Findings show that dozens research projects of Texas A&M’s uncovered by ISGAP to be contractually owned by Qatar have potential national security concerns
ISGAP calls to freeze all questionable research until full transparent investigation is held
NEW YORK, February 26, 2024 – Following Texas A&M University’s February 9, 2024 announcement of the closure of its campus at Doha Education City by 2028, the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) today released a fresh report entitled, ‘Hijacking Higher Education, Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood and Texas A&M (Volume Two)’ on sensitive research that continues to be carried out at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ). The ISGAP report was sent to U.S legislators (both in Congress and the Senate), highlighting questions and concerns regarding the national security implications of this research, and is calling to freeze these projects until a thorough, transparent investigation is held.
Dr. Charles Asher Small, Director of ISGAP, said, “While Texas A&M’s decision to close its Qatar campus in Doha is a significant step towards ending the university’s relationship with the Qatari Regime, it is imperative that Texas A&M address the concerns surrounding ongoing research projects and the terms of the conditions of the agreement between the university and the Qatari regime. Our latest research debunks university denials of Qatari involvement in nuclear and sensitive research at TAMUQ. ISGAP demands a thorough investigation, transparency and heightened vigilance from university authorities.”
The new report, which follows ISGAP’s November 2023 report into Qatari-owned research at Texas A&M, presents compelling evidence contradicting assertions made by the university’s leadership denying any Qatari association with nuclear research at TAMUQ. The new report (Volume Two) proves that dozens of sensitive research, including nuclear-related research, contains potential dual-use for both civilians or military applications.
ISGAP’s new report assesses that 58 research projects (approximately 10 percent of the research projects at TAMUQ identified by ISGAP as owned by Qatar) possess the potential for dual use and contribution to military applications. Some of them also have potential implications for nuclear research and high-energy applications.
Among these, the next phase of the High Energy Physics Program in Qatar, specifically focusing on The High Luminosity LHC (Large Hadron Collider), grants access to advanced particle acceleration technologies and knowledge through participation in the renowned CERN program, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. Additionally, projects such as the performance study of different scintillation crystals for future Positron Emission Tomography imaging highlight the potential dual-use nature of research, with scintillation crystals having applications in neutron detection for different nuclear weapons-related development experiments. Using Monte Carlo simulation tools in several projects, such as Study of a Clinical PET using the GATE software and Multiscale modeling of metal dusting corrosion in Iron, could be used as tools in theoretical nuclear-related research. Initiatives like High-Performance Drive with Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Model Predictive Control could be used to run high speed machines such as centrifuges for Uranium enrichment. Furthermore, projects like Multiscale Modeling and characterization of advanced interface materials for high energy and corrosive environments hint at potential applications in missile and nuclear industries.
The report also shows that TAMUQ ranks among the top two universities in Qatar for Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Engineering, boasting a cadre of world-class scholars in nuclear and defence fields. The report furthermore highlights that Texas A&M faculty members are highly involved in nuclear research and shows collaborations facilitated by Qatari donations, including initiatives at CERN, a renowned center for nuclear research.
Emphasizing the imperative of upholding academic integrity, protecting national security interests, and preserving the autonomy of academic institutions, ISGAP calls on the Board of Regents of Texas A&M University to heed the findings of the report and initiate a comprehensive investigation into research activities at TAMUQ, and to freeze the questionable research until the investigation is complete.
Background
The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) initiated the “Follow the Money” research project in 2012, focusing on the illicit funding of United States universities by foreign entities promoting anti-democratic, antisemitic ideologies, often linked to terrorism. This ongoing investigation unearthed substantial Middle Eastern funding, primarily from Qatar, to U.S. universities, previously unreported to the Department of Education (DoED) as required by law, revealing billions of dollars in unreported funds. This groundbreaking work led to a federal government investigation in 2019. Despite its close ties to the United States and other Western nations, Qatar has cultivated an extensive network of Islamist partners, hosting, supporting, and representing entities such as the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), maintaining ties with Iran, hosting the Taliban, supporting Hamas, and backing militias in Syria and Libya. ISGAP remains at the forefront of exposing and addressing these intricate issues concerning foreign funding and ideological influences within U.S. academia.