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Good science cannot do without international collaboration between universities and researchers. At the same time, state actors are increasingly using knowledge as a power tool. This leads to knowledge security risks such as unwanted knowledge transfer, covert influence, and ethical issues. This poses a threat to Dutch interests, European values, and science itself. In our sector analysis on knowledge security, we investigate the policies universities have in place to address these risks.
We conclude that:
- Knowledge security has become a top priority at universities.
- Universities have conducted a systematic risk analysis.
- Universities have taken necessary measures to mitigate these risks.
However, there are still a number of dilemmas and challenges:
- Due to a decentralized organization, universities struggle to maintain a central overview of international partnerships.
- This is further complicated by the lack of a clear delineation of what exactly constitutes an international partnership.
- Currently, knowledge security is only partially translated into personnel policies and codes of conduct, partly due to the risk of stigmatization and discrimination.
Both UNL and the Minister of Education, Culture and Science have announced further actions to address these challenges. The sector analysis has already been presented to the House of Representatives. Download the relevant government letter here.
Meanwhile, Dialogic is continuing to work with Oberon on the sector analysis for universities of applied sciences, as well as the sector analysis for NWO and the KNAW.
Want to know more about this research? Contact Max Kemman or Timon de Boer.