- Qatar has emerged as the largest foreign donor to American universities, funneling nearly $6.6 billion in gifts and contracts over several decades, according to recently released Department of Education data.
- Top recipients include Cornell University (nearly $2.3 billion, largely for its medical school in Qatar), Carnegie Mellon ($1 billion), and Texas A&M (over $992 million).
- Experts from The Heritage Foundation describe Qatar’s massive investments as a deliberate soft power strategy to purchase influence among America’s future leaders.
- This funding is linked to promoting anti-American and anti-Jewish ideologies on campuses, contributing to the rise of pro-Hamas protests and encampments.
- A study by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy shows that schools receiving Qatari money experience heightened antisemitic discourse.
- Critics highlight that these donations often come with strings attached, potentially compromising academic freedom and campus culture in Middle East studies.
- The Trump administration’s enforcement of foreign funding transparency has exposed the full scale of Qatar’s influence operations.
- Calls for greater accountability grow, with demands for universities to disclose how funds are used and any conditions imposed by the Qatari regime.
Read the full story: https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/08/qatar-sent-billions-to-top-us-universities-according-to-ed-department/



