Harvard University has received more foreign funding than any other institution in the United States, with a significant portion originating from Chinese entities, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has called for an investigation into the financial ties between American universities and China, citing concerns over national security.

Education Department data shows that Harvard has accepted nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding across 7,089 transactions. Of this total, over $630 million comes from Chinese entities. Cotton highlighted that this includes approximately $418,000 from organizations participating in foreign talent programs and nearly $420,000 from entities allegedly supporting unauthorized military advancements.

The U.S. government designates certain countries as "countries of concern" if they engage in conduct detrimental to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or the safety of U.S. citizens. Harvard has also received millions from such countries, including $3.3 million from Venezuela and over $750,000 from Russia.

In January, the Education Department revamped its online portal for reporting foreign funding received by federally funded universities. This initiative followed criticism that the system had been neglected. A statement from the department indicated the revamped portal aims to assist higher education institutions in fulfilling their reporting responsibilities and to protect national security by facilitating improved compliance.

Overall, federally funded universities have accepted more than $6.8 billion from China since the portal's relaunch, including over $300 million from sanctioned entities. Several Chinese entities, including the Beijing Institute of Tech, Air China, Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co., and Ocean University of China, are among the top funders to U.S. universities, collectively providing about $119 million.

Cotton emphasized that American taxpayer-funded universities have a legal and moral obligation to be transparent about their foreign financial relationships with the U.S. government and the public.