115 Chinese universities ruled too risky to touch

Australian universities have been warned against academic collaborations with 115 Chinese institutions.

Australian universities have been warned against academic collaborations with 115 Chinese institutions considered at “high” or “very high risk” of involvement in ­defence and security research, or human rights abuses.

Australian Strategic Policy ­Institute analysis shows Chinese President Xi Jinping has harnessed the nation’s universities to fulfil his dream of military ­supremacy, with 150 of the country’s tertiary institutions cleared to participate in classified weapons and defence projects.

They include civilian universities, as well as People’s Liberation Army universities and security or intelligence institutions.

The institute’s new China ­Defence University Tracker identifies 92 of those institutions as being of “very high risk”, including 20 civilian universities. A further 23 — all civilian universities — have been identified as a “high risk”. The ratings are based on the universities’ defence and security links, involvement in cyber attacks and participation in defence ­research.

The database was constructed from open-source Chinese-­language material, amid a growing debate in the West over the dangers of collaborating with Chinese institutions in developing technology with military applications.

Institute analyst Alex Joske said the Chinese Communist Party was building links between civilian universities and military and ­security agencies, while sending thousands of students abroad to study.

“There’s a growing risk that collaboration with PRC universities can be leveraged by the People’s Liberation Army or security agencies for surveillance, human rights abuses or military purposes” Mr Joske said. “Universities should be proactive in their efforts to concretely improve how research collaboration is managed.”

He called on the Australian government to establish a national research integrity office, and to improve its screening of visa applicants. The analysis follows the backing by Australian universities of new guidelines to combat an “unprecedented level” of foreign interference on local campuses.

The framework will focus on boosting cybersecurity, protecting research and intellectual property, increasing collaboration oversight and improving threat awareness.

Education Minister Dan Tehan said a line was being drawn in the sand against foreign interference.