Universities ‘vulnerable’ to reputation laundering

Academics warn universities to do more research before accepting donations

Universities should carry out checks on prospective donors before accepting gifts to protect themselves against “improper foreign influence”, a group of researchers has argued.

In their report, Reputation Laundering in the University Sector of Open Societies, researchers Alexander Cooley, a director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and colleagues from the UK warned that universities in the UK and the US are increasingly targets for “reputation laundering”.