UNSW Canberra Halts Collaborations with Chinese Universities Amid Growing Tensions

The University of New South Wales Canberra ceases collaborative research with Chinese universities amidst rising military tensions. The decision, which includes restrictions on Chinese academic visits, underscores security concerns and compliance within the Australian Defence Force Academy. The move has sparked calls for further scrutiny of staff connections to China.

Amid escalating military tensions with Beijing, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, a key partner for the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), has decided to restrict research collaborations with China. This includes halting visits from Chinese academics to its Canberra campus, ABC News reported.

An internal message to UNSW Canberra's academic schools advises that the university will no longer take the lead on projects involving Chinese universities. Several postgraduate courses at UNSW Canberra are linked to the Australian Defence Force, including the Master of Explosive Ordnance, taught to defence personnel at Australia's new Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.

UNSW Canberra informed its staff that joint research projects with Chinese university-affiliated academics will no longer be supported. However, the decision does not affect UNSW Sydney, ABC News reported. Despite this, UNSW Canberra remains a primary education provider for the ADF and offers lucrative PhD scholarships to Dongguan University in Guangdong province.

UNSW has provided academic education to ADFA officers and cadets since the 1980s and offers postgraduate programs for Defence civilians. A significant number of international students at UNSW Canberra were previously from China, ABC News reported.

In a statement to ABC, UNSW Canberra emphasized that collaborations with high-risk nations or institutions undergo thorough risk management by various government agencies. The university highlighted its stringent security and compliance measures due to its unique position within the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson praised UNSW Canberra's decision but urged further scrutiny of staff, particularly those with Chinese government ties. He called for the removal of any academics with access to future ADF officers.

Senator Paterson stated, "Three years on from the intelligence committee's inquiry into national security risks in higher education, we still have much more work to do. UNSW's campus at ADFA should be the most secure, given that it trains future defence force leaders. No academic with ties to the Chinese government should be employed there."

This decision follows concerns raised by Australian universities last year regarding the relaxation of defence export rules for AUKUS partner nations. The changes included strict penalties for unauthorized collaborations with researchers outside the US or UK, complicating international academic relations further.

(With inputs from agencies.)