The role of hostile states in Britain’s academic institutions
Think tank: The Henry Jackson Society
Author(s): Sam Armstrong
October 17, 2022
This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at research collaborations between top UK universities.
Research collaborations between top UK universities and ‘very high-risk’ institutions in the People’s Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation pose a danger to the Western world, according to the Henry Jackson Society’s latest report. The paper, published today, uncovers how the number of partnerships between UK universities and institutions in the PRC, Iran, and Russia exceeds the numbers that other studies have cited, revealing the gravity of the concern. Sam Armstrong, the author of the report, finds that among these very high-risk states, there are the greatest number of academic collaborations between the UK and PRC. The paper concludes by highlighting the specific types of foreign institutions that were included in the data extraction process. “The Free World must remain vigilant regarding what may appear to be academic collaborations with foreign entities that cannot be trusted to safeguard information that is privy to the UK. It is our duty to call out where there is the potential for security breaches to infiltrate our globally revered institutions,” declares Armstrong.
