The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) today presented its recommendations to combat foreign interference at Australian universities and in the research sector.

Media release issue date: Friday, 25 March 2022

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) today presented its recommendations to combat foreign interference at Australian universities and in the research sector. In its unanimous and bipartisan Report into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector, the Committee has made 27 recommendations to address the serious threats posed by foreign interference to our most critical research institutions.   The recommendations are targeted at securing sensitive, taxpayer-funded research and protecting student safety on campus.   Among its recommendations, the Committee has recognised the risks associated with Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes to academic freedom and student welfare, and calls on universities and the Foreign Minister to take steps to mitigate them.    Similarly, the Committee has asked the Foreign Minister to also decide the future of a $10 million contract between Monash University and COMAC – a Chinese government-owned aviation company that has been linked to a global industrial cyber espionage campaign and been sanctioned by the US government.      The Committee recommends a range of measures to protect students from threats to their freedom of speech, association and physical safety. This includes documenting and reporting incidents of harassment, intimidation and censorship resulting from foreign interference, as well as new penalties for foreign interference activities on campus, including reporting on fellow students to foreign governments.   The Committee has also called for: A risk-based audit which samples Australian Research Council grants over the past decade to determine exposure associated with participation in talent recruitment programs, noting the Thousand Talents Program is one amongst many. Adequacy of existing penalties, including grant fraud, should also be investigated. Banning employees of government departments and agencies from participating in talent-recruitment programs. Training on national security issues for universities’ staff and students. Communicating Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme requirements to foreign student associations operating at Australian universities and investigating possible cases of non-compliance. Committee Chair Senator James Paterson said that while the sector has made progress in addressing national security concerns, foreign interference on campus remains a serious threat, and more work has to be done to safeguard our students and education institutions. 'There’s no question that students and academics have faced a sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment, censorship and intelligence gathering by foreign state governments. This resulted in the transfer of sensitive research to authoritarian regimes and their militaries and threats to the safety of domestic and international students,' Senator Paterson said. 'While efforts have been made to strengthen the sector’s awareness and resilience to these threats, there is a great deal more to do to secure sensitive, taxpayer-funded research, and protect students on campus.   'These bipartisan reforms build on the work already undertaken and I look forward to a continued, concerted effort by government and sector to combat these escalating threats,' Senator Paterson said. Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website. Media enquiries Chair, Senator James Paterson Deborah Seccombe 0451 255 891 deborah.seccombe@aph.gov.au For background information  Committee Secretariat Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (02) 6277 2360  pjcis@aph.gov.au. For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold a public hearing this week for its Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 18 March 2021

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold a public hearing this week for its Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector. Public Hearing Details Friday, 19 March 2021 8.00AM – 4.30PM (AEST) Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the hearing can be found on the Committee's website. Committee Chair Senator James Paterson stated “This second hearing will focus on the university and research sector. This inquiry will seek to identify best practice from leading  universities to encourage the rest of the sector to follow and also scrutinise ongoing poor practices at some institutions.” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, teleconference and video conference facilities may be used to connect witnesses to Committee Members. The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website. Media Inquiries: Chair, Senator James Paterson via David Kitchen, 0413 840110 or david.kitchen@aph.gov.au For Background Information:  Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, (02) 6277 2360 or pjcis@aph.gov.au. For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will hold a public hearing this week for its Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 9 March 2021

  The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold a public hearing this week for its Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector. Public hearing details Thursday, 11 March 2021 10.15 am–4.15 pm (AEDT) Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra A program for the hearing can be found on the committee’s website. Committee Chair Senator James Paterson stated ‘This first hearing will focus on the concerns held about national security risks in the higher education and research sector and will set the scene for the Committee’s further considerations of possible policy solutions to these problems.’ Due to COVID-19 restrictions, teleconference and video conference facilities may be used to connect witnesses to Committee Members. The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website. Media enquiries Chair, Senator James Paterson via Sophie McKendry, Media Advisor on 0451 007 915 or Sophie.McKendry@aph.gov.au. Background information Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, (02) 6277 2360 or pjcis@aph.gov.au. For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has received a letter from the Minister for Home Affairs agreeing to its suggested Terms of Reference for an inquiry into National Security Risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector with a requested reporting date of July 2021.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 4 November 2020

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has received a letter from the Minister for Home Affairs agreeing to its suggested Terms of Reference for an inquiry into National Security Risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector with a requested reporting date of July 2021. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (the Committee) will inquire into and report on national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector. In considering national security risks to the Sector the Committee specifically seeks information on: A. The prevalence, characteristics and significance of foreign interference, undisclosed foreign influence, data theft and espionage, and associated risks to Australia’s national security; B. The Sector’s awareness of foreign interference, undisclosed foreign influence, data theft and espionage, and its capacity to identify and respond to these threats; C. The adequacy and effectiveness of  Australian Government policies and programs in identifying and responding to foreign interference, undisclosed foreign influence, data theft and espionage in the Sector; D. Responses to this issue in other countries and their relevance to the Australian situation; and E. Any other related matter. A full terms of reference are available online here The Chair, Mr Andrew Hastie MP, said “We are going to examine the question of foreign interference in the Australian higher education and research sector. The Committee will engage with a wide variety of stakeholders in this sector as well as appropriate national security agencies.” Submissions are requested by 4pm, Friday 18 December 2020. Further information about making a submission to a parliamentary committee inquiry is available here. A dedicated email address has been created for this inquiry, all email correspondence including submissions should be sent to NatSecUni@aph.gov.au Further information about making a submission to a committee inquiry can be found at the following link.   Media inquiries: Chair, Mr Andrew Hastie MP (Canning, WA) on (08) 9534 8044 (Electorate office) or (02) 6277 4223 (Parliament House) For background information:  Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, (02) 6277 2360 or pjcis@aph.gov.au. For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.