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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 tool of power. 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, we investigate how universities are dealing with these risks through policy.
We conclude that:
- Knowledge security has become a top priority at universities.
- Universities have conducted risk analyses systematically.
- Universities have taken necessary measures to mitigate these risks.
However, there are still a number of dilemmas and challenges:
- Due to a decentralised organisation, universities struggle to maintain a central overview of international partnerships.
- This is complicated by the lack of a clear definition of what exactly constitutes an international partnership.
- Knowledge security is currently being loosely translated into personnel policies and codes of conduct, partly due to the risk of stigma and discrimination.
Both UNL and the Minister of Education, Culture, and Science have announced further actions to address these challenges in response. The sector analysis has been submitted to the Dutch Parliament. Download the relevant Chamber letter here.
Meanwhile, Dialogic is collaborating with Oberon to continue working on the sector analysis for colleges/universities of applied sciences, as well as the sector analysis for the NWO and the KNAW.
Want to know more about this research? Reach out to Max Kemman or Timon de Boer.