We Need to Talk about Research Security
Some researchers might know what research integrity issues are. Experts like Elisabeth Bik and Mu Yang show examples of inappropriate image duplication on social media every day, Anna Abalkina regularly writes about hijacked journals, and outlets like Retraction Watch, For Better Science and Dorothy Bishop’s blog carefully put it all in perspective and chronicle about the implications of those findings.
But most researchers probably don’t know what research (or knowledge) security issues are. So, let’s first start with a definition. The European Union defines research security as “the safeguarding of scientific activities against misuse and undue influence by third countries or non-state actors”. A breach in research security is often much harder to detect than a breach in research integrity, which is probably also the reason why most scientists and institutions aren’t very aware of it. Have you ever considered that an exchange student might walk away with sensitive data when the internship or PhD project is over? Have you ever considered that the real goal of the student was not to engage in your research project, but to be close to the military base 30 miles away? And if you ever considered it, would your department or institute be able to detect such a breach of research security?
I know this might all sound rather abstract, so let’s focus on an example: China. The Dutch intelligence agency has warned in several annual reports in a row that China is the biggest threat against research security. Similarly, the FBI states that China’s efforts specifically target academic institutions and researchers.
Why all these warnings? A single reason: China has laid down a detailed plan to be the world’s leading power by 2050 and research has a crucial role to play in that plan. In fact, Xi Jinping himself has stated that “strengthening basic research is an imperative for higher-level self-reliance and greater strength in science and technology, and is the only path to building China into a world leader in science and technology”
But how is China going to perform this Herculean task?
China is making it very attractive for universities abroad to hire Chinese (PhD) students, using the Chinese Scholarship Council as a financial backbone. There are some caveats, though. To get such a scholarship, students need to report back to the Chinese embassy, swear allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party and return to China two years after their PhD project has been successfully completed. Chinese students abroad are also heavily monitored and sometimes intimidated by the Chinese government, which has led some Dutch universities to suspend their participation in these programs.
In addition, the counter-espionage law and the law on foreign relations have been implemented by China in 2023. These laws make it possible for Chinese authorities to gather intelligence not only through their intelligence agencies, but also through students, academics, businesses and interest groups operating abroad. The Chinese government is thus able to interfere with people who have a Chinese background and who are living in another country. They may even be asked or forced to gather intelligence for the Chinese government.
So it seems like China has put systems in place to make sure they will meet their self-imposed 2050 target of becoming the world’s leading nation. Even if it means that they have to coerce their own people to engage in espionage activities to get there in time.
I’m not writing this blog post to overwhelm you or give you a sense of hopelessness. I do not want to encourage Sinophobia either. It is important to realize that the average Chinese person is very similar to you and me: they have meaningful lives, a fulfilling job and enjoy spending time with friends and family. However, that does not mean that we have to accept attempts from China’s authoritarian regime to undermine Western research efforts.
Universities should therefore monitor research security on a daily basis. Department heads and human resources departments should receive training to recognize the signs of potential research security breaches. This will pose a challenge as China often denies access to online sources or is deliberately deceptive when it comes to the information found on these sources, as described in this report. I therefore also suggest that each university appoints qualified personnel overseeing research security in general. These departments should work closely with national and international intelligence agencies.
I hope I made it clear that research security is an important topic. So, are we ready to talk about it?
Rene Aquarius is a researcher at the neurosurgery department at the Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His forensic scientometric work has been discussed by Science, Nature and Retraction Watch. He previously (co-)wrote blogs for Dorothy Bishop’s blog and for the Times Higher Education.