Higher Ed’s Secret Foreign Funding
In 2025 universities reported more than 8,300 foreign gifts and contracts, worth $5.2 billion, including $1.1 billion from Qatar and $528 million from China. The Education Department has identified roughly $380 million in historical university transactions with entities flagged by the U.S. government. That includes $158 million involving companies on the Defense Department’s Section 1286 list, which identifies foreign institutions and talent programs “confirmed to be engaging in activities that threaten U.S. national security interests.” Another $193 million involves entities on the Commerce Department’s Entity List, which restricts access to sensitive U.S. technology. Most of the flagged entities are Chinese, including organizations tied to Beijing’s military and nuclear program.
