Canberra has set up a task force to protect universities from foreign interference following clashes between mainland Chinese and pro-democracy students from Hong Kong.
The task force, details of which were released on Wednesday, will include representatives of the security services, universities and the government and will focus on security and safeguarding academic freedom.
It will strengthen cyber security following hacks at Australian National University and scrutinise more closely research collaboration between the country’s universities and Chinese organisations to ensure the sharing of sensitive defence and dual-use technologies does not compromise the national interest, said the government.