Foreign Links of Students, Faculty, and Universities: Collaboration, Theft, or Both?

October 28, 2022 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Eric L. Hirschhorn, JD
Former Under Secretary for Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce
Research Ethics Advisory Board member, University of Pittsburgh

Abstract: US academic institutions manage myriad international collaborations, and host tens of thousands of foreign students annually, to the benefit of the faculty, students and institutions. Moreover, many US academic researchers include foreign students in their federally funded research projects. US. grant-making agencies have traditionally encouraged these types of exchanges. However, there is now concern from these same US federal agencies that in limited cases, these relationships are being exploited to exfiltrate pre-publication research results to foreign adversaries, in violation of US research integrity principles. In light of this concern, should universities reconsider how they manage these collaborations, and work with foreign students, in view of some sovereign actors’ aggressive efforts to acquire US technology?

Reception with light refreshments will follow the lecture.

Research, Ethics and Society Lecture Series

Location and Address

Barco Law Building, 2nd floor, Alcoa Room, and online. Online registration