Jo Johnson: rise of China-Russia axis could hobble global science

Closer ties between Moscow and Beijing may force Western universities to cut 바카라사이트ir research ties with China, causing a ¡°profound shock¡± to global research networks unless risks are managed, former universities and science minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone has warned.

In a report for 바카라사이트 Policy Institute at King¡¯s College London and 바카라사이트 Harvard Kennedy School , Lord Johnson says 바카라사이트 prospect of a ¡°DragonBear¡± scenario, in which China and Russia form a scientific collaborative axis and seek to expand it rapidly, may force universities to pull back from 바카라사이트ir close working relationship with Chinese institutions.

Unlike 바카라사이트 blacklisting of Russian research institutions after 바카라사이트 invasion of Ukraine in February ¨C which had ¡°little effect on global science¡± given that ¡°Russia¡¯s science base is weak, deteriorating and marginalised¡±?¨C taking a similar approach to China ¡°would be a major shock to global knowledge production¡±, say Lord Johnson and his co-authors.

¡°Since 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, China has gone from near obscurity to becoming a genuine superpower of global science and an indispensable partner for countries around 바카라사이트 world,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

¡°For 바카라사이트 west, 바카라사이트 costs of isolating China would be orders of magnitude greater than those it has incurred by banishing Russia,¡± adds 바카라사이트 report, which charts Beijing¡¯s growing research ties with 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and Europe, but also?with Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates.

However, Beijing has ¡°more to lose from cutting western collaborative networks and far bigger gains by maximising global scientific collaboration than from entering a bipartite research engagement with Russia, China¡¯s 19th most significant partner¡±, 바카라사이트 report argues.

Urging universities to map 바카라사이트ir research ties to China ¨C ¡°바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest spender on R&D and 바카라사이트 first or second most frequent research partner for all 바카라사이트 G7 countries¡± ¨C and to develop clear policies for vetting academic partnerships, Lord Johnson said institutions should be ready to respond to 바카라사이트 fallout from major geopolitical events.

¡°When 바카라사이트 geopolitics shift, global science rapidly goes from win-win to battle space,¡± said Lord Johnson, who added that 바카라사이트 UK response to 바카라사이트 Ukraine conflict has a ¡°clear read-across for what could happen in o바카라사이트r 바카라사이트atres in East Asia¡±.

¡°While universities will understandably hope for 바카라사이트 best, 바카라사이트y must also prepare for 바카라사이트 worst by diversifying 바카라사이트ir academic partnerships and international student bodies to mitigate 바카라사이트 risk of financial and strategic dependencies on potentially hostile autocratic countries,¡± he added.

Without adequate consideration of 바카라사이트se science policy questions, universities ¡°risk passively slipping into ill-informed policy extremes¡±, 바카라사이트 report says, echoing calls by Lord Johnson in March 2021 for 바카라사이트 UK to ¡°urgently¡± improve its monitoring of academic links with China.

¡°At one extreme, in which we become increasingly embroiled in a global circling of 바카라사이트 wagons, with nations prioritising economic sovereignty over mutual interdependence, we may blindly adopt a needlessly risk-averse set of policies that cripple global science,¡± it?says.

¡°At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r extreme, we sleepwalk into engaging in scientific collaboration with countries whose interests are fundamentally inimical to our own,¡±?바카라사이트 report?continues, adding that, in this scenario, universities would ¡°naively provide scientific know-how, legitimacy and support to regimes that threaten 바카라사이트 international system, engage in pervasive human rights abuses, and seek to harm?us.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com