Australian Academics ‘in the dark’ on Thousand Talents program

Universities Australia says many of the Chinese academics involved in the program ‘had no idea’ they’d been selected.

Universities Australia CEO Katrina Jackson said the peak body “didn’t hold” information about who was involved in international talents programs, but such schemes were within their rights to operate on Australian shores.

Universities Australia has defended Chinese academics identified as part of the Thousand Talents scholar program, declaring that many of those involved in the program “had no idea” they had been chosen.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson told a parliamentary inquiry into Diversifying Australia’s Trade and Investment Profile on Friday that the peak body “didn’t hold” information about who was involved in international talents programs, but such schemes were within their rights to operate on Australian shores.

“We don’t hold that information, and we have had considerable conversations with security agencies through the University Foreign Interference Task Force on this topic and what they have told us is that there is in no sense a prohibition of Thousand Talents, or any other kinds of talents program,” she said.

“What they require is the transparency you refer to and that the universities know who those people taking part in the programs are, and that they’ve done their due diligence on those academics.”

The Australian has previously revealed the Chinese government has been recruiting Australian scientists and academics to a secretive research program called the Thousand Talents Plan by offering lucrative incentives, which obliges recruits to abide by Chinese law.

Ms Jackson said the universities had been very diligent in attempting to identify anyone who was involved in any foreign talent program.

“Staff are in fact obliged to disclose any involvement in any foreign talent program,” she said. “ … And as far as the conversations with the security agencies have informed us. We are absolutely in line with what the government requires of us in relation to declaration and transparency.”

Asked about how universities were handling situations when foreign academics failed to disclose their links to such programs, their position was clear.

“If you are part of a talent program for any nation it is your duty and obligation to disclose that to your Australian university,” Ms Jackson said.

She gave evidence there had been a small number of cases where scholars named as being part of the Thousand Talent Plan programs had not been aware they were involved or had since asked to be removed.

“They may have been a small number of cases in which people were named as being involved in talent programs and they weren‘t even aware, they were involved in talent programs …,” Ms Jackson said. “I have absolutely no fear that universities, very strong on this, if you’re involved in a talent program you must disclose that to your university.”

Pressed repeatedly about what penalties were in place for those that failed to disclose their links, as well as any mechanisms to check for compliance with the rules, Ms Jackson said universities had “very clearly articulated codes of conduct” but would provide more information to the committee.

Questioned by Victorian Senator David Van about when the benefits of Chinese international students studying on Australian shores was expected to positively influence China-Australia relations, Ms Jackson said the benefits of soft-diplomacy was being seen throughout the region “day in, day out”.

She said it was inappropriate to answer whether it was appropriate for universities to be engaged in foreign funded research, which had foreign military application.

“It’s just an enormously complex question and it’s just not something as the big advocacy body for universities, it’s just not a question of which, we have a formed or evidence based position.”

She later said she was not aware of cases where this type of Australian research was being used by foreign armies, but took the question on notice.