The American Texas A&M University has decided to close its branch in Qatar, thud ending its partnership with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Research, and Community Development. In a statement released after a vote by its board of regents, the university cited 'instability in the Middle East' as the reason for the closure. The Texas A&M University campus in Qatar is set to shut down by 2028."
The Decision to Close Texas A&M University in Qatar Came After a Propaganda Campaign
The Qatar Foundation criticized the university's decision, labeling it as influenced by a widespread misleading campaign. According to the Texas Tribune website, the decision came after a criticism campaign targeting Qatari education institutions launched by a Washington D.C. think tank called ISGAP (Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy), shortly after the commencement of the Israeli war on Gaza.
ISGAP is a pro-Israel think tank established in 2004 in the United States by Charles Asher Small of Tel Aviv University, the institute defines itself as a non-profit organization dedicated to producing and supporting academic research, seminars, and conferences on the study of anti-Semitism. On January 4, the organization wrote to American officials, alleging that the Qatari government supported a secret deal to control nuclear weapons development research at Texas A&M University in Qatar, without providing any evidence to support these allegations in its report. The institute titled the report: “For immediate release: Researchers warn US national security officials of secret deal giving Qatar covert control over nuclear weapons development research at Texas A&M University.”
Doubts Surround the Timing of ISGAP’s Claims
Following October 7, 2023, ISGAP launched a propaganda campaign against educational institutions in the State of Qatar. They published reports with no evidence, accusing Qatar of providing financial support to American education institutions for political goals.
On November 27, the institute published a 17-page document entitled “Hijacking Higher Education, Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Texas A&M.” The report claimed that “American universities are funded by foreign institutions that promote anti-Semitic or terrorism-related ideologies."
Texas A&M University Denies ISGAP's Anti-Semitism Accusations
Mark Anthony Welsh, president of Texas A&M University, denied the claims by the Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism, saying in a statement that “despite recent online reports, Texas A&M at Qatar does not offer a nuclear engineering program or any classes on the subject." Welsh said that the research conducted in Qatar does not include nuclear technology, weapons, or national security. He stated, “To suggest that we are somehow leaking or exposing national security research data to anyone is false and irresponsible. The A&M campus in Qatar has played an effective role in developing education and research since its founding.”
The university’s spokesman, Mike Reilly, said that the misinformation campaign had no impact on the decision taken by the board of regents to close the university. He underlined that the decision was made “after careful analysis of the university’s mission and the evolving political situation in the Middle East. These discussions about closure began before false information was broadcast about Texas A&M University in Qatar.”
Joseph Yura, a former professor at Texas A&M Qatar, said that the university's stated excuse for closing amid escalating tensions in the Middle East seemed "weak," given that the campus opened shortly after the events of September 11, 2001. The university continued to operate in conjunction with other regional conflicts, including during the blockade of Qatar.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, said that he was "disappointed over Texas A&M University's decision to close its Qatar campus. He added that the university's location abroad "represents American values and inspires innovation for students who might otherwise not have access to an American education."
Texas A&M University in Qatar was established in 2003, as one of the main university branches in the U.S. state of Texas, under a partnership agreement between Texas A&M University and the Qatar Foundation for Education, Research and Community Development. The university's decision to close coincided with the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. When Israel began its war on Gaza, academics and students in the United States expressing pro-Palestinian opinions faced disciplinary measures, pressure campaigns, and even criminal charges.
It is worth noting that 28,576 people lost their lives and 65,000 others were injured as a result of the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, according to the latest figures published by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Despite these figures, Israel continues the war, launching a ground operation in Rafah, the last refuge for Gaza Strip residents. More than a million Palestinians were displaced from other areas in the Strip. The World Health Organization warned that the attack on Rafah would result in an “unimaginable disaster.”
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