Foreign funding of U.S. universities reportedly saw a significant increase during the Biden administration, with Qatar and China leading the way in donations.
A report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) revealed that foreign contributions reached $29 million during this period, matching the total amount donated over the previous 40 years.
Joel Finkelstein, co-founder of NCRI, commented, “The floodgates opened during the Biden era. This isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a national security crisis.”
He emphasized that hostile nations are gaining influence on American campuses through substantial financial contributions.
In response to this surge, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order mandating that higher education institutions report significant sources of foreign funding.
Trump noted that past enforcement of disclosure laws has been insufficient, with universities failing to report over half of their foreign gifts from 2010 to 2016.
During his administration, investigations led to the disclosure of $6.5 billion in previously unreported foreign funds.
The new order empowers the Secretary of Education to ensure universities disclose detailed information about foreign donations, including their sources and purposes. It also holds institutions accountable for non-compliance.
A 2024 study by the National Association of Scholars found that since Biden took office, universities have failed to disclose over $1 billion in foreign funding, primarily from authoritarian regimes like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
While Qatar is recognized as a major non-NATO ally, it has also been criticized for harboring Hamas leaders and supporting political Islamism.
The NCRI report highlights concerns about the implications of foreign funding on campus culture, particularly in relation to anti-Israel sentiments and the influence of malign foreign actors on student groups.
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