Universities and politicians briefed on China and Russia spy threat

Britain's intelligence chiefs have delivered urgent, closed-door briefings to both university leaders and politicians, warning of significant foreign interference threats from countries including China and Russia.

Sir Ken McCallum, MI5 director general, and Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, met with vice-chancellors from over 70 universities.

They detailed methods employed by hostile actors to influence academic research and teaching content, specifically citing Chinese agents' use of professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and financial inducements to recruit academic staff and students.

In a separate, first-of-its-kind security briefing, the intelligence heads also informed officials from all UK political parties about adversaries' attempts to manipulate the nation's political processes.

It comes after MI5 warned MPs, peers and parliamentary staff over Chinese espionage through recruitment head-hunters in November, and the Government launched a review in December of foreign financial interference after the jailing of Reform UK’s ex-Wales leader for taking Russian bribes as an MEP.

The briefing for university leaders was announced in November as part of a plan to counter political interference and espionage.

A package of measures to tackle state interference in higher education, backed by a £3 million investment, includes a secure portal for university leaders to report suspicious approaches directly to the security services.

The Department for Education will consult the sector on a new proactive advisory service, and new guidance is being published on Monday to help students and staff recognise the threat.

Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said: “Our universities’ world-class reputation makes them a prime target for foreign states and hostile actors, who seek to erode that reputation by shaping or censoring research and teaching.

“We do not take this lightly. We are working together across government and with universities themselves to defend the UK’s thriving academic environment.

“By working together and sharing information, we are standing united against political pressure from foreign state actors.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis said: “We have to be clear-eyed that our world-class universities and democratic processes are being targeted by states who want to undermine our way of life.

“That’s why we’re launching a new tool to help universities get support from security experts, as well as making sure people at the heart of our democracy know how to report foreign interference.”

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of universities, said: “The new single point of contact for advice on foreign interference will empower institutions to report and take action more swiftly and confidently, knowing there is support in place.”

In November, lawyers claimed a UK university had halted an academic’s research into forced labour in China after facing pressure from Chinese authorities.

Leigh Day Solicitors said internal documents from Sheffield Hallam University obtained by freedom of information and subject access requests suggested the university had banned Professor Laura Murphy, a leading professor of human rights, from continuing her research on forced labour.

The university later apologised to Prof Murphy and committed to supporting her research.