Master students and researchers will soon be routinely screened by the government if they have access to sensitive information or technology at universities and colleges.
This is the result of a new legislative proposal aimed at safeguarding ‘information security’. The goal is to prevent scientific information developed in the Netherlands from being applied militarily in other countries, such as China or Iran, where such incidents have reportedly occurred. Other European countries are also working on similar legislation.
Discrimination
Initially, the proposal targeted non-European nationals, as they were perceived to pose the greatest risk. However, this is not possible due to anti-discrimination laws, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW) explained in a letter. As a result, researchers and master students from Europe will also be subject to screening.
The screening will likely focus on specific research projects rather than entire departments or research groups. ‘The exact scope is still under discussion’, an OCW spokesperson says. ‘We aim to keep it as narrow as possible.’
Current procedure
At the UG, measures to ensure information security have been in place for some time. Scientific coordinators at research institutes assess whether a candidate poses a potential risk to information security. If there are doubts, the research proposal and the candidate’s CV are reviewed by the dean, the director of the relevant Graduate School, a central information security officer, and the university president, Jouke de Vries.
Currently, for the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), this happens about once a month. With the new legislation, the number of cases may increase.
‘There are cases where someone, for example, has a background at a university that collaborates with the military, which could pose a risk’, says FSE dean Joost Frenken. ‘But there are also cases that initially seem alarming, yet involve research applications that are decades away from any practical use, whether civilian or military. In those cases, we say: go ahead and do the work.’
Advice
If the UG cannot resolve a case internally, they consult the Contact Point for Knowledge Security and, if necessary, the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) also evaluates the case. Under the new legislation, researchers’ CVs will automatically be sent to The Hague for review if their research themes are identified as information sensitive.
The legislative proposal is expected to be ready for public consultation before the summer, allowing everyone to provide feedback. After that, it must be approved by the Dutch Lower and Upper Houses.