Srinagar, April 12: Three universities in Kashmir have withdrawn from academic partnerships with a United States-based nonprofit after internal reviews, informed by intelligence inputs, raised concerns over the association.
The institutions, University of Kashmir, Islamic University of Science and Technology and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir have ended their agreements with the Kashmir Care Foundation (KCF), an Atlanta-based organisation, through separate formal communications issued over the past few weeks.
Highly placed sources told Rising Kashmir that the decisions followed assessments by competent authorities, which concluded that continuing the collaborations was not in the interest of the institutions. The orders, however, do not detail the specific reasons behind the move.
At the University of Kashmir, the agreement signed in December 2025 had focused on academic activities such as workshops, seminars and engagements across disciplines, including science, technology and humanities. In its communication to the foundation, the university said the arrangement would not be continued, citing broader institutional considerations.
The Islamic University of Science and Technology invoked provisions within its agreement to terminate the partnership, stating that no financial or contractual obligations had arisen between the two sides. The university’s correspondence described the termination as a formal closure of the understanding.
At Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, a similar decision was taken to cancel an agreement signed in April 2025. The university issued an official memorandum ending the association through its research wing.
Across all three institutions, sources said that the collaborations had not progressed to a stage involving financial transactions or binding commitments, and remained largely limited to proposed academic engagements.
While the official orders refer to internal reviews, top sources familiar with the matter said the agreements came under scrutiny after intelligence agencies raised concerns about individuals associated with the foundation and the nature of its activities.
Authorities, according to these sources, examined whether such platforms could be used to promote specific narratives or influence academic spaces. The involvement of a foreign-based organisation led to closer examination of the partnerships.
The developments have also led to a response within academic circles. Faculty members who were part of the proposed collaborations have written to the foundation, clarifying that their association was based on institutional directives and seeking to disengage from any ongoing communication.
Sources also said that future engagements with external organisations are likely to undergo closer scrutiny, especially where issues of data sharing, institutional integrity and external influence are involved.
The Kashmir Care Foundation, established in the United States and described as a nonprofit working in the field of education and outreach, had entered into agreements with the universities in 2025.
