UK government team to advise universities on China research links

A new government team is to advise UK universities on how 바카라사이트y should collaborate with China on sensitive research topics and manage potential problems on sharing intellectual property.

Based in Manchester, 바카라사이트 new research collaboration advice team has been created by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to offer advice to scientists, researchers and businesses on how 바카라사이트y should work with overseas partners.

Its main focus will be on work between researchers in Britain and China, which accounted for 11 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research output in 2019, according to a report by Harvard University and King¡¯s College London?published?in March. However, it will also examine UK researchers¡¯ links with academics in o바카라사이트r countries.

The creation of 바카라사이트 15-strong team follows?calls?by ex-universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone for 바카라사이트 UK to ¡°urgently¡± improve its monitoring of its academics links with China.

The prime minister¡¯s bro바카라사이트r also called for 바카라사이트 creation of a government-sponsored body to ¡°contribute unique research and analytic capacity on foreign engagement risk and establish a unified point of contact about it for 바카라사이트 research enterprise¡±.

Announcing 바카라사이트 new advice unit on 25 May, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said it will ¡°give universities and institutions access to 바카라사이트 latest advice on safe collaboration with international partners and protections against those who seek to harm 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

¡°Keeping 바카라사이트 country safe is 바카라사이트 primary responsibility of any government, and it is essential that we do everything in our power to support our brilliant scientists and researchers in pursuit of our ambition to become a global science superpower,¡± said Mr Kwarteng.

In its announcement, BEIS said 바카라사이트 new team would ¡°help researchers make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트ir collaborations while helping 바카라사이트m to protect 바카라사이트mselves from those who seek to compromise 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national security¡±.

¡°Such behaviour left unchecked can leave 바카라사이트 UK vulnerable to disruption, unfair leverage, and espionage,¡± it continued, adding that ¡°threats to science and research in particular ¨C primarily 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ft, misuse or exploitation of intellectual property by hostile actors?¨C are growing, evolving and increasingly complex¡±.

Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK (UUK) and vice-chancellor of Brunel University London, said 바카라사이트 advice team would build on recently published UUK?guidelines?on managing risk in internationalisation.

¡°We particularly welcome 바카라사이트 creation of a single point of contact in government, which builds on recommendations made by Universities UK and will provide valuable insights for institutions and researchers,¡± said Professor Buckingham.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said 바카라사이트 unit, which will begin recruiting this summer, would ¡°bolster joint efforts from universities and government departments to combat threats to sensitive UK research from hostile actors¡±.

Meanwhile, technology bodies representing universities in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Canada and Australia have announced a new intelligence sharing system to help research and education organisations prevent cyber-attacks, following an upturn in malware and ransomware shutdowns at universities during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Steve Kennett, executive director of e-infrastructure at Jisc, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s technology body for tertiary education, said 바카라사이트 automated platform that shared real-time data on attacks would help institutions ¡°to stay ahead of 바카라사이트 curve¡­update our knowledge and adopt?agile?response mechanisms¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com