For the past four decades, Qatar—an oil-rich Gulf monarchy with questionable alliances—has been quietly funneling billions into American universities. A recent report highlighted by Fox News reveals that Qatar has donated more than $6 billion to U.S. colleges since 1986. Let’s not sugarcoat it: this is alarming. Qatar isn’t just any wealthy foreign power; it is a country known to harbor Hamas leaders, openly praised by the Qatari royal family. Now, Americans have every right to ask: What exactly is Qatar buying when it spends billions on our campuses?
The sums involved are staggering. From 2000 to 2021 alone, Qatar funneled $4.7 billion into American higher education, making it the single largest foreign funder of our campuses, according to a 2022 study by the National Association of Scholars. Georgetown University alone received over $760 million for its branch campus in Doha. Cornell University’s Qatar-based medical school took in nearly $1.8 billion, while Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Northwestern, and Virginia Commonwealth University also received hundreds of millions each from the Qatari coffers.
Why does this matter? Because universities shape the minds of the next generation. They mold worldviews, define values, and set the stage for America’s future leaders. When billions of foreign dollars flow into our universities, we must scrutinize the strings attached. Qatar insists it has “no influence” over curriculum or ideology, and that nearly 90% of the money goes to fund U.S. campus branches within Qatar itself. But this explanation is hardly comforting.
Qatar’s Media Attaché in Washington, Ali Al-Ansari, insists there is no agenda, declaring such accusations as “categorically false and based on deliberate misinformation.” Yet, we know the truth about Qatar’s troubling associations: its hospitality toward Hamas leadership, its past accusations of funding extremist groups, and the disturbing praise for Hamas terrorists by members of Qatar’s own royal family. These associations should give every American pause.
Former President Joe Biden designated Qatar a “major non-NATO ally” in 2022. But President Trump, ever the pragmatist, has leveraged Qatar’s wealth for American interests—recently securing an agreement for over $243 billion in investment into American businesses, including a $10 billion boost to the U.S. Air Force base at Al Udeid. Trump calls the relationship “a very loyal, great, beautiful friendship,” pointing to concrete economic benefits.
But economic benefits should never blind us to deeper concerns about national security and ideological influence. America First means protecting our sovereignty—including educational sovereignty—from potential foreign manipulation. Given the recent surge in antisemitism and anti-American sentiment on U.S. campuses, conservatives have every right to ask if these billions from Qatar might subtly influence campus politics, silence pro-Israel voices, and embolden extremists.
Consider this: Georgetown University’s Doha campus awarded Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of the Qatari Emir, its prestigious “President’s Award.” The very same royal openly celebrated Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar after his assassination by Israel, even lionizing him publicly on social media. Qatar claims their hospitality toward Hamas is at America’s request—for the sake of diplomacy—but this is a bitter pill to swallow. Are we comfortable with our universities accepting funding from a regime that openly embraces leaders who plot terror against our allies?
American universities should champion American values: liberty, democracy, and loyalty to our allies—not cozy up to foreign powers whose agenda remains questionable at best. As conservatives, our duty is clear. We must demand full transparency from universities accepting foreign donations. Congressional oversight is critical, and the Trump administration must remain vigilant against potential influence operations on our campuses.
This revelation about Qatar’s billions pouring into American education isn’t just another academic debate; it is about preserving America’s future. It is about ensuring our institutions remain independent, patriotic, and committed to the values that made America great. Let’s insist on transparency, accountability, and real scrutiny. Our universities—and our country—depend on it.
