LONDON, Feb. 9 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

Britain is strengthening its defences against hostile state interference with new briefings and support to protect our universities,researchersand political system.

Senior leaders from over70 universities attended a security briefingdelivered byMI5 Director General Sir Ken McCallumand National Cyber Security Centre CEO Richard Horne,to increase understanding of how foreign interference can manifest, including attempts to shape and censor research or teaching, along with how to resist and report it.

Therareevent,only the second of its kind and the largest to date,was hosted by Security Minister Dan Jarvis and Skills Minister Jacqui Smith.Itwas followed by a separate second-of-its-kind security briefing forofficialsfromallUK political parties, underscoring a non-partisan commitment torecognisingand resistingattempts to manipulate the political processand our democratic values.

It comes as£3 million is being investedin a package of measuresto tackle the issueinour world-classuniversities.Thenew Academic Interference Reporting Routewill enablesenior leaders at universitiesto report concerns directly to the government, including security services. This will enable individual concernsto be acted on more quickly, whilst alsobuildinga bigger picture of the threats facing UK institutions.

The Departmentfor Educationwill consult the sector on the design of a new proactive advisory service, alongsidefurtherguidanceand training.

Newguidancehas also been published todaytohelpstaff and students understand the concerns,where to go for supportand how to respond.

This supportwill helptogivethe sectorthe confidence and support they need toresearch and teachwithout fear of consequence or pressure from foreign states, helping to restore them as engines of opportunity, aspiration, and growth.

SkillsMinister Jacqui Smith said:

Ouruniversities' world-class reputation makes them a primetarget for foreign statesand hostile actors, whoseektoerode that reputation by shaping or censoringresearch and teaching.

We do not take this lightly. We are working together across governmentand withuniversities themselvesto defend the UK's thriving academic environment.

By working together and sharing information,we are standing united against political pressure from foreign state actors.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:

Today we've taken tough action to make the UK a harder target for foreign interference.

We have to be clear-eyed that our world-class universities and democratic processes are being targeted by states who want to undermine our way of life.

That's why we're launching a new tool to help universities get support from security experts, as well as making sure people at the heart of our democracy know how to report foreign interference.

Sir Ken McCallum detailed thesophisticated methods used by hostile actors toshape research and teaching contentin higher education, including the use of professional networking sites and financial lures to cultivate relationships with academic staff and students.

The briefing for Vice Chancellors was firstannouncedby theSecurity Ministerin November as part of the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan.

When briefing political parties, Sir Ken McCallum provided anoverview of the evolving threat landscape, focusing on how foreign powersseektointerfere in our democracy and political processes.

Arif Ahmed, Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the Office for Students,said:

Free speech and academic freedom are fundamental values that are essential to the mission of higher education. We'vealways been clear that universities must resist external state threats to academic freedom, and that suppression of research because of the disapproval of a foreign government is unacceptable inpractically anycircumstances.

I look forward to working with students, staff,universities and collegesand government to develop effective responses to these significant and growing threats.

Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

As global research leaders and educators of around 750,000 students a year, our universities have a vital role to play in the shared responsibility of national security. We have always valued the government's genuinely collaborative approach on these issues.

The new single point of contact for advice on foreign interference will empower institutions to report andtake actionmore swiftly and confidently, knowing there is support in place.

This will help usmaintainour learning environments as places where all students and staff can continue toinquire, study and discuss ideas freely.

Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said:

Universities UK worksclosely with UK ministers, government departments, and security agencies to help protect our universities against foreign interference, and we welcome the spirit of partnership which this government has exhibited.

We should not tolerate any form of coercive, deceptive,or criminal activity from a hostileactor that seeks to undermine the UK's strategic national interests.

It is precisely because UK universities are world-leading that they maybecome targets forhostile actors.

UUK remains committed to facilitating long-term capacity building and awareness raising and to working collaboratively with government to enhance oursector's resilience and to equip universities to pursue international collaboration that is trusted, secure and sustainable.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.