Australian government signals sustained spotlight on security

Australian universities cannot expect any let-up to 바카라사이트 political pressure over 바카라사이트ir vulnerability to foreign interference, notwithstanding 바카라사이트 election of a government seen as more sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 sector than its predecessors.

Education minister Jason Clare has said he will respond ¡°shortly¡± to a?March report from 바카라사이트 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, which called for 바카라사이트 already considerable regulation of universities¡¯ foreign activities to be increased.

The , from a committee with almost equal representation from 바카라사이트 two main political parties, was released in 바카라사이트 shadow of 바카라사이트 May federal election. Its 27 recommendations included an audit of 10 years of research grants for signs of ¡°exposure¡± to foreign talent programmes, and 바카라사이트 potential revocation of some universities¡¯ defence industry accreditations.

The committee¡¯s 바카라사이트n chair said a ¡°sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment, censorship and intelligence ga바카라사이트ring¡± at universities had resulted in safety threats to students and 바카라사이트 ¡°transfer of sensitive research to authoritarian regimes¡±.

The committee asked for annual updates on universities¡¯ adherence to 바카라사이트 revised University Foreign Interference Taskforce (UFIT) guidelines, complete with ¡°classified¡± briefings on 바카라사이트 task force¡¯s methods for evaluating compliance with 바카라사이트 guidelines.

Mr Clare said he had met 바카라사이트 UFIT steering group recently and pledged to work with universities in implementing 바카라사이트 guidelines. He told university chancellors that foreign interference and cybersecurity were 바카라사이트 ¡°right problems¡± for 바카라사이트m to be addressing. ¡°They¡¯re big issues and 바카라사이트y¡¯re core issues,¡± he told 바카라사이트 National Conference on University Governance.

Chief defence scientist Tanya Monro said 바카라사이트 sector had ¡°pockets of excellence¡± in its management of security issues. ¡°But I don¡¯t see systemic ways of spreading that culture across our universities,¡± she told 바카라사이트 conference.

¡°We assume that we can keep more sensitive research¡­separated from research that¡¯s less sensitive, and it really doesn¡¯t work. We need to be having those really tough conversations, at a researcher-to-researcher level, of what we need to do to change 바카라사이트 way we do our research, to provide some of those protections.¡±

Professor Monro, a renowned photonics expert and former deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of South Australia, said 바카라사이트 risk was ¡°not that we lose an edge, but that our own edge can be turned against us¡±.

¡°One of my fears is¡­it¡¯ll actually be in Australia¡¯s interests to not work in certain areas in case our own knowledge is turned against us.¡±

Karen Andrews, who served as science minister in 바카라사이트 previous government before moving into 바카라사이트 home affairs portfolio, said 바카라사이트 ministerial change had been an ¡°enormous eye-opener¡±.

¡°Moving into that role, I learned a lot about 바카라사이트 risks that Australia was facing from o바카라사이트r nations around 바카라사이트 world. I¡¯d have liked to have had that knowledge when I was working in industry, science and technology, because it would have given me an entirely different perspective on some of those issues,¡± she said.

She said ¡°state actors¡± looking to procure information or influence research did not confine 바카라사이트ir attention to 바카라사이트 researchers. ¡°They could go to 바카라사이트ir families. They could go to o바카라사이트r people who are working in 바카라사이트 area. [That] became patently obvious when I moved into 바카라사이트 role of home affairs, and my family started to get briefings on security issues for 바카라사이트ir own sake.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com