Universities and politicians briefed on China and Russia spy threat
Britain’s intelligence chiefs have issued urgent, closed-door briefings to university leaders and politicians alike, warning of significant threats of foreign interference from countries such as China and Russia.
MI5 director-general Sir Ken McCallum and National Cyber Security Center chief Richard Horne met with vice-chancellors of over 70 universities.
They detailed the methods used by hostile actors to influence the content of academic research and teaching; They specifically cited Chinese agents’ use of professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and financial incentives to recruit academic staff and students.
In a separate security briefing, the first of its kind, heads of intelligence briefed officials from all political parties in the UK on attempts by adversaries to manipulate the country’s political processes.
It comes after MI5 warned MPs, peers and parliamentary staff in November that China was spying by hiring headhunters, and the Government launched a review into foreign financial interference in December after the former Welsh leader of Reform UK was jailed for accepting bribes from Russia as an MP.
The briefing to university leaders was announced in November as part of a plan to counter political interference and espionage.
The package of measures against state interference in higher education, backed by a £3m investment, includes a secure portal for university leaders to report suspicious approaches directly to security services.
The Department for Education will consult the sector on a new proactive advisory service and new guidance will be published on Monday to help students and staff recognize the threat.
Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said: “The world-class reputation of our universities makes them a prime target for foreign states and hostile actors who seek to erode that reputation by shaping or censoring research and teaching.
“We do not take this lightly. We are working across government and with universities to champion the UK’s thriving academic environment.
“By working together and sharing information, we stand united against political pressure from foreign state actors.”
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “We must be vigilant that our world-class universities and democratic processes are being targeted by states seeking to undermine our way of life.
“That’s why we’re launching a new tool to help universities get support from security experts and ensure those at the heart of our democracy know how to report foreign interference.”
Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of Russell Group universities, said: “The new single point of contact for advice on external interference will enable institutions to report and take action faster and more confidently, knowing that support is available.”
In November, lawyers claimed a UK university had halted an academic’s research into forced labor in China after facing pressure from Chinese authorities.
Leigh Day Lawyers said internal documents obtained from Sheffield Hallam University through freedom of information and subject access requests showed the university had banned leading human rights professor Professor Laura Murphy from continuing her research into forced labour.
The university later apologized to Prof Murphy and committed to supporting his research.
