The University of California, Berkeley is under federal investigation after allegations surfaced that it failed to report major foreign donations, escalating fears over foreign influence in American education.
At a Glance
- Department of Education investigating UC Berkeley’s reporting failures
- University accused of hiding large Chinese donations
- Berkeley given 30 days to produce financial records
- Part of broader federal crackdown on foreign influence in academia
- Similar probes have targeted Harvard and other institutions
The Investigation
On April 25, the U.S. Department of Education announced a sweeping investigation into UC Berkeley for allegedly failing to disclose foreign donations from Chinese entities and potentially sharing sensitive technology, as reported by The Epoch Times. Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, universities must report foreign gifts exceeding $250,000, but officials believe Berkeley omitted substantial contributions that could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
Central to the investigation is Berkeley’s partnership with the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, which may have involved undisclosed funding tied to high-stakes technology sectors. The Department of Education has given Berkeley 30 days to hand over all relevant documentation for review.
Watch breaking coverage of the federal probe at Education Department Probes UC Berkeley.
Context and Background
This case fits into a larger pattern of federal action against undisclosed foreign influence in U.S. higher education. A similar investigation into Harvard University exposed widespread compliance failures. According to AP News, American universities have reported over $19.6 billion in foreign donations since 2014, much of it from China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. A 2020 audit revealed that universities failed to disclose approximately $6.5 billion.
Under President Trump’s executive orders, Section 117 enforcement intensified, but critics argue that under President Biden, oversight diminished. Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the Biden administration “turned a blind eye to colleges and universities’ legal obligations by deprioritizing oversight,” as reported by The New York Post.
Institutional Response and Fallout
UC Berkeley has pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. A university spokesperson said, “Over the course of the last two years, UC Berkeley has been cooperating with federal inquiries regarding 117 reporting issues, and will continue to do so,” according to The Epoch Times.
Berkeley insists that its research is openly disseminated worldwide, despite concerns about sensitive technology potentially leaking to foreign powers. Meanwhile, the Department of Education is coordinating with other federal bodies, including the Treasury Department, to determine if Berkeley’s actions violated national security regulations.
As federal scrutiny intensifies, this case could set a major precedent for universities nationwide, forcing a reevaluation of how foreign donations are reported—and how much influence foreign governments may wield on American campuses.
