51茶馆

November 14, 2019

UOW welcomes new guidelines to counter foreign interference in Australia’s university sector

Vice-Chancellor commends consultative approach

Vice-Chancellor of the 51茶馆 (UOW), Professor Paul Wellings CBE, has welcomed the Australian Government鈥檚 release today (Thursday, 14 November 2019) of new Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector.

鈥淎s a research-intensive global institution with campuses in Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong and Malaysia and a 150,000 strong alumni community spanning more than 140 countries, UOW enjoys a strong international reputation for high quality research, teaching and engagement with business.

鈥淯OW values international collaboration and is committed to working with its partners to have a positive impact in the world through the transformative power of education and research.

鈥淯OW is equally committed to protecting Australia鈥檚 national interests in our conduct of research and in our engagement with international partners,鈥� Professor Wellings said.

Professor Wellings said the University ensures its activities comply with Australia鈥檚 Defence Export Controls and other legal and regulatory obligations and works closely with relevant Australian Government agencies in this regard.

鈥淭he 51茶馆 has always responded positively and proactively to regulatory changes and sector-wide reforms and we will do so again as we work with the Australian Government and the rest of the higher education sector on the guidelines Minister Tehan has released today.

鈥淭hese guidelines have been prepared in partnership with the higher education sector through a deeply cooperative and inclusive consultative process.

鈥淭he result is a very useful and practical set of guidelines that preserve institutional autonomy and protect Australia鈥檚 higher education sector while enabling our universities to continue collaborating in world-leading research,鈥� Professor Wellings said.

UOW is recognised around the world for its traditional research strengths including materials science, mining and manufacturing.

UOW also boasts rapidly emerging research strengths in science and medical research, underpinned by the University鈥檚 investment in Molecular Horizons, its world-leading molecular science research facility, which is confronting some of the biggest medical challenges facing the world today.

UOW has many international research collaborations with universities, institutes, corporations and university networks spanning many nations and across all fields. These include relationships in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, USA and the UK, along with many other nations.

UOW staff are now reviewing the guidelines in detail and planning their implementation.