Middle East Studies Professors Criticize Academic Decline Since 9/11

The findings, released on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, paint a bleak picture of higher education. Beyond the ideological shift, 66% of respondents reported that current students are unable to accurately identify the causes or perpetrators of the 2001 attacks. This decline in historical literacy accompanies a broader institutional crisis, with 71% of surveyed faculty stating that American academia is less capable of pursuing unbiased education today than it was two decades ago.

Asaf Romirowsky, executive director of ASMEA, described the situation as a pandemic of ideological bias. He argued that the field has traded rigorous analysis for anti-American sentiment, leaving the nation vulnerable by prioritizing political dogma over observable reality. The data suggests this trend is intensifying, as younger faculty members reported higher levels of self-censorship to align with departmental requirements. The survey, conducted in August 2026, gathered responses from 470 scholars across various institutions, underscoring a systemic erosion of academic freedom that Romirowsky claims poses a direct threat to national security.