Why US billionaires are bankrolling a new ‘anti-woke’ university

Several American billionaires are putting their weight behind a new “anti-woke” varsity in Texas. Frustrated with elite colleges, the rich are donating to the University of Austin (UATX), which was founded just three years ago in November 2021.

Donations have reportedly increased since the anti-Israel protests on university campuses across the US. The propping up of the fledgling school comes as wealthy American donors seek an alternative to traditional colleges in higher education.

Let’s take a closer look.

University of Austin raises $200 million

As per The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, the University of Austin has raised nearly $200 million so far. The high-profile donors of the school include trader Jeff Yass, real-estate developer Harlan Crow and investor Len Blavatnik.

Venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, a conservative and donor to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and journalist Bari Weiss are among the founders of the university.

Weiss, who previously worked for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, has a news startup, the Free Press.

The university claims to be nonpartisan with its aim being “fearless pursuit of truth.” The school’s curriculum entails a blend of classical texts such as Homer’s Odyssey with stress on entrepreneurship.

A promotional video on UATX’s YouTube page delivers its message, contrasting the chaotic scenes at US universities during the pro-Palestinian protests with calm discussions at its school. It ends with the bold declaration: “They burn, we build”.

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The varsity uses the tagline “dare to think” and offers students to explore “forbidden courses”, which include “advanced inquiries into moral judgements, debates within conservatism, and the state of evolutionary biology”, as per its website.

The school welcomed its initial class of 92 students last month in a previous department store near the Texas Capitol. It currently does not have a main campus.

During his convocation address, the university’s President Pano Kanelos described students and faculty as “pioneers” and “heroes”. “What is truly historic is that which sends the trajectory of history, and lives lived within the stream of history, shooting in a direction other than that towards which they were tending,” he was quoted as saying by WSJ.

Executives from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Boring Company are helping the school develop its engineering programme.

The varsity does not have accreditation. To compensate for the risk being taken by students, they are being offered full-tuition scholarships worth about $130,000.

Why are billionaires donating to UATX?

The richest Americans are bankrolling the new university due to their disillusionment with the elite colleges over what they say is a lack of free speech and unrest at these esteemed universities during anti-Israel protests and encampments.

As per the WSJ report, Blavatnik, who is Jewish and holds both British and American citizenship, donated $1 million to the varsity following Hamas’ attack on Israel last October. He also halted donations to his alma mater, Harvard University, later.

These wealthy donors are put off by what they perceive as overwhelmingly progressive attitude of traditional colleges.

Harlan Crow, a major Republican donor, told WSJ, “Much of higher ed today seems to want to reject Western accomplishments and the accomplishments of Western civilisations in their entirety. Many people think that’s a bad idea.”

He said he expects UATX will foster ideological diversity. Crow and his wife have also hosted events for the school at their home in Dallas and allowed the varsity to use space in an office park for its school programme.

Jeff Yass, who has donated $35 million to the university, said in a statement, “Higher education needs competition. It is time for philanthropists to start new colleges in keeping with the way American learning institutions were founded.”

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, former energy trader John Arnold and his wife, Laura, and Alex Magaro, co-president of investment firm Meritage Group, are among the other donors.

Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of snack bar maker Kind Snacks, is an early donor, who continued to give funds after the Hamas’ attack. He was highly alarmed over the “us vs them” ideology on campuses.

US campuses’ protests

Universities across the US saw pro-Palestine protests earlier this year. Students participated in “Gaza solidarity” encampments, erecting tents on campus lawns. The protests spilled over to universities in other countries including the United Kingdom and Mexico.

Over 3,000 students were arrested and some protest leaders were threatened with suspension and academic probation.

Universities faced pressure from donors, politicians and even Jewish students who filed lawsuits alleging antisemitism by the protesters.

Several high-profile campuses, including Columbia University and New York University, settled lawsuits over the summer. But tensions continue in varsities, with the administration turning to “dialogue” to contain the divisions.

With inputs from agencies