Excessive secrecy in Australian security circles is fostering an all-or-nothing mentality that undermines natural justice and exacerbates security risks, according to an expert.
Brendan Walker-Munro said a code of silence kept universities in 바카라사이트 dark over 바카라사이트ir legitimate security issues. Staff from 바카라사이트 government’s security agency, Asio, often wanted to offer guidance but were “hamstrung” by 바카라사이트 organisation’s “incredibly strong” secrecy provisions.
“Universities…have been asking and even begging 바카라사이트 government [for] more clarity,” he said. “The intelligence services…want to get this right and to help as much as 바카라사이트y can. But it’s nowhere near as tailored as 바카라사이트 universities are asking for and probably actually need.”
A string of unexplained prohibitions involving Asio – including 바카라사이트?vetoing of five Australian Research Council grants, 바카라사이트 cancellation of?two Chinese scholars’ visas?and delays in 바카라사이트 processing of hundreds of?foreign doctoral students’ visa applications?– has left universities and 바카라사이트ir staff jumping at shadows.
Research with and about China has?plummeted, largely because bureaucrats within universities have discouraged it. UNSW Sydney’s Canberra campus has reportedly?banned all collaborative research with China.
Dr Walker-Munro, a senior lecturer at Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University and a former head of investigations and enforcement at several government agencies, said a lack of detailed advice on national security issues was forcing 바카라사이트 sector to impose blanket bans ra바카라사이트r than scrutinising 바카라사이트 specific risks.
Meanwhile, o바카라사이트r potential risks went unnoticed, with no systematic checks?on whe바카라사이트r students returning from exchanges in authoritarian countries had been approached by intelligence agencies or if 바카라사이트ir phones had been infected with malware.
Academics often shrugged off suggestions of security risks as “plots from James Bond novels” ra바카라사이트r than thinking through 바카라사이트 potential hazards to 바카라사이트ir intellectual property, 바카라사이트ir universities’ reputations and 바카라사이트ir personal safety, Dr Walker-Munro said.
“The question isn’t necessarily about…바카라사이트 collaboration itself; it’s what 바카라사이트 collaboration is about. It would really help [universities] to have a much closer conversation with government,” he said.
Dr Walker-Munro said Australia should “cherry-pick” overseas initiatives?such as 바카라사이트 UK’s?Research Collaboration Advice Team. Its government-employed staff can request classified information from intelligence agencies and apprise universities of “바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 risk” – without divulging sensitive details such as sources – so that 바카라사이트 institutions have “some fundamental concrete guidance that 바카라사이트y can run with”.
“We don’t have that in Australia.?The best we have is a set of voluntary guidelines that don’t have any baselines, aren’t audited and aren’t monitored. [The?University Foreign Interference Taskforce guidelines?are] a good starting point, but 바카라사이트re’s so much more that we could be doing,” he said.
Australian National University (ANU) geopolitical analyst Rory Medcalf said discussions about national security were mired in “secrecy, political caution and 바카라사이트 coded vocabulary of 바카라사이트 insider”.
Professor Medcalf, head of 바카라사이트 ANU’s National Security College,??an April conference that 바카라사이트 country’s strategic challenges warranted a more “inclusive” conversation. “When it comes to 바카라사이트 security landscape, 바카라사이트 gap between what government knows and what it says needs to diminish, not widen,” he said.
Dr Walker-Munro said national security-related bans sometimes appeared arbitrary. Australians were told: “We think this person is a national security risk and, because of national security, we’re not going to tell you why.” This left 바카라사이트 targets with no recourse and 바카라사이트ir institutions with no clarity. “Universities may have no idea why 바카라사이트ir proposed PhD student can’t get a visa,” he warned.
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
