Why the German University of Nuremberg stops Chinese researchers
The Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) has announced the suspension of researchers funded by the Chinese government through the China Scholarship Council (CSC). University officials fear espionage.
A leading university in Germany has suspended researchers funded by the Chinese government, underscoring concerns over academic freedom and industrial espionage .
GERMAN UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS CHINESE RESEARCHERS
The Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) announced the suspension of Chinese government-funded researchers in June this year. In communicating the measure, the university said the move was designed to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression among its faculty and staff.
Earlier this week, however, German media reported the contents of an internal FAU email, which expressed concern that the Chinese state could be using government-funded research as spies.
WHAT IS FAU
Founded in Bavaria in 1743, FAU is among the leading German universities. On June 1, it became the first university in Germany to suspend researchers funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC).
THE ROLE OF THE CHINA SCHOLARSHIP COUNCIL (CSC)
The CSC is an outreach unit of the Chinese Ministry of Education, which funds the work of Chinese researchers in foreign universities, including providing scholarships to foreign nationals applying to study in China.
HOW CHINESE RESEARCHERS CAN GET CSC SCHOLARSHIPS
In January 2023, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported that, to become recipients of CSC scholarships, Chinese nationals were required to pledge to “support [the] leadership of the Communist Party of China […] and have a correct view of the world, a vision of life and a system of values".
THE DECISION OF THE FAU
On June 1, the FAU announced that the CSC's funding methods conflict with the German Basic Law (the country's constitution).
Furthermore, according to the University, the CSC's funding methods violated the principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression for its faculty, as practiced in Germany.
According to an internal FAU email, university officials also expressed concern that the Chinese state could use CSC researchers to spy on FAU's scientific and industrial research and to compromise data security and practices. intellectual property of the FAU.
THE POSITION OF THE GERMAN MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
The FAU's decision was reportedly met with support from German Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, who said German universities and research institutes have a "responsibility to protect themselves from espionage conducted by students who receive scholarships from the Chinese government”. Media are also reporting that other universities in Germany and elsewhere in Western Europe are considering following the FAU in suspending Chinese CSC-funded researchers.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/perche-universita-tedesca-di-norimberga-sospende-ricercatori-cinesi/ on Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:29:48 +0000.