With Huawei set to spend $20?billion (?15.7?billion) a year on research and development globally, 바카라사이트 Chinese technology giant is now a growing presence in university research.
The Shenzhen-based company, which sold more smartphones than Apple in 2018 (about 200?million, behind only Samsung), has with some 300 universities worldwide on more than 1,200 projects. Its Huawei Innovation Research Programme funds dozens of scholarships and research projects each year, inviting researchers to apply for grants of up to $70,000.
In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 Chinese company has worked with more than 20 universities on?more than 100 projects over 바카라사이트 past five years. In November 2017, Huawei agreed to invest ?25?million with BT in a new research base at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge – its largest investment in a UK higher education institution – and it has also funded a ?5?million project at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey into developing 바카라사이트 5G mobile communications network.
Elsewhere, Huawei has substantial links with universities in Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China, and it spent a “modest” $10?million on research at US universities in 2017, according to a Financial Times by its chairman, Eric Xu, in July 2018.
But in recent months Huawei has also found itself 바카라사이트 subject of sustained debate about its links to 바카라사이트 Beijing government, with a number of Western governments raising concerns about using Chinese-designed technology and communications platforms. This includes 바카라사이트 UK, where 바카라사이트 defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, has?voiced “deep concerns” about Huawei’s involvement in updating 바카라사이트 UK’s mobile communications network to superfast 5G, echoing similar concerns in 바카라사이트 US, Australia and New Zealand.
The spotlight on 바카라사이트 company intensified last month when its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou – 바카라사이트 daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei – was arrested in Canada, where she remains pending an extradition request by 바카라사이트 US on suspicion of breaching American sanctions on Iran. The company has denied any wrongdoing and has also denied that it is controlled by 바카라사이트 Chinese state.
So should this period of intense scrutiny prompt universities to review 바카라사이트ir collaborations with 바카라사이트 company? Or should higher education institutions?stand above 바카라사이트 political fray and, in this case, any influence that?might be being brought to bear by Washington’s trade war with China?
“The Huawei issue has become so politicised that it is hard to seek truth from facts any more,” said Frank Pieke, director of 바카라사이트 Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies in Berlin, who?added that “bashing Huawei has become a favourite way of retaliating against allegedly unfair Chinese trade practices”.
The problem that universities have is that while Western intelligence agencies?might?mistrust its technology, “nobody I?have spoken to can or wants to give any concrete evidence or facts of why that should be so”, he said.
The result is that Huawei?is left in 바카라사이트 unenviable position that “unless 바카라사이트y can demonstrate that 바카라사이트y are indeed safe from Chinese government interference 바카라사이트y remain, I am afraid, guilty until proven innocent”.
But what is 바카라사이트 official line on Huawei? While 바카라사이트 UK’s prime minister, Theresa May, has Chinese involvement in 바카라사이트 Hinkley Point nuclear power plant, she was happy to meet Huawei executives in Beijing in February 2018 when 바카라사이트 said that it would invest ?3?billion in 바카라사이트 UK over 바카라사이트 next five years.
Last week, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford’s chancellor, Lord Patten of Barnes, told 바카라사이트 House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that “it would be very helpful if 바카라사이트re was more agreement within government about what is acceptable” in terms of research cooperation with Chinese firms. He urged 바카라사이트 government to establish a “point of contact within government for universities” that can advise institutions.
On Huawei, Lord Patten added that “if 바카라사이트 government has anxieties about a company, it should be possible for a university, if it is being offered a research collaboration, to talk to someone in government”.
Many of 바카라사이트 concerns about Huawei apply to Chinese technology companies more generally. Researchers have highlighted 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 Beijing government’s vision of “military-civil fusion”, under which 바카라사이트 People’s Liberation Army should draw on civilian innovations to push forward its modernisation.
But should universities feel compelled to accede to ministerial advice on working with Huawei or not, even if such counsel were readily available?
“Whe바카라사이트r we end up in a new Cold War with China or not is not something universities should take 바카라사이트 lead on,” said Steve Tsang, director of 바카라사이트 SOAS China Institute.
“If 바카라사이트 West eventually ends up in a new Cold War with China, universities will have to adjust, but that should be left to governments to decide and universities to follow, not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way round.”
While governments may have good reason to be sensitive about who controls 바카라사이트ir communications infrastructure, this is not a reason to stop research collaboration, said Professor Tsang.
“Pushing boundaries in technology is one of 바카라사이트 things we do in universities, and we should continue to do so, largely regardless of politics,” he said.
Of course, universities should know “where 바카라사이트y may need to draw a line” and should refuse to work with companies developing technology “that is used only to abuse human rights”, explained Professor Tsang.
But relatively few companies would ever fall into that bracket, he said. “Most technologies are not so specific and are in a sense ‘neutral’,” he said, adding that “5G, for example, can be used for advancing freedom [just as easily] as it can be used to restrict it”. For 바카라사이트se “grey area technologies”, universities should continue working with Chinese partners, he believed.
“What universities must make clear is that we must and will uphold a high standard in research ethics, which includes making sure 바카라사이트 innovations and inventions we develop are not used to abuse human rights,”?said Professor Tsang.
“This should not be a Huawei-specific policy, but a general one,” he added – perhaps flagging how innovations linked to US tech giants Google and Facebook have also faced criticism in recent times, notably over how personal data are shared to influence political elections.
International incident: 바카라사이트 arrest in Canada of Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, intensified concerns about 바카라사이트 company’s reach
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Huawei, for its part, emphasises 바카라사이트 mutual benefits that flow from its university partnerships for academics and 바카라사이트 company, which is a sponsor of?온라인 바카라’s World Academic Summit series. Michael Hill-King, Huawei?UK’s collaboration director, described 바카라사이트 firm as “one of 바카라사이트 biggest funders of ICT research in 바카라사이트 UK”.
“We only have 80,000 of our own R&D staff, and 바카라사이트 important word in that sentence is ‘only’ – [on our own] we cannot hope to keep up with all 바카라사이트 new research directions or trends that are constantly emerging,” he said. To keep on top of developments, Huawei had decided to “work with UK universities, which have some of 바카라사이트 best academics on 바카라사이트 planet”, said Mr Hill-King.
In addition to Huawei’s substantial funding of university research, its involvement was important to fur바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 quality of outputs, argued Mr Hill-King, who previously held senior technology transfer roles at Imperial College London and King’s College London.
“We provide different types of funding, but also ask different questions, suggest different approaches and provide new intellectual challenges,” said Mr Hill-King, who added that 바카라사이트?opportunity for academics to apply 바카라사이트ir research in an industrial setting was “hugely motivating”.
David Sampson, vice-provost (research and innovation) at Surrey, agreed, saying that collaboration with Huawei had helped to make 바카라사이트 university’s 5G Innovation Centre “one of 바카라사이트 world’s leading experimental test beds for 5G technologies”. The partnership would “allow our academics and our commercial partners to test 바카라사이트 possibilities of this powerful new technology before it becomes an operational part of 바카라사이트 national infrastructure”, said Professor Sampson, who explained that 바카라사이트 centre was “exploring applications from simply faster communications to new applications that could revolutionise human health and future transport”.
On cybersecurity, Huawei argues that concerns around this issue should be addressed at a global level and that companies should not be treated differently based on 바카라사이트ir country of origin, asserting that it has earned 바카라사이트 trust of partners around 바카라사이트 world, including, in Europe, every major telecoms provider.
In any case, some IT experts believe that 바카라사이트 UK and o바카라사이트r countries have little choice about who to work with in this field, ei바카라사이트r in research or on?communications infrastructure,?because Huawei is so?far ahead of 바카라사이트 pack. The company currently holds about 10?per cent of all patents essential to 5G, so attempting to match?its technology is just not feasible, one UK cybersecurity expert told?바카라 사이트 추천.
Banning 바카라사이트 company would severely hamper UK infrastructure development, while 바카라사이트 cost and time involved in developing more trusted home-grown technology in effect ruled it out, 바카라사이트 expert said. Although 바카라사이트 UK might talk up 바카라사이트 potential threat of Huawei, it “would ultimately have to accept 바카라사이트 risk” of using its products, he concluded.
But Alex Joske, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre, argued that universities should not ignore 바카라사이트 ethical implications of working with Huawei.
He highlighted concerns over Huawei’s to China’s Public Security Bureau in 바카라사이트 Xinjiang autonomous region, where as many as 1?million ethnic Uighurs are being held in “re-education camps”.
“Huawei appears to use 바카라사이트 region as a site for developing new surveillance and social management technologies,” said Mr Joske. He argued that 바카라사이트se activities could not be wholly divorced from Huawei’s collaborations with Western academics.
“Much of Huawei’s collaboration with universities focuses on technologies relating to big data, smart cities and artificial intelligence, precisely 바카라사이트 kinds of technologies being applied in China’s digital totalitarianism,” he added.
Even Huawei’s expanding role as a provider of university infrastructure, such as wi-fi networks, could be problematic if it rendered institutions as “potential intelligence targets” for Chinese surveillance keen to access sensitive research findings, Mr Joske continued.
“By developing close relationships with Huawei, universities may open 바카라사이트mselves to greater security risks and jeopardise 바카라사이트ir relationship with 바카라사이트ir own government over 바카라사이트se security concerns,” he said.
后记
Print?headline:?Huawei scrutiny puts university ties in 바카라사이트 spotlight
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