The Australian government is seeking additional information from the higher education sector after it was claimed that taxpayers are funding university research that is boosting China¡¯s military.

In an article published in , Clive Hamilton and Alex Joske, from Charles Sturt University and Australian National University respectively, claim that Australian universities are helping China to obtain ¡°the technological leadership¡­it craves¡± in advanced military and industrial technology, ¡°beneath the radar¡±.

They add that the Australian Research Council¡¯s (ARC) is the principal funding mechanism for this research, with the scheme aiming to ¡°encourage national and international research collaborations between university researchers and partners in industry or other research centres, in this case with Chinese military scientists¡±,??reported. Last year, the ARC awarded a A$400,000 (?236,646) grant to the University of Adelaide for a research partnership with the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, part of the government-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China, which is a major supplier of military aircraft to the People¡¯s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.

Simon Birmingham, the Australian education minister, said that the government took these reports ¡°extremely seriously¡±.

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¡°While safeguards are in place to ensure sensitive and strategic technologies are handled appropriately, I have sought additional briefing on this matter,¡± he said.

The Australian reported that a spokesman for Adelaide said that the project was funded ¡°entirely within the rules¡± of the ARC, and the university ¡°maintains ownership of the intellectual property¡±.

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It was also reported that the University of New South Wales benefited from ARC funding for a joint project with Chinese personnel, while the University of Technology Sydney had recently announced a partnership with China Electronics Technology Group Corporation CETC, primarily a military research organisation and a crucial cog in China¡¯s defence industry.

Therefore, Professor Hamilton and Mr Joske said, some of Australia¡¯s ¡°foremost scientific and technology organisations¡±, which include those with defence and intelligence responsibilities, were ¡°working hand-in-glove¡± with researchers ¡°closely linked to PLA research centres¡±.

john.elmes@timeshighereducation.com