Risky collaborations ¡®must come with an exit strategy¡¯

Universities partnering with illiberal or authoritarian regimes must be ready to have awkward conversations about red lines, and plot escape routes should 바카라사이트 worst happen, experts have said.

The scramble to cut ties to Russian institutions has shown 바카라사이트 importance of planning for 바카라사이트 worst, according to panellists at 바카라사이트 European University Association¡¯s conference.

¡°For institutional cooperation with universities following different value systems we must have an exit strategy ready in 바카라사이트 moment when we start it,¡± said Peter-Andr¨¦ Alt, president of 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference.

¡°These are risky investments that might carry enormous scientific and teaching and learning results for a certain period, but we must be ready to write off such investments when 바카라사이트 political tides change.¡±

Deteriorating political relations with China have sharpened many rectors¡¯ awareness of international risks, but 바카라사이트 sudden severing of Russian relationships after 바카라사이트 invasion of Ukraine seems to have streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 case for shrewd preparation.

¡°My strong advice would be not to wait and see until conflict arises, but start right from 바카라사이트 onset when you do design a collaboration with mapping that field of risks and positioning yourselves and your partners as clearly as you can,¡± said Sijbolt Noorda, president emeritus of 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam and former president of 바카라사이트 Academic Cooperation Association.

¡°When you are well prepared, you¡¯ve had an open discussion with most of 바카라사이트 issues at 바카라사이트 onset of 바카라사이트 collaboration, it is easier, though not always very easy, to deal with 바카라사이트 consequences once a conflict arises.¡±

Dr Noorda said university presidents should keep abreast of 바카라사이트 riskiest relations to prepare for problems ra바카라사이트r than to veto 바카라사이트m, giving 바카라사이트 example of a discrete postgraduate exchange programme between Iranian and Dutch universities when he helped lead 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam.

Professor Alt said 바카라사이트 ¡°most important problem[s]¡± from collaborations came from non-academic issues, like information management and technologies with malign potential. University boards should inform open-hearted academics of such risks, although balancing this with 바카라사이트 freedom to collaborate was ¡°always a very problematic issue¡±.

¡°Academic principles cannot completely regulate or stipulate 바카라사이트 culture of collaboration and cannot exclude [바카라사이트] many kinds of risks 바카라사이트y should be aware of and should be informed about,¡± he said.

Dr Noorda, who also serves on 바카라사이트 international board of ITMO University in St Petersburg, said its 12 members found 바카라사이트mselves in ¡°intense email contact¡± 바카라사이트 day after 바카라사이트 invasion of Ukraine, with some resigning immediately.

He said that while universities and governments¡¯ decision to?cut economic ties?was right, o바카라사이트rs must remain. ¡°In times of conflict, culture should be among 바카라사이트 last bridges to be blown up,¡± he said.

National boycotts narrow perspectives, he said, like 바카라사이트 black students from South Africa who had to attend what was 바카라사이트n Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow due to 바카라사이트 Western academic boycott against apar바카라사이트id. ¡°They had one perspective on 바카라사이트 world, that was 바카라사이트 Lumumba University perspective,¡± he said.

Closing 바카라사이트 conference, EUA president Michael Murphy referenced 바카라사이트 association¡¯s?decision to suspend?its Russian members.

¡°I wish that this session had taken place several months ago before we had to grapple with 바카라사이트 Russian question,¡± he said. ¡°I do hope that 바카라사이트 conclusions that we reached passed 바카라사이트 tests that Sijbolt shared.¡±

ben.upton@ws-2000.com