The United States government has recently launched a new transparent platform aimed at the public regarding foreign funding in higher education institutions, systematically disclosing donations and contract funding provided by foreign governments, institutions, and individuals to US colleges and universities. Of particular concern are the contributions from mainland China and Hong Kong under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which have sparked high attention from Congress and public opinion.
The platform, named the “Foreign Gift and Contract” Public Query System, was established by the US Department of Education under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. It integrates data on foreign funding reported by higher education institutions across the United States, making it accessible for the public, media, and policymakers to access.
According to the latest data released on the platform, the cumulative donations and contract amounts to US higher education institutions from foreign sources have exceeded $62 billion. Qatar leads the list with approximately $6.6 billion in cumulative donations, followed closely by Germany and the UK with about $4.4 billion and $4.3 billion, respectively.
Mainland China ranks as the fourth-largest funding source, providing over $4 billion directly to US colleges and universities. When combined with approximately $1.9 billion from Hong Kong, the total related funding from China amounts to nearly $6 billion, elevating it to the second spot.
Among the universities receiving funding from mainland China, New York University, Harvard University, and Stanford University rank in the top three. As for funds from Hong Kong, they primarily flow to Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University.
The platform reveals that Harvard University is the highest recipient of foreign donations among US higher education institutions, accumulating over $4 billion, with approximately $590 million in total funds from mainland China and Hong Kong combined.
At the time of this report, Harvard University had not responded to inquiries from The Epoch Times regarding foreign funding matters.
John Moolenaar, Chairman of the US House Committee on the CCP Issue and a Republican member of Congress from Michigan, stated that the platform allows the public for the first time to systematically examine the relationship between foreign funding and US higher education institutions. He pointed out that entities affiliated with the CCP had provided nearly $6 billion to American universities with the aim of obtaining key research outcomes, expanding influence, and attracting academic talent.
The Committee on the CCP Issue issued a statement on the 5th, stating that the data released on the new platform corroborated multiple previous investigations by the committee. The committee had released several investigative reports last year, including “Fox in the Henhouse,” “Joint Institutes, Divided Loyalties,” and “Ph.D. to PLA,” focusing on the potential security risks arising from collaboration between Chinese and American universities in research and academia.
In the “Fox in the Henhouse” investigation, it was found that over 1,400 academic papers related to projects funded by the US Department of Defense involved cooperation with CCP institutions, with total funding exceeding $2.5 billion. Some collaborating units have been identified in US government or congressional documents as having connections to the CCP’s defense research and development system.
“Joint Institutes, Divided Loyalties” warned that joint educational and research cooperation between Chinese and US universities lacked transparency in governance structure, funding sources, and personnel arrangements. Some projects did not comply with relevant US disclosure and transparency standards. The committee cautioned that such collaboration models could be exploited by Beijing to accelerate the transfer of critical technology and research outcomes to China, posing potential risks to US research and national security.
In the “Ph.D. to PLA” report, the committee criticized the insufficient scrutiny of student visa applications during the Biden administration, leading to individuals associated with the CCP’s military or defense research institutions entering US universities to receive taxpayer-funded education and research training. It also warned that these loopholes could pose long-term security risks.
The committee also called on Congress to swiftly pass the SAFE Research Act and the DETERRENT Act to strengthen the review mechanisms for foreign funding and research collaborations.
US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated in a release that the new system has been enhanced in terms of reporting and public disclosure, aiding universities in fulfilling their legal obligations more effectively and enhancing the government’s regulatory capability over potential national security risks.
She stressed that US colleges and universities receiving taxpayer-funded assistance have “both ethical and legal responsibilities to clearly explain their foreign financial relationships to the government and the public.”
The Trump administration had already taken steps during its first term to restrict foreign influence on campuses, designating Confucius Institutes located in multiple universities as foreign missions. Subsequent to the Biden administration taking office, this policy was revoked, leading to a decrease in regulatory measures.
The reintroduction and upgrade of the platform for public disclosure of foreign funding is seen as a significant move by the Trump administration to continue its policy of “transparency and prevention of foreign influence” in the education and national security sectors.
According to current regulations, US higher education institutions must report to the Department of Education if they receive total donations or contracts of $250,000 or more from the same foreign source within a year. Officials emphasize that the data published on the platform comes from the statutory submissions made by the institutions, and the accuracy thereof is the responsibility of the reporting entities.