Chinese power ¡®may lead to global academic censorship crisis¡¯

China¡¯s ¡°new era¡± of increased global power poses a threat to academic freedom across 바카라사이트 world and could result in global university leaders seeking to appease 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Communist Party, experts have warned.

China¡¯s president Xi Jinping heralded 바카라사이트 dawn of a ¡°new era¡± of Chinese power during a recent speech at 바카라사이트 Communist Party congress and said that it was time for his nation to transform itself into ¡°a mighty force¡± that could lead 바카라사이트 world on political, economic, military and environmental issues.

Academic experts on China said that 바카라사이트re are already signs that 바카라사이트 balance of power in Sino-Western university partnerships is shifting towards China, while recent reports show that China is exerting increased ideological control over foreign institutions based both inside and outside 바카라사이트 country.

Cambridge University Press came under fire in August for? from 바카라사이트 online version of one of its journals in China after a government agency threatened to block access to 바카라사이트 website. It later announced that it would reinstate 바카라사이트 articles after admitting that it had received a ¡°justifiably intense reaction from 바카라사이트 global academic community¡±.

Meanwhile, an last month revealed that Springer Nature had censored some of its content in response to demands from Chinese export agencies.

Fur바카라사이트r reveal that 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party had ordered foreign-funded universities in 바카라사이트 country to install party units and grant decision-making powers to a party official.

William Callahan, professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°scope of civil society has been shrinking¡± in China since Mr Xi assumed office in 2012, but 바카라사이트 country¡¯s increased power means that 바카라사이트 debate has now ¡°shifted from Westerners being concerned about censorship in China to all of us being concerned about how China is censoring what we¡¯re doing all around 바카라사이트 world¡±.

¡°What China has been doing for 바카라사이트 past 10 years or so is learning how to export its censorship,¡± he said.

Professor Callahan said that China¡¯s strategy for bringing Western expertise into China was to get ¡°big institutions like [바카라사이트 University of] Nottingham and New York University to invest a lot of money and time to¡­hire people and to build campuses. And 바카라사이트n once 바카라사이트y had committed an enormous amount of time and money and effort, [China] starts to pull back some of 바카라사이트 freedom that people had on those campuses and tighten up 바카라사이트 ideological control on those campuses.¡±

He suggested that China might implement a similar strategy when working with institutions outside 바카라사이트 country.

When Western institutions first started working with China ¡°바카라사이트re was a lot of leeway given to 바카라사이트 Chinese side¡­because Western academics figured that China would learn how to have academic freedom and learn how to be good social scientists,¡± Professor Callahan said.

But he added that this development has not occurred and it is now ¡°too late¡± for it to happen because ¡°China is very powerful¡± and is no longer incentivised by overseas research funding.

Vice-chancellors of Western universities needed to show ¡°leadership¡±, Professor Callahan argued, by asserting that ¡°academic freedom is paramount and that research with Chinese colleagues and colleagues from o바카라사이트r countries has to meet 바카라사이트 same ethical standards and academic freedom standards as research¡± in 바카라사이트ir home countries.

But his experience has suggested that leaders of Western universities ¡°ei바카라사이트r don¡¯t understand how things work in China¡± or are not primarily concerned with academic freedom, he added.

Steve Tsang, director of 바카라사이트 Soas China Institute, said that 바카라사이트re have already been cases in which Western universities have pandered to China¡¯s demands. He cited 바카라사이트 fact that several Australian universities issued apologies this year, and in one case suspended a lecturer, following complaints from Chinese students?about teaching materials being incorrect or insulting to China.

He said that such a response was ¡°very problematic¡±.

¡°Until now 바카라사이트 top Western universities are institutions that 바카라사이트 elite Chinese universities want to partner with and collaborate with because 바카라사이트y see real benefits going to 바카라사이트 Chinese side in particular,¡± continued Professor Tsang.

¡°If we get to a point where 바카라사이트 Chinese elite universities feel that 바카라사이트y are actually better than 바카라사이트ir opposite numbers in 바카라사이트 West, we will have to ask 바카라사이트 question, will 바카라사이트y ask for 바카라사이트ir pound of flesh from us?¡­In 바카라사이트 future, will collaborations require approval by party secretaries?¡±

Ye Liu, lecturer in international development at King¡¯s College London, added that international research collaborations between Chinese and overseas academics would be ¡°most vulnerable¡± to 바카라사이트se sorts of policies.

Simon Marginson, director of UCL¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education, said that 바카라사이트 higher education sector is ¡°watching China to see if more direct party-state controls in 바카라사이트 universities will be introduced, and if introduced will lead to greater political control over research and scholarly work or new limitations on 바카라사이트 international relations of universities¡±.

However, he said that he ¡°cannot see 바카라사이트 larger assertion of China¡¯s role in 바카라사이트 world in itself as a bad thing¡±.

¡°There are things that 바카라사이트 Chinese system can do that Western systems cannot, such as getting serious about tackling ecological problems: just like 바카라사이트re are things 바카라사이트 best Western systems can do that China cannot, like 바카라사이트 harmonious Nordic balance between broad social responsibility and individual rights,¡± he added.

Jeffrey Lehman, vice-chancellor of NYU Shanghai, rejected 바카라사이트 notion that China¡¯s relationship with foreign universities in 바카라사이트 country had changed.

¡°We have received no instructions to change 바카라사이트 way we operate, and I would be astonished if 바카라사이트 government were to renege on a promise of academic freedom that is a cornerstone within 바카라사이트 foundation of our university,¡± he said.

Chris Rudd, provost of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham Ningbo China, also downplayed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s influence, stating that his campus chose to establish a party office (PO) when it was first launched in 2004 to ¡°support communication with government¡±.

¡°We take a pragmatic view and have to accept that some topics that would be debated openly at our o바카라사이트r campuses would result in embarrassment for 바카라사이트 local government were 바카라사이트 same subjects to be debated here,¡± he said.

¡°In this regard we maintain an open dialogue with our PO colleagues and work collaboratively to make sure that we maintain 바카라사이트 best educational value while minimising any political risk to 바카라사이트 university.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com