(CNN) -- The Chinese legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, facing the end of his fellowship at New York University, has claimed that NYU is forcing him out due to Chinese pressure. NYU's participation in a complex deal to allow Chen to leave China to study gave the dissident and his family breathing space, and helped the United States and China untangle a thorny diplomatic dilemma after Chen fled to the U.S. embassy in Beijing in April 2012. NYU in fact did a great favor not only for Chen but also for both the U.S. and Chinese governments. NYU's spokesman says the end of Chen's fellowship "has nothing to do with the Chinese government; all fellowships come to an end." Chen has, in any case, other job options. But whether there was Chinese pressure or not in this case, Chen's experience and allegations highlight the many challenges faced by U.S. academic institutions in the context of evolving Sino-U.S. relations.
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Dissident Chen Guangcheng says NYU asked him to leave due to Chinese pressure
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James Millward: Chen's experiences highlight challenges faced by U.S. universities
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He says China should abandon counterproductive efforts to intimidate foreign institutions
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Millward: Heads of U.S. institutions should take a firm stand for academic freedom
@placeholder students and faculty engage in surprisingly open discourse, even criticism of their government, on campuses in China.
The @placeholder state thus attempts to control the message on its campuses.
Don't be afraid to do what NYU did in hosting a dissident or to take bold steps if @placeholder denies a visa to one of your professors.