The government is considering plans to bolster security of university research amid concerns of foreign states targeting sensitive studies of leading institutions.
Vice-chancellors from top universities including Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London received briefings on threats from Ken McCallum, director of MI5, and National Cyber Security Centre chief, Felicity Oswald.
Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden announced plans for a consultation on a package of measures, which could include looking at key university personnel being given security clearance and a strengthened process to improve the transparency of funding.
Mr Dowden said: "This is not about erecting fences, this is about balancing evolving threats and protecting the integrity and security of our great institutions."
The measures will be focused on a small proportion of academic work, with a particular focus on research with potential dual uses in civilian and military life.
He has already expressed concerns over some universities' reliance on foreign funds potentially exposing them to outside influence, exploitation and manipulation
He said: “For a millennium, our universities have thrived on being open."
The forthcoming consultation will examine strategies to protect leading-edge technology in sensitive areas from intellectual property theft by foreign powers for their military and economic advantage.
The National Cyber Security Centre and the National Protective Security Agency have also developed a new tool for universities to assess their research security.
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