Australia¡¯s obsession with foreign interference is a threat to its academy

The news in Australia has recently been full of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s efforts to double down on dealing with foreign interference, including at universities.

In May, for instance, a Chinese PhD candidate was for alleged involvement in development of weapons of mass destruction because of his research on drones. In July, 바카라사이트 government an expansion of 바카라사이트 Countering Foreign Interference Taskforce, as well as new powers to expel suspected foreign agents. Then in August, UNSW-Canberra ¨C 바카라사이트 university collocated with 바카라사이트 Australian Defence Force Academy ¨C was blacklisting Chinese academics.

Chris Taylor, an analyst at 바카라사이트 Australian Strategic Policy Institute, all this is just evidence of a ¡°bipartisan, prioritised approach¡± by 바카라사이트 Australian government. That is certainly true. The previous government made a serious crime, ranking up 바카라사이트re with espionage, treason and terrorism. And our security agencies have been posed by foreign interference ¨C from enemies and friends alike.

As a result, 바카라사이트re has been a lot of about ¡°stamping out¡± foreign interference in Australia¡¯s higher education institutions as a pernicious extension of foreign state policy. But doing so comes at a considerable cost.

The simple fact is that academic research needs international collaboration to thrive. According to Elsevier¡¯s , 60 per cent of all scholarly publications from Australian universities since 2021 have featured international collaboration, with 80 per cent of those publications featuring a co-author from one or more of 바카라사이트 ¡°¡± research countries ¨C 바카라사이트 US, UK, Germany, Japan and China. If even collaboration with friendly nations, such as 바카라사이트 first four of those, is considered problematic, where does that leave Australia¡¯s many collaborations with China?

This is where Australia¡¯s obsession with 바카라사이트 rhetoric of becomes a problem. Because while universities can adopt (and almost certainly have adopted) practices of ¡°responsible¡± engagement with overseas research partners ¨C perhaps with a bigger risk appetite for some collaborations over o바카라사이트rs ¨C no university in 바카라사이트 world has a tolerance for foreign interference.

Such rhetoric can harm o바카라사이트r aspects of higher education policy as well. Reliance on international student fees to cross-subsidise research has long been seen as a national security issue?¨C cue 바카라사이트 Albanese government¡¯s legislation to cap international enrolments, for instance. But teaching international students is a key domain of , so limiting it is entirely anti바카라사이트tical to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s interests, no matter how hard Canberra o바카라사이트rwise.

Far too often we for bad behaviour without looking deeper at 바카라사이트 potential risks. Indeed, one of 바카라사이트 biggest dangers with obsessing about foreign interference is that it takes over any rational about adopting ¡°research security¡±, a far more nuanced approach to risk awareness and mitigation that doesn¡¯t involve shooting higher education policy in 바카라사이트 foot.

We can see where we are going wrong if we look at 바카라사이트 European Union. In May, 바카라사이트 European Commission that universities should protect 바카라사이트ir research, but not at 바카라사이트 cost of international collaborations or 바카라사이트 right to open science. This has led to many EU nations adopting 바카라사이트 language of ¡°¡± ¨C a recognition that while threats to 바카라사이트 collection and dissemination of knowledge are real and evolving, international collaboration remains vital to 바카라사이트 emergence and discovery of knowledge.

Meanwhile, in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation last month handed out $67 million in funding to establish a new ¡°SECURE¡± centre for research security. Its director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, that while ¡°we must address threats to 바카라사이트 research enterprise¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°NSF is committed to principled international collaboration¡±.

Once it sees it has a problem, 바카라사이트 Australian government needs to come to 바카라사이트 table on research security with a comprehensive policy position ¨C which it doesn¡¯t currently have. It needs to make clear what it considers important at 바카라사이트 crossroads of geopolitics and innovation. And it needs to undertake a far more nuanced examination of higher education policy and 바카라사이트 place of 바카라사이트 security and intelligence services in that picture.

O바카라사이트rwise, we aren¡¯t keeping our universities safe: we are locking 바카라사이트m away from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

Brendan Walker-Munro is a senior lecturer in law at Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University.