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Georgetown Today
By the People, for the People
U.S. Universities Shift to Remote Learning Amid Mideast Conflict
Campuses in Qatar and other nations move classes online as war spreads in the region.
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
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Several major American universities with campuses in the Middle East, including Georgetown, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and Texas A&M, have canceled in-person classes and shifted to remote learning as the conflict in the region expands. The universities, which serve thousands of students from the Middle East and around the world, are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their campus communities.
Why it matters
The decision by these U.S. universities to move their Middle East campuses to remote operations highlights the growing instability and security concerns in the region. It also underscores the challenges faced by international academic institutions with a presence in conflict-prone areas, as they balance educational continuity with the safety of their students, faculty, and staff.
The details
The universities, which have established campuses in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern nations in recent decades, have taken various steps in response to the regional conflict. NYU's Abu Dhabi campus has had students sheltering in place since Saturday, while Georgetown's Qatar campus and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Doha have moved to remote learning. Other schools, like Texas A&M, had previously announced plans to wind down their Middle East operations due to the 'heightened instability' in the region.
- On Saturday, members of NYU's Abu Dhabi campus began sheltering in place.
- On Monday, classes were canceled at NYU's Abu Dhabi campus, with remote learning scheduled to resume on Tuesday.
- On Tuesday, Georgetown's Qatar campus was operating remotely, a status administrators expected to maintain 'at least through the end of this week'.
- On Sunday, classes at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Doha moved online, and the school will operate remotely through at least the end of the week.
- Texas A&M University at Qatar will conduct classes remotely at least through the end of this week.
The players
NYU
A private research university with a campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Georgetown University
A private research university with a campus in Qatar.
Virginia Commonwealth University
A public research university with a School of the Arts campus in Doha, Qatar.
Texas A&M University
A public research university with a campus in Qatar that is scheduled to close by 2028 due to 'heightened instability in the Middle East'.
Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
The medical school of Cornell University, with a campus in Qatar.
What’s next
The universities will continue to monitor the situation and make decisions about their Middle East campuses on a day-to-day basis, guided by official updates and the evolving security conditions in the region.
The takeaway
The shift to remote learning by these U.S. universities with Middle East campuses underscores the growing challenges faced by international academic institutions operating in conflict-prone regions. As the regional instability persists, these universities must balance their educational missions with the safety and security of their campus communities.
