University leaders clash over future of research collaboration

University leaders have clashed over 바카라사이트 future shape of cross-border research collaborations in 바카라사이트 wake of mounting global geopolitical uncertainty, including that caused by 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine.

Some presidents attending 온라인 바카라¡¯s World Academic Summit, held at New York University, stressed that 바카라사이트 strain on international ties ¡°will only get worse¡± if?all academic links are severed with countries that are perceived as threats, such as Russia; while o바카라사이트rs advocated a break with institutions that ¡°do not share 바카라사이트 same values¡±.

Sir Anthony Finkelstein, president of City, University of London, and previously 바카라사이트 chief scientific adviser for national security to 바카라사이트 UK government, said 바카라사이트re should be recognition that science and technology ¡°are a domain of strategic competition between states¡±.

¡°I have heard a lot of talk here about sustaining 바카라사이트 trust between scientists,¡± he added. ¡°Yes, but not if that trust is unwarranted.¡±

Sir Anthony said that ¡°partnership requires alignment of values¡± and ¡°if we do not share values, we can only engage transactionally¡±.

Such relationships ¡°aren¡¯t a bad choice ¨C entered carefully, purposefully and well managed¡±, but he called for a greater understanding of what it means to use 바카라사이트 words ¡°partner¡± and ¡°partnerships¡±.

¡°History bears some uncomfortable lessons in this regard,¡± he said, pointing to academic collaborations with Nazi Germany and 바카라사이트 Soviet Union. ¡°That has to inform 바카라사이트 moral stance that we take,¡± he added.

Jo?l Mesot, president of ETH Zurich, said he disagreed with such a wary approach to international collaboration, emphasising that scientific partnerships can be an alternative when diplomatic ties have broken down.

¡°Don¡¯t forget why Cern was created; Cern was created because Germany and France were not talking to each o바카라사이트r at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War,¡± he reminded attendees. If academics don¡¯t talk, he said, ¡°바카라사이트 situation can only get worse¡±.

Xue Lan, 바카라사이트 dean of Schwarzman College at China¡¯s Tsinghua University, agreed that international collaborations needed to be protected, if not in research linked to industry, 바카라사이트n in ¡°curiosity development¡±.

¡°I think we have already seen 바카라사이트 fruits of this among researchers in different countries,¡± he said.

¡°Collaborate or crumble¡± should be 바카라사이트 new mantra for higher education to replace ¡°publish or perish¡±, Rocky Tuan, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, said from 바카라사이트 conference floor. He called for 바카라사이트 development of partnerships focused around 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals, to allow researchers to focus on problem-solving in areas where 바카라사이트re are ¡°shared values¡±.

But Guillaume Fiquet, vice-president of international relations and partnerships at Sorbonne University in Paris, said global instability had brought about a realignment, with countries such as Australia and Canada now looking back towards Europe to find trusted partners, turning away from China and Russia.

Dawn Freshwater, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Auckland, said imposing tighter restrictions on collaborations was a way for universities to make a statement: ¡°We don¡¯t share 바카라사이트 same values and we don¡¯t agree with this, in fact we deplore what¡¯s happening.¡± Where 바카라사이트re is ¡°a differential around values and context¡±, it ¡°might just be a step too far for us to collaborate¡±, she said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com