Foreign states are using British universities to “steal advantages” by covertly acquiring British intellectual property, the government has warned and said it would examine proposals to protect cutting-edge research and technology.
After an internal review found other countries are targeting sensitive academic work, Britain will consult on measures to protect Britain’s higher education sector from foreign threats, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said late on Thursday. It followed a meeting in which leaders from 24 universities – including Oxford and Cambridge – were briefed by the heads of Britain’s security services, MI5 and the National Cyber Security Centre.
The consultation will “examine proposals to protect cutting-edge technology under development in sensitive sectors targeted by states that steal intellectual property to enhance their own economic and military capabilities,” the government said in a statement. It “will also consider measures to prevent institutions from becoming dependent on foreign investment.”
Although the government did not name any countries in its statement, concerns in Britain have increasingly focused on Chinese funding of British university programs and the growing number of students from the Asian country studying in Britain. Last year, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee warned of Chinese interference and influence.
“There are clear and repeated examples of Chinese attempts to disrupt and suppress debate within the academic community in Britain,” the committee said. “British academic institutions provide a rich breeding ground for China to gain political influence in Britain and economic advantage over Britain.”
Meanwhile, in a chapter on China in last year’s integrated review of security and defense policy, the government pledged that ministers would “increase the protection of academic freedom and university research.”
The government said the consultation later this summer will look at:
- Require key university personnel to undergo security clearance
- Strive for more transparency about financing and its origin
- Improving security around research at universities
“This is not about erecting fences, this is about balancing evolving threats and protecting the integrity and security of our great institutions,” Dowden said.
Science and Technology Minister Michelle Donelan, who co-hosted the meeting with universities and safety chiefs, said the government plans to give universities the “tools they need to keep themselves safe”.
“Maintaining Britain’s leading reputation as an academic superpower depends on strong safeguards to protect research from those who would do us harm,” she said.