Hon. Nazak Nikakhtar Quoted by Kharon Regarding Updates to Pentagon's Section 1286 List

July 29, 2026

Hon. Nazak Nikakhtar, chair of Wiley's National Security Practice, was quoted by Kharon in their article, "Pentagon Names Elite Chinese Universities to ‘Problematic’ List, Broadening Funding Bans," regarding the Pentagon's recent additions of three Chinese universities to its Section 1286 list, which notes foreign institutions tied to activity that could threaten U.S. national security.

Nikakhtar noted that the listings were typical of the government's regulatory approach. "When the government first exercises this [type of] legal authority, it tends to use it narrowly with easily defensible targets, in order to understand the litigation risks and the industry reactions, and then gradually the restrictions become more expansive,” Nikakhtar said. “The government tends to go after the low-hanging fruit first, and then it broadens restrictions to have greater impact.”