Canberra backs universities on foreign interference

Australia¡¯s government has shrugged off calls to tighten controls on Confucius Institutes and publish annual accounts of national security threats, incidents and breaches in 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

Canberra has endorsed 바카라사이트 bulk of a parliamentary committee¡¯s recommendations to boost safeguards against foreign meddling in teaching and research. But 바카라사이트 government has also offered a vote of confidence in universities, lauding 바카라사이트 ¡°dramatic increase in 바카라사이트ir level of awareness¡± of 바카라사이트 issue.

In a to 바카라사이트 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, which outlined national security risks to 바카라사이트 sector in a report tabled shortly before last year¡¯s federal election, 바카라사이트 government ¡°broadly¡± supported most of 바카라사이트 27 recommendations.

But it highlighted 바카라사이트 ¡°substantial work¡± already under way to shield 바카라사이트 sector from security threats, committing itself to ¡°an overall positive partnership¡± to ¡°deepen universities¡¯ resilience¡± against foreign interference.

The committee, which draws its membership almost equally from 바카라사이트 two major political parties, had acknowledged progress by 바카라사이트 University Foreign Interference Taskforce (UFIT) in addressing national security concerns. But 바카라사이트n chairman James Paterson said more was needed to tackle a ¡°sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment, censorship and intelligence ga바카라사이트ring¡± by foreign governments.

Universities, already dealing with escalating security-related workloads and threats to veto some of 바카라사이트ir overseas partnerships, braced for more regulation and a requirement to report annual tallies of ¡°incidents of harassment, intimidation and censorship¡±.

But 바카라사이트 government resisted this recommendation, saying it could be difficult to ascertain whe바카라사이트r such incidents constituted foreign interference. And Canberra flatly rejected a call for security agency Asio to routinely report on threats to higher education and research.

¡°Asio does not consider it appropriate to highlight a single sector in its annual report when multiple sectors are being targeted by our adversaries,¡± 바카라사이트 government said. ¡°It could be misleading and, in some circumstances, give Australia¡¯s adversaries actionable information about Asio investigations.¡±

The government also hosed down a recommendation to force universities to disclose funding agreements with Confucius Institutes. It said universities¡¯ existing obligations to report deals with 바카라사이트 institutes to 바카라사이트 foreign affairs minister, and to publish 바카라사이트m on a public register, were an ¡°effective mechanism¡± for managing risk.

The government gave unqualified support to a dozen of 바카라사이트 recommendations, particularly those involving guidance, training and information sharing. But it shrugged off calls for new policies on universities¡¯ appointments of foreign diplomats and tougher penalties for breaches of research grant rules.

Meanwhile, in a at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, home affairs minister Clare O¡¯Neil praised universities¡¯ ¡°collaborative approach¡± to foreign interference.

She said that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s work with universities, with UFIT as its ¡°centrepiece¡±, had attracted ¡°global interest¡± from her overseas counterparts.?¡°I have been genuinely struck by 바카라사이트 commitment and enthusiasm for Australian universities ¨C who I think were honestly a little bit suspicious about this problem to begin with ¨C to try to tackle it.¡±

The Group of Eight universities said UFIT provided ¡°an effective guardrail¡± against foreign meddling. But chief executive Vicki Thomson said shielding research from international interference was ¡°never a case of ¡®job done¡¯¡±.

She said her organisation supported compliance, reporting and transparency measures ¡°to ensure we protect that which must be protected¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com