Minister Dijkgraaf (Education, Culture and Science, D66) will revise a proposal to screen foreign scientists. The minister wants to take more time to find “the right balance” between national security and open scientific practice.
Dijkgraaf wrote this to the House of Representatives in a letter about his proposed approach to knowledge security in higher education. This approach must prevent sensitive scientific or technological information from leaking to foreign powers. Part of it is a screening of all researchers who do not come from one of the countries of the European Union.
This intention came under strong criticism this month from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). The academy, an advisory body to the government, finds the proposal too crude and fears that it will lead to discrimination and will be impossible to implement in practice. The concept of knowledge security would also be too one-sidedly focused dual use-applications of science (such as military) and too little on professional ethics.
Dijkgraaf wants to meet these objections and is now taking more time for the bill, which he wanted to publish for internet consultation this autumn. That probably won’t happen until next year.
Screening Authority
Dijkgraaf writes that he is in discussions with Justis, the screening authority of the Ministry of Justice, about the implementation of the screening. Justis is the government institution that issues certificates of conduct (VOGs).
The minister also wants to “update” the National Guidelines on Knowledge Security based on comments from the scientific world, and further examine the definition and scope of the concept of knowledge security. He hopes to present the revised guidelines this summer.
In his letter, Dijkgraaf praises the increased attention of universities to knowledge security, but he also sees shortcomings. Information about cooperation with foreign partners is too fragmented and not included in a central overview. There are also no structural evaluations. The minister acknowledges that this is a “major challenge” because knowledge security affects personnel policy. He says he understands the concerns expressed by the KNAW about “the risk of stigmatization and discrimination”.
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