Top Australian university chief led 'special zone' at Chinese military tech university

A leading Aussie academic — previously honoured by former PM Tony Abbott — has had an unexpected connection to China come to light.

Exclusive: One of Australia’s newest university chiefs once headed a “special zone” licensed to take “unconventional measures” inside a top Chinese military technology university.

This masthead can reveal University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Max Lu once served as the director of the Chemical Physics Institute at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT).

BIT is known as one of China’s “Seven Sons of National Defence” for its enduring prominence in weapons research.

University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Max Lu once served as the director of the Chemical Physics Institute at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT).

The lab was a “disciplinary special zone” – a research unit given “extraordinary support in personnel, funding, and resources, as well as special authority”, Chinese university records show.

“We must … uphold and develop our defence advantages” and “place our contributions to … national defence science and technology industry in a prominent position”, BIT’s Chinese Communist Party secretary said of special zones.

Two years after its launch, in 2007, BIT’s then president – who had attended Professor Lu’s appointment ceremony – celebrated the Chemical Physics Institute for its “good results” in an interview with China Defence Industry News.”

“Last year, we invested 12 million RMB into the construction of these special zones”, he said, responding to a question that described the previous year as a time of “rapid development for the national defence science, technology and industry”.

The zone was permitted to “adopt unconventional measures, methods, and means so as to produce landmark achievements as quickly as possible”, university material shows.

Professor Lu served at BIT from July 2005 until 2009.

Professor Lu has since been honoured in the presence of two Chinese presidents and one Australian prime minister including Xi Jinping and Tony Abbott. Picture: AAP Image/Reuters

He has since been honoured in the presence of two Chinese presidents and one Australian prime minister: Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping and Tony Abbott.

There is no suggestion of any impropriety or wrongdoing by him.

“My collaborations with academics at BIT were unrelated to defence research, and it’s important these are not conflated”, Professor Lu told this masthead.

“It was a ceremonial role designed to recognise my academic standing and focused on research collaboration”, he said.

“The day-to-day running of a centre or institute sits with a separate executive head – in this case, an Executive Deputy Director.”

“I received no remuneration or financial benefit whatsoever.”

Professor Lu says his collaborations with academics at BIT were unrelated to defence research.

University of Wollongong. Picture: View Pictures/Mark Syke/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

BIT bankrolled five “special zones” – radar, robotics, intelligent vehicles, biomedicine, and the Chemical Physics Institute, the first of them.

Within months of Professor Lu’s commencing his appointment at BIT, the university issued a paper referring to its special zones as part of implementing the “Four Adherences” – guiding principles for developing China’s defence science and technology industry.

“Key national weapon-equipment projects have progressed to finalised designs and mass production”, it said of its collective university achievements, adding that “some outcomes are being applied in radar and antenna technologies”.

“National defence education inspires deep affection for the nation, cultivates the spirit of sacrifice for national and ethnic interests, and builds a mindset in which national interests are paramount — forming inner spiritual motivation for ideological education”, the authors wrote.

Professor Lu served at BIT from July 2005 until 2009. Picture: Mark Calleja

Professor Lu told this masthead he was at the time unaware of BIT’s military links.

“My research collaborations with academics at BIT were related to my field of study, focused on nanoparticles and nonporous materials for clean energy and environmental technologies”, he said.

“They were never intended to advance military technology research, development or capability.”

“Academic collaboration with international universities has, and continues to be, encouraged by Australian universities and the Australian Government, within the bounds of national legislation, foreign interference and foreign arrangements guidelines.”

National security and foreign interference laws have “rightly evolved over the last 20 years” and “it is important that academic collaborations are conducted appropriately”, he added.

“UOW values international collaboration and is committed to working with its partners to have a positive impact in the world through the transformative power of education and research”, he said.

Originally published as Top Australian university chief led 'special zone' at Chinese military tech university