Foreign interference occurs when activities are carried out by or on behalf of a foreign actor, which are coercive, clandestine, deceptive, or corrupting and are contrary to Australia’s sovereignty, values, and national interests.

Examples of foreign interference

• Improper attempts to obtain sensitive or confidential information from students or staff.
• Inappropriate targeting and recruiting of staff and students to further a foreign actor’s interests.
• Actions inconsistent with academic freedom and university values, such as demands to change academic programs.
• Efforts to alter or direct the university’s research agenda.
• Seeking inappropriate access to or influence over research outcomes through funding arrangements.
• Cyber targeting by exploiting network vulnerabilities and unauthorised access.

Risks to the university

Foreign interference can lead to:

• Compromise or unauthorised access to valuable research and personal data.
• Damage to the university’s reputation and its research teams.
• Loss of future partnerships and opportunities to attract talent.
• Breach of legal obligations.
• Foreign governments gaining undue advantages.
• Loss of intellectual property and commercialisation opportunities.
• Espionage against Australia.
• Undue influence within or outside the classroom.

Responsibilities

The  is responsible for building awareness and delivering training to staff and students who engage with foreign actors and are at higher risk of foreign interference.

Staff must perform due diligence and assess the proposed activity for the risk of foreign interference.

Where there is a heightened risk of foreign interference, the proposed activity must be escalated before the commencement of the project. See our In practice page for more details.

Guidelines

The Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector are designed to build on risk management policies and security practices already implemented by Australian universities, as well as assist decision-makers to assess the risks from foreign interference. They recognise that universities have different risk profiles and encourage universities to adopt measures to mitigate foreign interference risks that are appropriate to their particular risks, and support universities to develop new, or examine existing tools, frameworks and resources to assess and mitigate risks from foreign interference.