Protecting academic integrity

Australia’s third largest export industry, international education, and much else are at stake amid growing concerns over Chinese attempts to influence Australian universities. The warning by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade head Frances Adamson that universities should resist foreign interference and for Beijing to expect greater scrutiny of its activities abroad is timely. Academics at several universities have been targeted in Chinese social media campaigns this year after complaints from Chinese students about “offensive” teaching materials. Ms Adamson struck the right note in Adelaide on Sunday when she advised international students to “respectfully engage”, not silently withdraw or blindly condemn when they encountered ideas they found unusual, unsettling or wrong: “The silencing of anyone in our society — from students to lecturers to politicians — is an affront to our values.”

Australia’s hard-won reputation for academic quality would be damaged if universities allowed their curriculums, teaching or academic standards to pander to the complaints of any group of international students. Our reputation for excellence has drawn 550,000 international students from 190 countries to Australia this year, contributing $28.6 billion to the economy. Chinese students comprise 27 per cent of the total.

In a recent front page report in The Weekend Australian,the peak body representing Australia’s elite universities, the Group of Eight, confirmed for the first time that “isolated” instances of Chinese government interference on Australian campuses had occurred. In one incident Chinese students objected to a lecturer at the University of Newcastle categorising Taiwan as a separate country to China. In another case, the University of Sydney apologised on behalf of a lecturer for using a map that did not show the Chinese interpretation of their territory.

When confronted with awkward choices, as Ms Adamson said, “it is up to us to choose our response — whether to make an uncomfortable compromise or decide instead to remain true to our values, immune from intolerance or external influence”. The latter is the only option.

Other dynamics, however, could affect Australia’s status as the preferred destination for many Chinese students. In the latest Times Higher Education league table Australia again punched above its weight, with eight universities scoring global top 200 rankings. But Chinese universities are moving up. Peking (ranked 27) and Tsinghua (30) universities were ahead of Australia’s top institution, the University of Melbourne (32). Hong Kong University (40) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (44) outranked the Australian National University (48), and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (58) rose above the University of Sydney (61) and the University of Queensland (65). Rankings matter in attracting research talent and quality students.

At some Australian institutions, problems have been heightened by Chinese consulate officials who have been drawn into disputes by students. In June, ANU associate professor Sally Sargeson said embassy “stooges” were recording and reporting on what other Chinese students said in class, stifling free expression. ANU chancellor Gareth Evans has called for international students to be protected from foreign espionage on campuses.

As China correspondent Rowan Callick wrote recently, the tensions flow from China’s own increasingly regimented education system, in which Communist Party authorities are auditing universities to ensure their adherence to the ideas of Marxism and President Xi Jinping. Mr Xi has warned academics: “You can’t eat from the rice bowl we provide, then break it.”

Australia also has lost ground to Canada in its appeal to international students due to rising costs and student perceptions of the quality of education. In a competitive market, Chinese attempts to assert influence in Australian universities should be countered in a measured way to prevent a backlash and protect the integrity of the sector.