DOE Probes Harvard for “Inaccurate” Foreign Funding Reports
Harvard University is under review for “inaccurate” foreign funding disclosures, having accepted over $100 million from China and roughly $1.6 million from Palestine since 2017.
According to a report released on Thursday by the watchdog group Open the Books, Harvard has accepted a total of $1.1 billion from foreign sources over the past seven years. The report follows a records request issued by the Department of Education last week, citing concerns that “the university’s foreign reports revealed incomplete and inaccurate disclosures.”
“As a recipient of federal funding, Harvard University must be transparent about its relations with foreign sources and governments,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated. “Unfortunately, our review indicated that Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful. This records request is the Trump Administration’s first step to ensure Harvard is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities, which include actors who are hostile to the interests of the United States and American students.”
The report did not include a detailed breakdown of how the funds from China and the Palestinian territories were spent. However, The Daily Caller noted that roughly $34.2 million in contracts from China were “designat[ing] a principle investigator,” which is likely tied to research projects.
In addition to the funds from China and the Palestinian territories, Harvard has received millions of dollars from England, Japan and Hong Kong.
The report’s release came just one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order enforcing existing laws that require universities to disclose large foreign gifts. The White House has warned that institutions failing to comply may face losing federal grant funding.
“President Trump is committed to protecting national security, academic integrity, and American excellence by ensuring transparency in foreign funding,” the White House said in a statement.
