Collaboration Between Al Jazeera and Northwestern University in Qatar Ends

Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) has ended its collaboration with Al Jazeera after pressure from U.S. Republicans, who alleged unverified links between the Doha-based network and Hamas. This development was confirmed by a university spokesperson and reported by The Daily Northwestern. Neither NU-Q nor Al Jazeera have commented on the severance publicly.

The partnership, which began in 2013, aimed to foster collaboration between NU-Q’s journalism program and Al Jazeera. The issue gained attention when U.S. Representative Burgess Owens questioned NU-Q's ties with Al Jazeera during a congressional hearing, accusing the network of being a Hamas mouthpiece, though these claims remain unsubstantiated.

The controversy over American campuses in Doha, including Texas A&M University’s decision to close its Qatar campus by 2028, comes amid a broader disinformation campaign targeting Qatar's role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, as well as Al Jazeera's reporting on Israeli actions in Gaza. Despite these allegations, Qatar successfully mediated the release of captives held by Hamas in late 2023. Meanwhile, Israel has targeted Al Jazeera’s journalists, with many killed or wounded during the Gaza conflict.