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.
Nevada universities received $8.8 million from China and $1.2 million from Saudi Arabia, 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.
What’s more is that universities and the countries that fund them aren’t always transparent about the funds.
In fact, the reason these funds came out to the public is because a lawsuit was filed against Texas A&M, when they wouldn’t show just how much money they were getting from Qatar.
They lost the lawsuit, and had to show what foreign countries are giving them money, and we now have this large database of all universities across the country.
2. How does that $28 million break down among the public universities in Nevada?
A: UNLV got almost $18 million — $7.7 million from China, $1.2 million from Saudi Arabia, and another $9 million from allies like the United Kingdom, France and Australia.
University of Nevada – Reno got $10.6 million total – $1.1 million from China, almost $400,000 from Saudi Arabia, and another $9 million from allies like England, Canada and Australia.
The funds pay for tuition for students from those nations, but it’s the fellowships and research it’s funding, the faculty positions and various programs and symposiums that is an example of foreign governments trying to buy influence American universities.