Report: Yale University concealed millions in foreign funds received from Qatar

A new report published by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) blasts the Ivy League Yale University for hiding millions of dollars received from foreign sources, especially the State of Qatar.

The ISGAP report, "The Ongoing Failure to Report: Yale University, Qatar, and Undisclosed Foreign Funding, Volume Two," revealed that Yale University received $15.9 million from Qatar since 2012. However, the leading university only reported receiving $284,668, which constitutes a violation of U.S. federal reporting laws.

Qatar, a tiny but wealthy Arab Gulf state with close ties to the radical Muslim Brotherhood, has invested large amounts in promoting its interests in the West and the wider international stage over the years. The ISGAP report is the second part of the institute’s ongoing "Follow the Money" project, which investigates the ties between leading American universities and foreign governments.

Dr. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s executive director, strongly criticized Yale University and warned that the non-disclosure of large funds from foreign governments undermined the integrity of U.S. academia.

"The persistent non-disclosure of substantial foreign funds, as well as contracts, MOUs, and agreements with foreign foundations and government agencies, not only undermines transparency and accountability but also poses significant risks to the integrity of higher education," Dr. Small stated.

"Despite prior investigations and warnings, Yale and other universities continue to engage in practices that violate federal law," he added.

Under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), U.S. academic institutions are legally mandated to report all gifts or foreign funding that exceeds $250,000 semi-annually.

While leading American universities have received large Qatari funds for many years, the issue has become more controversial following the Hamas invasion and terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7.

There have been a high number of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests, as well as antisemitic violence across several leading U.S. campuses with connections to Arab states.

"The omission of substantial Qatari grants in Yale University’s financial statements raises questions about academic integrity and foreign influence," Dr. Small argued. "There is concern that the same is happening at Yale, which has seen a sharp rise in antisemitism on campus since the October 7 attacks in Israel."

Besides the report, ISGAP urged the U.S. Department of Education to increase its efforts to ensure university compliance with federal funding disclosure laws.

In November, a report published by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) exposed a clear connection between the rise of antisemitism on U.S. campuses and undisclosed funds received from Middle Eastern nations, such as Qatar. The report estimated those academic institutions "had, on average, 300% more antisemitic incidents than those institutions that did not."

"A massive influx of foreign, concealed donations to American institutions of higher learning, much of it from authoritarian regimes with notable support from Middle Eastern sources, reflects or supports heightened levels of intolerance towards Jews, open inquiry, and free expression," the report stated.

The NCRI further noted, “Over 200 American colleges and universities illegally withheld information on approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments, many of which are authoritarian.”