Plan for DFAT to vet China university deals

Universities who have entered into deals with Chinese government institutes and military universities face having their collaborations scrapped.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Picture: AFP

Universities who have entered into commercial arrangements or signed memorandums of understanding with Chinese government institutes and military universities face having their ­current and future research collab­orations scrapped.

Under tough new laws due to be announced by Scott Morrison on Thursday, Australian universities would be forced to complete a stocktake of partnerships with foreign­ government organisations and have existing agreements audited­ by the Department of Foreign­ ­Affairs and Trade.

The Australian Foreign Relations Bill, designed to implement greater transparency across the higher education sector, would provide flexibility for universities to negotiate new research deals but they would be required to ­notify the Foreign Affairs Minister before finalising agreements.

The crackdown on foreign interferen­ce on Australian campuses would involve federal government officials wading through dozens of MOUs and agreements signed by universities with countries including China, Iran, India, Morocco and Afghanistan.

The DFAT audit is expected to probe agreements linked to the controversial China-funded Confucius Institute soft-power culture and language centres, attached to 13 Australian universities.

According to an analysis of research­ collaborations by the Australia-China Relations Instit­ute, China was set to surpass the US as the leading research partner of Australian academics for the first time this year.

The Prime Minister and Foreign­ Minister Marise Payne said the new laws would ensure arrangem­ents entered into by universities with foreign government institutions were “consistent with Australian foreign policy”.

Mr Morrison said while many agreements and partnerships were of a “routine nature”, it was critical for universities to notify the government­ of deals which could “undermine” national interests.

The Australian revealed this week that dozens of leading ­scientists at major universities across the country had been recruited to the Chinese government-backed Thousand Talents Plan, which FBI director Christopher Wray described­ last month as an “econo­mic espionage” program and a ­national security threat.

Investigation by The Australian showed that, in many instances, Australian academics had been named in Chinese patent applications­ despite their Australian universities being unaware of their involvement.

 

Academics under the program are offered a lucrative second ­salary of up to $150,000 and generous research funding, and some scientists are offered new labs and staff in China.

Some Thousand Talents contracts stipulate they cannot reveal their participation without Chinese government approval.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Education Minister Dan Tehan said on Monday they were taking the “threat of foreign interference seriously” and putting in place measures to protect research.

The Australian Research Council, working with national security­ agencies, has tightened screening of research grant applications and funding programs to ensure greater “transparency”.

The government’s University Foreign Interference Taskforce is also working to “identify and analyse­ emerging threats” and provide support on research integrity and cyber security.

Mr Dutton said the taskforce was being led by a senior ASIO officer­ with support from the Australian Federal Police, AUSTRAC, Australian Signals Directorate, Office of National Intelligence and Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organisation.

Australian universities, which have been hit hard by international border closures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, are also facing a second­ probe into free speech in as many years, in the wake of accusations that students and staff have been censored for airing anti-Beijing­ views.