UK secrete service MI5 don warn say some foreign kontris dey target British universities in order to challenge national security.
Security services and di UK goment bin brief Vice-chancellors from 24 leading universities on di threat on Thursday.
Dem warn dem say states fit target dia ogbonge research to boost dia own militaries and economies.
Di deputy prime minister don announce consultation on measures to protect UK universities.
Dem no mention di name of any state, but Parliament intelligence and security committee bin warn last year, say China fit dey gain undue influence for British academic research.
Di target na to tiff dia intellectual property
MI5 tell leaders from institutions wey include di University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Imperial College London say research for sensitive areas fit dey targeted by states wey get di intention of stealing intellectual property to improve dia own economic and military capabilities.
Felicity Oswald, interim chief executive of di National Cyber Security Centre, join MI5 director general Ken McCallum for di meeting – afta goment review di national security threats higher education dey face.
Di protective measures di goment go consult go focus on academic research wey get di potential of dual-use for civilian and military life.
Dem fit include processes to improve di transparency of funding, dem go give key university personnel security clearance and funding options to develop research security capability within universities.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden tok say UK universities don succeed on being open “for a millennium” and di planned measures no be to create barriers.
“Dis no be about building fences, dis na about balancing evolving threats and protecting di integrity and security of our great institutions,” e tok.
We go mount our guard – University leaders tok
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan tok say universities dey on di “front lines of a battle for information”.
“Maintaining di UK world-leading reputation as academic superpower go rely on having strong safeguards to protect research from those wey dey wish to harm us.”
Di head of di Russell Group, wey represents 24 leading UK universities, tok say dia members go take dia national security responsibilities “very seriously”.
Tim Bradshaw say Russell Group universities don already dey work closely wit di goment and di intelligence community to help “protect UK breakthroughs” for fields like artificial intelligence.
“But we also recognise say security dey dynamic and evolving challenge wey mean say we go need di right expertise and intelligence to keep pace wit dis.”
Di chief executive of Universities UK, Vivienne Stern, tok say di body don work wit di goment for several years to ensure universities dey equipped to “recognise and mitigate” national security risks.
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