A major controversy has emerged over allegations that Qatar
is funnelling billions into American universities to propagate extremist,
anti-Israel views, with institutions such as Georgetown, Harvard and Texas
A&M named as key recipients. Multiple investigative reports cite Qatari
funding as a significant influence shaping academic programmes, staff
appointments, and potentially inciting a rise in campus antisemitism.
Qatar’s Billions in Academia: How Widespread is the Influence?
Recent reports and policy briefs highlight that Qatar, over
the past decade, has poured more than $6 billion into American academia, making
it the largest foreign donor to U.S. universities. As detailed by the
Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), these funds
have been directly channelled into prestigious institutions such as Harvard,
Georgetown, and Northwestern, enabling not only the establishment of satellite
campuses in Doha but also allowing Qatari influence to permeate academic
content and hiring practices.
Charles Asher Small, founding director and president of ISGAP, told JNS,
“The big takeaway is that we found $1 billion of soft power from the Qatari regime that goes into one of the most important universities in the United States, and if not the world… Muslim Brotherhood ideologues have had an influence in the academic world, not just in Georgetown but throughout the United States”.
These partnerships, often managed through the Qatar Foundation, are part of a broader strategy in which Qatari funds are used to
“manipulate curricula, reward pro-Qatar faculty, and silence dissenting voices”,
according to investigative pieces in the Middle East Forum.
Qatar Funding US Universities
As reported by Jonathan S. Tobin of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS),
“Qatar has also long funded and hosted terrorist groups that are sworn enemies of the West, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIS. Qatar’s ideological alignment directly contradicts the values of Western nations that recognise these groups as terrorist organisations”.
The ISGAP report asserts that the 20-year Qatari funding
strategy is part of a concerted effort to reshape American foreign policy and
normalise anti-Western extremism within elite academic circles. Its findings
point to more than $1.07 billion channelled to Georgetown alone, with lessons
and staff appointments reflecting “a distinctive pro-Islamist and anti-Israel
orientation”.
The Mechanisms: How Does Qatari Money Shape Academia?
According to a report in the Middle East Forum by Dexter Van
Zile, Qatari influence isn't restricted to funding alone. The Qatar Foundation,
chaired by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, acts as an intermediary, ensuring that
financial support steers academic endeavours in directions that promote Qatar’s
geopolitical and ideological priorities.
- Curricular
manipulation: Harvard and Georgetown, both with branch campuses
in Doha, have reportedly seen their Middle Eastern Studies departments
shaped by a “Qatari narrative”, often downplaying issues such as radical
Islamic terrorism and Qatar’s human rights abuses.
- Staff
appointments: Charles Asher Small’s ISGAP team found that Qatari
money was used to reward pro-Qatar faculty and to foster appointments
sympathetic to Muslim Brotherhood ideologies.
- Silencing
dissent: Media reports highlighted that dissenting voices have
been marginalised on campuses which receive Qatari funding, with the
potential to shape the next generation of policymakers, as Georgetown is a
major training ground for US foreign service professionals.
Is There a Link Between Qatari Funding and Rising Antisemitism?
Ben Cohen of the Middle East Forum reported that campus antisemitism has surged following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. He attributed this not only to spontaneous activism but to “years of systematic brainwashing” facilitated by Qatari-funded educational programmes and staff who present a dangerous narrative:
“Professors openly defend Hamas, while Jewish students face harassment and violence”.
The ISGAP report corroborates this, arguing that Qatari funding
“legitimises anti-democratic thinking, anti-Americanism and antisemitism from within”.
What Specific Programmes and Institutions are Named?
As reported by Emily Judd in Arab News and Charles Asher
Small at ISGAP, the following U.S. institutions have been prominent recipients
of Qatari funding:
- Georgetown
University (more than $1 billion, with a significant branch in Doha)
- Northwestern
University (Doha campus, staffed by individuals openly supporting Hamas in
public forums)
- Harvard
University (Middle Eastern studies under Qatari patronage)
- Texas
A&M University (with confidential partnerships facilitating sensitive
research)
- Cornell,
Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University (all with Doha branches or
Qatari-supported projects)
K-12 Schools
Both ISGAP and Arab News raise concerns that Qatari funding
is now extending into K-12 American schools. Through the Qatar Foundation
International, Doha is advancing Arabic-language programmes that allegedly
serve as vehicles for pro-Islamist perspectives, and, according to ISGAP,
"fuel anti-Israel bias" among American children.
Matt Reaboi, interviewed by Mike Cernovich for Arab News, argued that,
“Qatar’s actions are detrimental to America’s national interests… The impact is reaching young people and teenagers under the age of 18”.
What Have US Policymakers Done in Response?
As detailed by the Foundation for Defence of Democracies
(FDD) Policy Brief, legislators have introduced measures to improve
transparency over foreign funding of US academic institutions. A new bill calls
for stricter disclosure requirements, and following investigative journalism
and the ISGAP report, a congressional hearing into Georgetown University’s
foreign ties is underway.
A senior FDD analyst noted,
“A new executive order … takes aim at billions of dollars of foreign funding flowing into American universities”.
Do Universities Acknowledge These Risks?
Some campuses have faced questions from federal authorities regarding their funding sources. ISGAP noted that, following its 2019 exposé, the US Department of Education opened investigations into undeclared foreign funding:
“Each offending university was reprimanded, warned, and instructed that it must declare its funding sources or face consequences”.
Despite these warnings, some institutions continue to omit or obscure the extent of their Qatari backing, as documented in ISGAP’s ‘Follow The Money’ project.
Critics and Defenders Saying
Critics argue that Qatari cash is undermining the principles of academic freedom, facilitating the spread of antisemitism, and putting national security at risk by supporting research in sensitive fields. University administrators are accused of turning a blind eye or actively enabling this foreign influence, with The Jewish Chronicle remarking,
“Our colleges have willingly sold their academic freedom for Qatari cash”.
Defenders contend that these collaborations
expand educational access and promote multicultural dialogue, not extremism.
Many universities also reject the suggestion that their academic independence
is for sale.
However, as reported by ISGAP,
“the silence of academic institutions in the face of blatant hate speech and support for terrorist groups exposes a moral crisis within the education system”.
What Happens Next? Federal Scrutiny and Calls for Transparency
With bipartisan attention in Congress and ongoing media
scrutiny, US universities face increasing pressure to disclose the full extent
of their foreign funders, particularly from Qatar. ISGAP has called for federal
investigations, a halt to Qatari-funded activities until a full security
review, and new measures to protect US education from covert influence.
The consequences of these inquiries could reshape university
fundraising, governance and curriculum development for years to come.
The story of Qatari influence in American academia is
not merely about money: it is a struggle over values, educational integrity and
the susceptibility of open societies to covert ideological manipulation. As
exposed by numerous investigative outlets and underlined by Congressional
hearings, the debate over campus freedom, foreign soft power, and the roots of
emerging antisemitism in American education is far from settled.