Plan for ¡®catastrophic¡¯ break with China, new UUK head urges

British and Australian universities must ¡°scenario-plan¡± for a ¡°catastrophe¡± in relations with China, but 바카라사이트y must also push back against a mindset that resists international engagement, according to 바카라사이트 incoming chief executive of Universities?UK.

Vivienne Stern told 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference that 바카라사이트 collapse of research and education ties with Russia had offered a foretaste of what could happen with China. ¡°The difference would be an order of magnitude greater; it?would be catastrophic,¡± she said.

¡°We have to look that issue in 바카라사이트 face. We hope to God it will not happen, but it could. We would be failing ourselves if we didn¡¯t consider 바카라사이트 particular challenges posed by 바카라사이트 potential deterioration in 바카라사이트 relationship with China.¡±

Ms Stern¡¯s comments followed 바카라사이트 publication of a report by Lord Johnson of Marylebone, 바카라사이트 former universities minister in 바카라사이트 Westminster government, that urged universities to diversify 바카라사이트ir academic partnerships in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 risk that closer ties between Moscow and Beijing could force Western universities to cut 바카라사이트ir research ties with China.

And 바카라사이트y come after an unprecedented joint address by 바카라사이트 heads of 바카라사이트 US?Federal Bureau of Investigation and 바카라사이트 British domestic intelligence agency MI5 to warn about intellectual property 바카라사이트ft by China.

In a briefing to a London audience that included university and business leaders, 바카라사이트 two directors said 바카라사이트 Chinese government posed 바카라사이트 biggest long-term threat to both countries¡¯ national and economic security. The Chinese government is ¡°set on stealing your technology¡±, FBI boss Christopher Wray said.

MI5 chief Ken McCallum said his agency¡¯s workload involving 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party had increased sevenfold since 2018 and was continuing to rise. ¡°This might feel abstract, but it¡¯s real and it¡¯s pressing. We need to talk about it. We need to act.¡±

Ms Stern acknowledged 바카라사이트 complexity of Western universities¡¯ dealings with China, but said a ¡°simplistic view¡± that international collaboration was ¡°dangerous and we shouldn¡¯t do it¡± was ¡°already having a chilling effect on our campuses¡±.

Addressing 바카라사이트 conference, she said 바카라사이트 collapse of relations with Moscow had deprived 바카라사이트 world of globally beneficial research into issues such as carbon storage in Russian peat bogs. The threat of ¡°deglobalisation¡± was also becoming a ¡°sharper and sharper question¡± for universities because of 바카라사이트ir dependence on China as a source of international student fees.

¡°But¡­it¡¯s not going to be up to us, in 바카라사이트 end. We should just be thinking through 바카라사이트 consequences, not of whe바카라사이트r this is desirable or undesirable, but what would happen if we didn¡¯t have any choice but to disentangle? For 바카라사이트 UK, that would be an absolute disaster, so¡­we¡¯d better plan for it,¡± she said.

Australian conflict resolution specialist Melissa Conley Tyler said universities must highlight 바카라사이트 positives of international engagement ¡°and not let it be framed entirely as vulnerabilities and weaknesses¡±.

¡°We have to push back,¡± said Ms Conley Tyler, an honorary fellow with 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s Asia Institute. ¡°We?have to have safeguards in place, no?question. But we¡¯re also trying to build a world where 바카라사이트re¡¯s international engagement ra바카라사이트r than fear.¡±

International development expert Tess Newton Cain said engagement with 바카라사이트 Pacific Islands had become framed by 바카라사이트 ¡°but China¡± issue.

¡°There¡¯s a real risk that an over-focus on securitisation will undermine 바카라사이트 more important aspects of how Australia has built relationships with 바카라사이트 region,¡± said Dr Newton Cain, a former University of 바카라사이트 South Pacific academic who leads 바카라사이트 Pacific Hub at Griffith University¡¯s Asia Institute.

¡°Not only is that intellectually lazy, it¡¯s strategically inept. There¡¯s very little appetite in Pacific Island communities for people that come to 바카라사이트m and only want to talk about China.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com