1. What is this funding for and why should people question it?
A: This shows that countries try to buy foreign influence in higher education and it’s worrisome because three of the top donors across America are Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China, each contributing billions to American universities.
Tennessee universities received $37 million from Saudi Arabia and over $4 million from China, two countries with massive human rights abuses.
Saudi Arabia tortures people, they hold unfair trials that end in the death penalty and women have little rights, and are required to have male guardians
In China, people don’t have freedom of speech, or freedom to practice their religion of choice, they’re tortured, have forced abortions and forced sterilization, state-sponsored forced labor and more.
2. How does that $292 million break down among the public universities in Tennessee?
A: University of Tennessee got $50.5 million — almost $10 million from Saudi Arabia, over $3 million from China
Middle Tennessee State University got almost $30 million - $25.4 million from Saudi Arabia, $1.4 million from China, another $38 million from dozens of countries all over the world
East Tennessee State University got over $700,000 from Saudi Arabia in 2023
Vanderbilt University got the bulk of foreign funds - $208 million – but only about $100,000 from Saudi Arabia, the rest from dozens of countries all over the world Europe, Africa and Asia.
The $292 million total is an 87% increase from the $156.4 million collected by 2022.
The funds pay for tuition for students from those nations, but it’s the fellowships and research, the faculty positions that are examples of foreign governments trying to buy influence American universities.