Universities push ahead with Huawei technology deals

Australian universities are forging ahead with partnerships between campuses and contro­versial Chinese telco Huawei.

Southern Cross University has moved to set up an on-site Huawei academy for its IT students.

Australian universities are forging ahead with partnerships ­between campuses and Chinese telco Huawei despite the government labelling its equipment a security risk.

Amid global espionage fears and just over a month after Australia banned the company from its 5G rollout, with the US poised to follow, Southern Cross University has moved to set up an on-site Huawei academy for its IT students.

University vice-president Allan Morris has launched a major defence of the company, and said Huawei’s technology was “100 per cent” reliable.

Huawei won a contract to replace the university’s internet network, telephones, CCTV and ICT services a few years ago, but Mr Morris, who is head of operations, also said the university safeguarded sensitive data with the help of an “independent external firewall” not run by Huawei.

The move shows how some Australian technology education institutions are expanding their partnerships with the company despite security agencies effectively labelling the company a national security risk and banning it from supplying equipment for the nation’s 5G rollout.

The company has faced an international campaign of exclusion led by “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing countries, as analysts argue China’s intelligence laws force Chinese companies to assist authorities in spying abroad.

Adding to the company’s woes, chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is facing extradition to the US after being ­arrested in Canada over alle­gations that Huawei violated sanctions on Iran.

In response, Huawei chairman Guo Ping said his company was the victim of “incredibly unfair treatment”, but said the “setbacks” would drive it “to become the world’s No 1”.

Australia’s top diplomat, Frances Adamson, defended the exclusion of Huawei from the 5G rollout in Tokyo last week, saying it was “based on objective criteria” and was not targeted at China.

Southern Cross University launched its Huawei technology academy on December 6 at an event attended by industry associations such as the Australian Computer Society and which included door prizes.

“The academy will enable Southern Cross University information technology students to attain qualifications in Huawei technology, giving them transferable skills with one of the largest networks in the world,” Mr Morris said.

“Southern Cross University hosted the event and Huawei covered catering costs for 55 people totalling $1436.50.”

Mr Morris said the university was “fully aware of recent events surrounding Huawei”, but the equipment supplied by Huawei was “robust”.

The university signed a five-year contract in 2014 for Huawei to provide a new data and communications network worth more than $5 million.

Mr Morris said the core data network was completed in 2016 and connected the university’s three main campuses at Lismore, the Gold Coast and Coffs Harbour.

He said his institution was “regularly” reviewed for IT security by the NSW Audit Office.

“We have multiple safeguards on our data, including an independent external firewall technology that is separate to the Huawei system and other independent technologies to manage internal access to the University’s systems,” Mr Morris said.

Intelligence chiefs have argued that with 5G technology it is not possible to isolate “high risk” equipment from the rest of the network.