EU guide on foreign interference trailed as being light-touch

Long-awaited guidelines for higher education institutions are expected in January

Long-awaited EU guidelines on tackling foreign interference in universities will not put significant extra burdens on institutions, a European Commission official has said.

Amid a rise in concerns over foreign powers exploiting research collaborations globally, the guidelines have been drawn up to help European higher education institutions cope with situations such as foreign partners pressuring researchers to change their work, theft of intellectual property and cyberattacks.