A bombshell report has rocked Yale University, which has been under investigation for allegedly concealing over $15 million in donations from Qatar, a nation known for supporting Hamas’s top leaders. The school’s alleged actions potentially breach federal reporting laws, according to an investigation from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP).
Records indicate that Yale has received at least $15,925,711 from Qatari entities since 2012. However, only one grant worth $284,668 has been reported. This lack of financial transparency potentially violates federal disclosure laws that require American universities to disclose any foreign-funded gifts and contracts above $250,000 every six months.
The precise figure of Qatari money going to Yale is difficult to determine, largely due to Yale’s lack of transparency about its foreign funding, a legal requirement. This issue extends beyond Yale, as various other U.S. schools are believed to be in violation of these rules.
Qatar has emerged as a significant donor to American schools in recent years, contributing $5.6 billion to 61 American institutions since 2007. Such recipients include Stanford University, Yale, Harvard University, and Cornell University. These large financial contributions have allowed Qatar to exert considerable influence at these institutions.
ISGAP’s latest report emphasizes certain financial activities that could be considered criminal and could potentially form the basis for lawsuits against several U.S. universities, including Yale. The report suggests that Yale, along with other universities, have been defrauding the Department of Education by not fully disclosing their financial support from Qatar. Yale has not responded to these findings and allegations.
The Education Department initiated an investigation into Yale’s failure to report foreign funds in 2020. This investigation found that Yale had underreported its foreign gifts and contracts by $375 million. Additionally, the university had not reported its foreign gifts and contracts for four years and then retroactively reported them.
Since the investigation, Yale has continued to receive financial support, both directly and indirectly from Qatar. However, these contributions have remained unreported to the Education Department, including joint projects funded by Qatar involving Yale employees, projects financed by Qatari subsidiaries, seminars, conferences, book publications, and fellowships.
ISGAP has revealed $9 million in grants to Yale from Qatar’s National Priorities Research Program from 2013 to 2020. This includes support for 10 joint research projects by the Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council. Yale has also been involved in the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), established in 2009 by the Qatar Foundation, a notable channel for Doha’s investments.
ISGAP is urging the federal government to prohibit the Qatari government from funding all American universities. Additionally, it calls for a federal investigation into the non-reporting of foreign donations to U.S. universities. Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s executive director, argues that Yale’s financial relationship with Qatar has fostered anti-Israel sentiments on campus. Yale is among a number of schools facing a federal investigation into unchecked anti-Semitism posing a risk to Jewish students. ISGAP’s previous research suggests that anti-Semitic incidents are more prevalent on campuses receiving Qatari funding, a concern that applies to Yale as well.
