Team Blitz India
DEPUTY Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has vowed to launch a consultation on measures to protect UK universities from national security threats posed by foreign states. He has also reiterated the government’s commitment to preserving the openness and independence of the UK’s academic sector. Measures will be focused on a small proportion of academic work, with a particular focus on research with potential dual uses in civilian and military life.
The announcement was delivered during a security briefing last week with Vice Chancellors from 24 of the UK’s leading universities, including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, and co-hosted by the Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan. It follows an internal government review of the national security threats facing the higher education sector, which concluded that foreign states are targeting sensitive research.
The threat posed by foreign states was discussed by the Director General of MI5 and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) during a joint threat assessment. Vice Chancellors heard about the risks facing academia and ways institutions can protect leading research in partnership with the UK Government.
The consultation will explore proposals to protect cutting-edge technology under development in sensitive sectors that are being targeted by states stealing intellectual property to enhance their own economic and military capabilities. Due to launch this summer, the consultation will also consider measures to prevent institutions becoming dependent on foreign investment.
The scope of options under consideration were shared in a press release from the Cabinet Office, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. These include: exploring the feasibility of extending security clearance to key personnel within universities; funding options to develop research security capability within universities; establishing a working group with government and research sector representatives, tasked with developing proposals for a new professional standard for research security practitioners; greater responsibilities and resources for the world-leading Research Collaboration Advice Team; strengthened reporting processes to improve the transparency of funding flows and where they originate; and evaluation to understand the long-term impact of the implementation of existing security measures.
