Higher Education

Report raises concerns about Oklahoma universities’ participation in Chinese exchange program

September 3, 2026

Ray Carter

Two Oklahoma universities—Northeastern State University and the University of Tulsa—had student delegations who participated in a program alleged to be part of a propaganda effort run by the Chinese Communist Party, according to a recent report.

“Little Red Classrooms: Young Envoys Scholarship Program,” issued by Defending Education, highlighted ties between U.S. colleges and the “Young Envoys Scholarship Program,” operated by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE).

The report noted that the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Education previously fostered relationships with American universities and K-12 schools through “Confucius Institutes” (at the university level) and “Confucius Classrooms” (in K-12 settings) to influence perceptions of China.

The University of Oklahoma and several Oklahoma public-school districts were among those who participated in the Confucius Institutes program before the federal government began scrutinizing the program.

Those programs have mostly been phased out in recent years in response to federal scrutiny, but Defending Education argues that Confucius Institutes essentially have now been replaced by the Young Envoys Scholarship program.

The report noted that the China Education Association for International Exchange, which runs the Young Envoys Program, states on its Chinese website that it is guided by “Marxism-Leninism” and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism and will “always adhere to the leadership of the Party and integrate the Party’s work into the entire process of the association’s operation and development.”

In November 2023, the report noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping invited 50,000 U.S. students to study abroad in China over the next five years as part of the Young Envoys Scholarship program.

The Defending Education report identified more than 83 universities and 27 K-12 schools spanning 30 states that have been involved in the Young Envoys Program and includes links to associated newsletters that feature “glowing responses from those who benefitted from the PRC fully funded experience.”

Two June 2024 newsletters include references to Oklahoma universities.

One newsletter quoted a student from Northeastern State University declaring she is “grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture here.”

A second June 2024 newsletter stated, “On June 20, the Future Green Energy Leaders’ Summer Camp for American Youths, organized by China University of Petroleum, Beijing, invited 14 students and teachers from Harvard University and the University of Tulsa to come to Daxing International Hydrogen Energy Demonstration Zone to explore the development of hydrogen energy technology and industry in China.”

That newsletter quoted one University of Tulsa student discussing China’s green energy development. The student reportedly said, “For the U.S., the best option now is to move in new directions alongside countries like China.”

Neither Northeastern State University nor the University of Tulsa responded to a request for comment.