Global: Defense Bill Focuses on Academic Espionage

A defense policy bill targets espionage on American campuses; Chinese applications to British universities are increasing; and more. [Global] Hi, I’m Karin Fischer, international-education reporter. Here are some of the most interesting developments I’m following around the globe: Defense Bill Focuses on Academic Espionage A defense policy bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives contains several provisions targeting potential academic espionage by foreign governments on American campuses. One provision, which has been endorsed by several higher-education associations, would set up an interagency working group to evaluate current mechanisms and develop new policies for keeping federally funded research secure. It also would require officials to compile a list of overseas entities that pose a threat of academic espionage. Students who participate in Defense Department-funded language programs abroad would go through mandatory training to recognize and report efforts by foreign governments to recruit them as spies, under its provisions. But the measure is far from a done deal, as the Democratic House now must negotiate with the Republican-controlled Senate to come up with final legislation. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Professor Suspected of Being a Terrorist Recruiter A lecturer at an Afghan university partially funded by the American government has been arrested on suspicion of recruiting students to join the Islamic State. In addition to the Islamic studies professor at Kabul University, three of his alleged recruits, two of whom are students, were also arrested by Afghan authorities. Intelligence officials said the group is believed to be behind several attacks in Kabul. In Britain, Chinese Applications Soar Chinese applications to British universities are up 30 percent over last year – and Britain’s gain may be at American colleges’ expense. Undergraduate applications have nearly hit 20,000, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Chinese interest in studying in Britain has been on an upward trajectory, with the number of students from mainland China doubling over the past decade. But British higher education may also be benefitting from tensions between the United States and China, including new visa restrictions and increased suspicion of Chinese researchers and graduate students. Candidate for Prime Minister Has an Education Background Speaking of Britain, one of the two leading candidates to become prime minister has a background in international education. Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign secretary, started Hotcourses, an international-student search firm. While working in the field, he met his wife, who was recruiting Chinese students to the University of Warwick. And lest anyone forget international education is big business, Hotcourses made Hunt the richest member of the current British cabinet. Foreign Funds Investigation Expands Two more institutions, Cornell and Rutgers Universities, are under investigation for allegedly failing to report foreign gifts or contracts, bringing the total of those being scrutinized by federal authorities to four. The others that have been publicly disclosed are Georgetown and Texas A&M. In particular, the Department of Education is looking at money coming from China and Qatar, the Associated Press reports. Three of four institutions named have branch campuses in the Gulf kingdom. But, as I write in my weekly global-education newsletter, the inquiry shouldn’t come as a big surprise – after all, department officials made a promise to step up oversight of foreign funds in higher ed during a congressional hearing earlier this year. You can read more here. Chronicle Top Reads [A Scholar of Proverbs Built a Vast Collection of Books. Then Opportunity Knocked.]( By Emma Pettit The professor needed a place to store his collection. His university’s newly renovated library needed books to fill its shelves. Moving the collection killed two birds with one stone. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( [Here’s What Public-College Presidents Make in the United States]( By Dan Bauman, Tyler Davis, and Brian O’Leary The Chronicle’s newly updated executive-compensation report includes the latest salary information, plus years of data, about chief executives at more than 250 public universities and systems and more than 600 private colleges. 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