Closed countries, open science

Andrew Chubb, Diarmuid Cooney-O’Donoghue and Tommy Shih ask how global tensions are affecting research

Geopolitical tensions are beginning to seriously affect scientific collaboration. Government policy across many countries—not least China and America—is increasingly steering researchers and universities towards national priorities rather than open science.

Across the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, including the UK, national security bureaucracies are playing a greater role in setting parameters for international scientific engagement. Meanwhile, strategic competition has highlighted existing issues around academic freedom, research ethics and research integrity in international higher education.