The University is to help UK higher education institutions identify and better manage risks arising from work with overseas partners.
Edinburgh will collaborate with Universities UK and Cranfield University, which has been given £224,800 from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Research England Development fund, to develop strategic export control training for the higher education sector.
The money will fund the development of a free, virtual-learning tool specific to the higher education sector and centred around its needs. It will offer practical, real-life case studies looking at what happens when things go wrong and how to address them.
Providing protection
UK universities international reputation for excellence means they are increasingly working with overseas partners, but can be vulnerable to hostile parties seeking to exploit their work.
By equipping UK higher education institutions with the knowledge, awareness and tools to better identify risk, the project partners will enable the higher education sector to make the most of international collaborations.
Advice and support will be provided to ensure government exports rules and other relevant legislation is followed. This will help both UK institutions and overseas partners understand the need for the highest standards when interacting with each other.
Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal, the University of Edinburgh"We are delighted to be working with Cranfield University to support the development and delivery of education and training for the sector in this important area, and, in doing so, protecting the integrity and strengthening resilience of the UK research base."
Outward looking
University research funding from overseas sources is increasing, with UK institutions’ most frequent collaborators being the USA, Germany and China. Meanwhile, international students make up almost 20% of the total student population of the UK, while 20% of staff at UK universities are international.
Professor Karen Holford, Vice-Chancellor, Cranfield University"Building on the ‘UUK Managing Risks in Internationalisation: Security Related Issues’ work, this grant will enable universities to pro-actively manage and address a key pillar of the wider security agenda. By providing freely-accessible material designed specifically for the university sector, we will begin to promote a wider knowledge and understanding around what is, and will continue to be, a pivotal area of compliance going forward."
Workshops
A series of workshops, taking place in November 2021, will encourage people from the UK Higher Education sector to contribute their views and practical experiences to inform the project.
Find out more
Contact Chris Buckland by emailing c.buckland@cranfield.ac.uk.
