It is true that the constitution gives the Commonwealth power over foreign relations. But that doesn’t mean it has to use it to completely control the contribution that universities can make to building improved relations with other countries. | OPINION
Australian universities are notoriously afraid of upsetting governments. So we should all note how forcefully Margaret Gardner, the acting chair of the Group of Eight leading research universities, responded to the Morrison government’s latest proposed intervention in universities. She said: “We are concerned with the danger that – in the name of security – Australia may be inadvertently threatening the very democratic principles it holds dear.
The Go8 warned that the Defence Department’s proposals would impact on the “fundamental academic freedoms upon which the quality and diversity of our research is reliant. Constraints on publishing alone present a difficulty for researchers; expanded powers for the government to enter, search and seize would be unwarranted”. On that occasion, compromises tempered some of these proposed powers.
China is now the biggest source of refereed scientific journal articles in the world. As a result, Australia has a lot to gain from research partnerships with Chinese universities. They welcome Australian collaboration in research. But there are constant allegations that China wants to steal the intellectual property generated by this research – something that is hard to do when it is destined for publication in the public domain.
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