LDN News - Northwestern’s Ties to Qatar

DOJ asked to probe Northwestern’s ties to Qatar

[August 28, 2026] By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law wants the U.S. government to investigate whether Northwestern University’s relationship with Qatar is violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Brandeis Center general counsel Evan Slavitt wrote that the Qatari government-controlled Qatar Foundation paid Northwestern $737 million in connection with its satellite campus in the Qatari capital, Doha, including annual operating support ranging from $25 million to $35 million, annual management fees which are used in part to support the university’s communications and journalism schools in Evanston, and a $15 million capital investment.

Slavitt told The Center Square that Northwestern agreed to abide by Qatari law at its campuses in both Qatar and Evanston.

“That means no criticism of the emir, which is the government of Qatar. And so the result is that they've not only taken a bunch of money, but they’ve signed agreements to take certain positions or not take certain positions,” Slavitt told The Center Square.

Slavitt’s letter said colleges and universities are not exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act when they act as public relations agents for foreign entities.

“For example, right after October 7th, there were discussions with the Qatar Foundation, an instrumentality of the government, about what the messaging would be, and they put forward webinars that put forward the Qatari message,” Slavitt said.

Slavitt’s letter noted that the Northwestern Women’s Center publicly distributed the “All Out For Palestine” digital Toolkit just weeks after Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October 2023.

The following spring, pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampments at Northwestern as they did at DePaul, the University of Illinois, Illinois State, the University of Chicago and other schools around the country.

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In May 2024, then-NU President Michael Schill testified before the U.S. House’s Committee on Education and Workforce.

"Northwestern University, like many universities, has an antisemitism problem," Schill said, according to a statement released by the committee.

Slavitt said the American public should be informed that Northwestern is not a neutral presenter of information purporting to provide independent scholarship, but an advocate of the Qatari government.

“When a foreign government funnels hundreds of millions of dollars into one of America's most prestigious universities that then seeks to shape the school's actions and messaging, the public has a right to know the full extent of that relationship,” Slavitt said.

Northwestern’s media relations department did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

According to the Brandeis Center, Qatar is the leading foreign funder of U.S. higher education and has provided $9 billion to American universities.

In May, the Brandeis Center urged the DOJ to investigate Georgetown University’s FARA compliance following the revelation of a contract between Georgetown's Bridge Initiative and the Qatari government.

Tom Gantert contributed to this story

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