On Thursday, the UK security services and government briefed 24 vice-chancellors from leading universities about foreign states targeting British universities to undermine national security. MI5 and the government warned that foreign states could target cutting-edge research as it could potentially boost their own militaries and economies. Felicity Oswald, interim chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, accompanied MI5 director general Ken McCallum at the meeting. The universities that attended the briefing included Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London.
Although no specific country was named, the intelligence and security committee of Parliament warned last year that China could be gaining undue influence in British academic research. The experts at the meeting stated that research in sensitive areas could be targeted by states looking to steal intellectual property to benefit their own economic and military capabilities. The government will consult on protective measures to protect UK universities, particularly in academic research with potential dual use in civilian and military life.
The protective measures the government will consider include granting key university personnel security clearance, improving funding transparency, and offering funding options to enhance universities’ research security. The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, emphasized that the proposed measures are not about creating barriers but rather about protecting the security and integrity of the great institutions of the United Kingdom. Science and technology secretary Michelle Donelan said that universities are on the “front lines of a battle for information” and that it is essential to protect research from those who wish to harm the UK.
Tim Bradshaw, head of universities’ research group Russell Group, said that these institutions take their national security responsibilities extremely seriously. He acknowledges that protecting the country’s breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and other fields is dynamic and evolving, which means they need the right expertise and intelligence. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said that the body has been collaborating with the government for several years to ensure universities are equipped to “recognize and mitigate” national security risks
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