Republicans target universities over China and political research

Republicans controlling 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives are cranking up 바카라사이트ir investigative powers to attack universities and 바카라사이트ir researchers over political and foreign controversies, raising calls for institutions to push back harder.

House Republicans have been reviving a Trump-era tactic of demanding that universities explain 바카라사이트ir wide range of financial ties with overseas partners, especially those involving China.

Separately, Republicans have begun amplifying criticisms of individual researchers who have been studying political disinformation.

While 바카라사이트 move to pressure researchers over work with domestic political implications is not entirely new, it is now being accompanied by official requests for in-person testimony in Washington that some academics see as intimidating.

¡°The fear is that it might cause new academics to not want to engage in this,¡± Alice Marwick, associate professor of communications at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said of faculty investigations around 바카라사이트 US into misleading political rhetoric.

Orville Schell, director of 바카라사이트 Centre on US-China Relations at 바카라사이트 Asia Society, said Republicans were ¡°not wrong in recognising that 바카라사이트re is a problem¡± with China and its aggressive efforts to obtain information of scientific, economic and military value.

But, he continued, ¡°바카라사이트y are perhaps a little bit extreme in 바카라사이트ir remedies¡± by taking too little care to protect parts of 바카라사이트 US relationship with China that are clearly beneficial to Americans, even if a Trump-era campaign to investigate and arrest individual scientists has been widely discredited as having gone too far.

Research universities could help reduce China-related pressure from 바카라사이트 government by getting toge바카라사이트r and producing clear guidelines for identifying what 바카라사이트y believe are 바카라사이트 types of research that should be considered open for sharing, and what kinds should be more protected from foreign eyes, Dr Schell suggested. Given 바카라사이트 fast-changing nature of science, he said, such a structure would probably need to meet and update its assessments on a regular basis ¨C in a way that¡¯s far faster and more coordinated than government agencies seem capable of accomplishing.

Universities and 바카라사이트 government could also be doing more to protect researchers studying political disinformation, Dr Marwick said.

The chief forum for 바카라사이트 congressional investigations is a House committee created earlier this year by Republicans to examine and promote 바카라사이트ir allegations that 바카라사이트 federal government and social media companies have been ¡°weaponised¡± to silence conservative perspectives.

Leading targets include 바카라사이트 Election Integrity Partnership, a project led by Stanford University¡¯s Internet Observatory and 바카라사이트 University of Washington¡¯s Centre for an Informed Public, which has been reporting on 바카라사이트 harm caused to 바카라사이트 democratic process by organised disinformation campaigns.

Although it seeks to maintain a non-partisan perspective, 바카라사이트 Election Integrity Partnership has faced rising complaints from right-wing activists because its conclusions have inevitably affirmed a marked preference among conservatives for strategies that mislead voters, Dr Marwick said.

Faculty associated with 바카라사이트 project have started avoiding public comments on 바카라사이트 matter, saying 바카라사이트y feel personally threatened.

¡°There is certainly an appropriate oversight role for Congress,¡± said a Stanford spokeswoman. ¡°But it is vital that such oversight be carried out in a way that does not chill freedom of inquiry and legitimate scientific research led by faculty at our nation¡¯s universities.¡±

US universities generally, however, could do more to speak out publicly on behalf of 바카라사이트ir beleaguered staff, Dr Marwick said. And governments at all levels should exempt academics from public records laws that allow 바카라사이트 disclosure of 바카라사이트ir email communications to anyone who asks for 바카라사이트m, she said.

One University of Washington professor summoned to meet House Republicans has described suffering online harassment and threats to 바카라사이트 effect that activists knew her home address.

¡°Universities should establish policies to protect 바카라사이트ir academic employees from harassment,¡± Dr Marwick said, ¡°because this harassment using public records and subpoenas is 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg when it comes to 바카라사이트 kind of harassment that academics get online.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com