The University of New Haven today announced a $10 million philanthropic gift from alumnus Douglas D. Schumann ’69 to support the launch of its College of Business and Digital Innovation at its new campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a historic first that positions the University at the forefront of global higher education.
The gift supports the development of University of New Haven – Riyadh (NHU-Riyadh), the first independently licensed U.S. international branch campus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Approved by the Saudi Council of Ministers in 2025 and the University’s U.S. accreditor earlier this year, the campus will open in Misk City, the not-for-profit innovation district in the heart of Riyadh, welcoming its first students in fall 2026.
The new College of Business and Digital Innovation will prepare students to lead in a fast-changing global economy, combining a rigorous American business education with a focus on the digital skills, entrepreneurship, and innovation at the center of the Kingdom’s transformative Vision 2030. Schumann’s gift will underwrite the college’s launch, from its facilities and technology to the programs and faculty that will define its earliest years.
NHU-Riyadh’s College of Business and Digital Innovation will be housed within a new 62,000-square-foot campus in Misk City that is designed to provide a world-class learning environment for students from Saudi Arabia and across the region. The state-of-the-art facility will feature advanced classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, and technology-enabled labs supporting hands-on education in business, analytics, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and other emerging fields. Designed to encourage collaboration, creativity, and industry engagement, the campus will serve as a catalyst for talent development in support of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
A distinguished entrepreneur, philanthropist, and longtime supporter of the University, Schumann earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Haven in 1969 and received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree in 2003. His latest investment reflects a lifelong commitment to expanding educational opportunity and preparing future generations of leaders to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
For Schumann, the gift is deeply personal.
“This gift is, above all, a tribute to my parents, Dorthy Dunlop [Dot] Schumann and Charles Frederick [Chick] Schumann,” said Douglas Schumann. “They believed that opportunity should never be limited by where a person happens to be born, and that education is the surest way to open doors. Helping to launch a college that will do exactly that, for students half a world away, honors their legacy in the truest sense. Their generosity and their faith in others are the reason this gift exists, and I am proud to carry it forward in their name.”
University leaders described the gift as a defining moment, both for the institution and for international education more broadly. Independently licensed American campuses remain exceptionally rare around the globe, and NHU-Riyadh is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, giving students across the region direct access to a U.S.-accredited degree.
“Douglas Schumann’s extraordinary generosity allows us to do something that has never been done before,” said Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., president of the University of New Haven. “As a proud alumnus, Doug has long demonstrated his commitment to expanding access to education and innovation. This gift is supporting the opening of the first independently licensed American university campus in Saudi Arabia, and it positions us to lead the next chapter of global education. The College of Business and Digital Innovation will equip a new generation to shape the digital economy, and it will stand as proof of what becomes possible when bold vision, global partnership, and philanthropic leadership come together to create unparalleled access to educational opportunities.”
The University envisions the College of Business and Digital Innovation serving as a model for how American higher education can extend its reach responsibly and ambitiously across borders.