations with the administration, including preserving academic independence, autonomy over admissions, hiring policies and curriculum decisions.

The universities are working to ensure no individual institution strikes deals that could establish concerning precedents that others would face pressure to follow, sources said.

The Trump administration's crackdown on universities has involved cutting federal funding, revoking international student visas and pressuring institutions to conform to its political agenda.

Since taking office, the administration has targeted numerous elite universities. These actions have included suspending Columbia’s $400 million in federal funding, freezing Harvard's over $2 billion in grants, and launching investigations into at least 60 universities focusing on diversity initiatives and responses to campus protests.