Texas A&M University has announced that it will close its overseas campus in Qatar by 2028, citing the current political instability across the Middle East.
“The Board of Directors has decided to re-evaluate the University’s physical presence in Qatar in the fall of 2023 in response to increased instability in the Middle East.” statement I got it. The university's board of trustees discussed the matter Thursday morning with the university's president, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III (retired), and other top administrators, the statement said. By the afternoon, the board had reportedly voted 7-1 to terminate the university's agreement with Qatar Foundation, a donor organization led by the Qatari government.
The Qatar Foundation pays Texas A&M in Qatar (TAMUQ) more than $76.2 million annually. according to Washington Post.
“The Board of Directors has determined that Texas A&M's core mission should be advanced primarily within Texas and the United States,” Board Chairman Bill Mahomes said in a statement. “By the mid-21st century, universities will not necessarily need campus infrastructure 8,000 miles apart to support teaching and research collaborations.”
Mahomes reportedly added that the university system and its affiliates are working with about 30 other countries without operating campuses.
Qatar Foundation condemns university leadership, It's Friday Their decision was “influenced by a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the interests of the public.” [the foundation]”
But anti-Semitism watchdog the Global Institute for Anti-Semitism Policy (ISGAP) said Friday that the university's regents' “courageous, morally principled stance” and “academic integrity, ethical principles, and national He praised the government's efforts to address security concerns. ISGAP statement noted. (Related: Texas A&M professor calls Hamas a “charitable organization'' and “humanitarian organization,'' students claim: report)
In January, ISGAP warned of “potential threats to the national security of the United States arising from the partnership,” according to a statement from ISGAP.followed by a warning Watchdog November 2023 Report Qatar has awarded TAMUQ more than 500 grants totaling more than $750 million for scientific and nuclear research and development, and TAMUQ claims to be collaborating with Qatar in the development of advanced weapons.
“[T]There is no place in American academia for billions of dollars coming from a state that supports and finances terrorism and promotes and spreads the Muslim Brotherhood's extremist Islamist ideology,” said ISGAP Director Charles Asher. Dr. Small said in an ISGAP statement.
Qatar is a close ally of the USThe Washington Post reported that Hamas has its political office in Doha and was involved in negotiations for the release of about 100 hostages held by Hamas after the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. . report. Because of its ties to Hamas, Qatar has faced bipartisan criticism in the U.S. Congress. According to Reuters.
Studies and research are scheduled to continue at TAMUQ until the university's agreement with Qatar Foundation expires in 2028.
