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Australian universities have partnered with Chinese universities, teaching sophisticated cyber security tactics, application, host, and data security. The parliamentary urged educators to take caution as they believe they are training potential cyber criminals.
Many Australian universities are working closely with their Chinese counterparts. Southern Cross University has recently partnered with Guangxi University of Science and Technology. Southern Cross teaches courses on advanced security tactics the Australian security workforce commonly uses.
In a similar capacity, Monash University allows students from Suzhou University to take up their master’s degree in IT, as well as teach cyber security and machine learning to students from Southeast University China.
However, according to CyberSecurity Connect author Daniel Croft, “the parliamentary joint committee on intelligence and security has recommended that universities express caution when entering into educational partnerships, following its inquiry into the national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector.”
Croft added that the minister for home affairs and cyber security Clare O’Neil and the shadow minister for cyber security, senator James Paterson had expressed their agreement to the recommendation.
The senator has also highly recommended that the federal government launch an investigation into the reports via the government’s Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce (UFIT). Paterson added, “The mass training of students offshore to potentially go to work for the very agencies that are targeting Australia is deeply disturbing and concerning. I’ve worked with these whistleblowers directly, and I’m alarmed by their reports.”
Many cyber security experts also agree with the recommendation of O’Neil and Paterson. Dimitrios Christis, CEO of facial recognition company Vix Vizion, blatantly expressed, “Why would we be training people who could potentially use what we’ve taught against us?” Val Wats, a cyber security expert, calls for more regulation regarding what information and training is given to international students.
However, the universities’ response to this allegation is that they will not discriminate and not provide the education that can be afforded just because of race or nationality. The universities also added that they support and encourage students and researchers to collaborate with international partners.
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