Danish university leaders have backed proposed legislation that would give universities the power to reject international students from countries such as China and Russia if they are deemed to pose a risk to national security. 

Universities can currently carry out background checks and reject PhD students, researchers and visitors from “high-risk countries” to protect research in sensitive areas and also guard against spying. The new bill would extend these powers to cover master’s students and undergraduates. 

The proposal comes as concerns about research security have increased in Scandinavian countries, prompting governments to include tighter measures to protect sensitive research from foreign interference.

A  in Denmark, Norway and Sweden found that the three countries, with their relatively small and highly internationalised research systems, had been slower to respond to geopolitical competition compared with larger Western countries such as the US, Germany and the UK. But stricter policies have also raised questions about the consequences for international collaboration and whether restrictions could unfairly target students from specific countries. 

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Russia, China and Iran are considered “high-risk” countries by Danish authorities. In a document explaining the draft bill, the government says the country finds itself in a “complex geopolitical situation with deteriorating threats” and a “risk that foreign states wrongfully try to obtain knowledge, technology and products that may harm Denmark’s national security”.

Aarhus University has been among the most vocal supporters of the proposed legislation. “Universities have to get used to the fact that research security is becoming more and more important. We have been screening international guests, job applicants and PhD students for some years now, so not screening international students has been a gap we’ve needed to close,” vice-dean Brian Vinter told ����Vlog.

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“This will mean that future students won’t have to worry about suspicion once they’ve been accepted, and they can focus on their studies. At the same time it means we are less likely to accept applicants who will end up being pressured by intelligence services in their home country.”

He explained that “all academic areas could feasibly be affected” but that the screening would mainly focus on applicants seeking to enrol in science and technology programmes where they could encounter dual-use technology or critical infrastructure. 

Asked if there were any concerns about discrimination against students from the three countries, he said: “I would have to say I’m not overly concerned about that aspect. First of all, this will likely affect an extremely small number of our applicants. Secondly, we will still be accepting students from those countries; just less so in certain academic areas.”

Kim Brinckmann, the deputy director at UCPH Research and Information Security at the University of Copenhagen, said there was a need to balance national security with fair treatment. 

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“In principle, we support initiatives that strengthen research and national security while preserving the fundamental principles of academic freedom, international collaboration and equal treatment. Regarding this specific proposed legislation since it is still under consideration, we are following the process closely and will assess its practical implications if adopted,” she said. 

Brinckmann added that screening should be based on “specific risk assessments rather than nationality alone”. 

Universities Denmark, a group that represents eight state-funded research universities, said it welcomed the bill. “The geopolitical situation has heightened the need to protect critical knowledge at universities. Against this background, Universities Denmark has called for universities to be able to take into account an assessment of threats to national security when making decisions on admission and expulsion,” its chairman Brian Bech Nielsen said. 

“International students are an important part of Danish universities. The specific rules must therefore make it possible to address security risks on a consistent basis. We hope that we at the universities will be involved in drafting the rules, so that they are clear and straightforward to apply in practice.”

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seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com