At Radboud University, we want to share our knowledge where we can and protect it where we must. That is why, in our international partnerships, we strive for conscious collaboration, being mindful of the opportunities and risks. More and more colleagues are getting involved in international cooperation. Therefore, we would like to inform you here about the help you can receive in this area.
What is knowledge security?
Knowledge security is first and foremost about preventing the undesirable transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. Transfer is undesirable if it compromises our country’s national security. It also entails the covert influencing of education and research by other states. Such interference places academic freedom and social safety in jeopardy (pressure on researchers would be one example). Finally, knowledge security involves ethical issues that can be at play in collaboration with countries that do not respect fundamental rights.
When knowledge security affects you
There are many areas that are associated with knowledge security. You may be affected when you, for example:
- Enter into a collaboration: for example, if the collaboration partner does not align with our university's academic and ethical values
- Conduct research: for example, if it involves a sensitive area of research
- Hire someone: for example, if they come from a high-risk country or organisation or if a CV contains problematic affiliations
It is therefore important that you ask yourself whether your work might involve knowledge security issues. You will not have to answer this question all by yourself, of course. Radboud University is keen to provide its staff with the knowledge, skills and support needed to address knowledge security matters. That is why one of the steps taken has been to set up an advisory team for knowledge security.
Questions about knowledge security
If you have any questions about knowledge security, you can contact Radboud University’s Knowledge Security Advisory Team. This team consists of a number of specialists with relevant expertise in the field of (knowledge) security. You can reach the advisory team via the email address kennisveiligheid [at] ru.nl (kennisveiligheid[at]ru[dot]nl).
If you have a question about knowledge security, or you want advice regarding a specific case, do not hesitate to get in touch with the advisory team! If you have already previously submitted a question to the National Contact Point for Knowledge Security, we would appreciate it if you could share this with the advisory team so that we know what is going on.
What does the team do?
The team:
- provides solicited and unsolicited advice to the Executive Board’s portfolio holder for knowledge security;
- tackles knowledge security issues;
- sees to alignment with other parts of the security policy;
- involves specialists from other fields where necessary (e.g. lawyers, HR, experts in a particular area of research);
- examines the balance between the opportunities presented by international collaborations in education and research and the knowledge security risks.