For years, national attention has focused on elite institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT when concerns arise about Chinese influence on American campuses. But a newly released report suggests that one of the most significant partnerships may have been operating far from the Ivy League spotlight.
A watchdog organization is raising serious questions about a decades-long relationship between Missouri State University and Chinese government-connected organizations, alleging that the public university helped educate hundreds of executives tied to state-owned enterprises and defense-related industries in the People’s Republic of China.
The report, titled Heartland for Hire, was published by geopolitical research firm Strategy Risks. According to its findings, Missouri State University operated specialized MBA and Executive MBA programs beginning in 2001 that ultimately trained more than 1,500 Chinese managers, government officials, and executives connected to major state enterprises.
