In a move that’s got security experts scratching their heads, British universities have been busy inking deals with Chinese defense universities, all while MI5’s been waving red flags about espionage risks. It’s like they’re playing a high-stakes game of chess, but they’re not quite sure who’s on which team. Last April, MI5’s director-general, Ken McCallum, sat down with university leaders and laid it out plain: hostile states, China included, are after sensitive UK research to boost their military muscle and chip away at British national security. Yet, at least 23 UK universities have gone ahead and partnered up with Chinese institutions that are up to their eyeballs in military research. Talk about a plot twist!
The Times dug up some dirt, revealing that seven British universities have either signed or renewed deals with Chinese universities that are high-risk for military-related research. We’re talking about the likes of Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) and Harbin Engineering University, which are basically the Ivy Leagues of China’s military research scene. Security experts are losing sleep over these partnerships, fearing they could open the door to surveillance, human rights abuses, and a whole lot of military tech development that’s bad news for the UK.
Take Queen Mary University of London, for instance. They went ahead and renewed their collaboration with NWPU, a member of the “Seven Sons of National Defence” — a group of Chinese universities that are basically military research powerhouses. Then there’s Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, which has been cozying up to NWPU’s National Subsea Centre, a place that’s all about naval tech, drones, and space tech. And let’s not forget Aberdeen University, which has been buddying up with Harbin Engineering University, known for its work in shipbuilding, naval armaments, and maritime tech. It’s enough to make you wonder if these universities are more interested in the bottom line than national security.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. These partnerships are happening despite warnings from MI5 and Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. Lord Beamish, the chair of the committee, has been banging the drum for transparency and measures to monitor foreign interference in research. His committee’s 2023 report even suggested a public register of universities receiving donations from China. But so far, that’s just talk.
The Times’ investigation, based on Freedom of Information requests, uncovered that several British universities are still collaborating with high-risk Chinese companies, like Huawei and Shougang, both of which have ties to China’s military. Imperial College London, for example, is still doing research with Huawei on video generation technology, despite the company being under US sanctions. It’s enough to make you wonder if these universities are playing with fire.
Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has been ringing the alarm bells, warning that the British defense sector’s reliance on academic research makes these links particularly dangerous. He’s not wrong. The practice of using civilian universities for military research is less common in countries like the US, where such collaborations are more tightly regulated.
But British universities are pushing back, insisting that these agreements are conducted with caution. A spokesperson from Robert Gordon University insisted that the institution uses “stringent processes” to assess partnerships, including risk evaluations and collaboration reviews. Universities like Aberdeen and Strathclyde have also emphasized their adherence to UK regulations and security guidelines when engaging with international partners.
However, Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, isn’t buying it. He’s criticized the academic sector for becoming “vulnerable to malign foreign interference” due to financial pressures and competition for Chinese investment. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s a reality that the UK needs to face.
As the geopolitical rivalry between China and the US heats up, the tension between academic collaboration and national security is only going to get more intense. The UK needs to get serious about protecting its national security, and that means taking a hard look at these academic ties. The question is, will the government step up and implement the robust measures needed to ensure that academic institutions are better equipped to identify and manage potential security threats? Or will they continue to play it safe and hope for the best? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the stakes are high, and the future of British national security hangs in the balance.