Thread by @joannachiu

#EXCLUSIVE Canada set to name foreign labs, universities that pose risk to national security

Leading universities say they'll avoid working with the entities altogether — despite potential $100M loss in annual funding from foreign partners. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

The list will include foreign entities at “higher risk” of engaging in research theft, unwanted knowledge transfers and interference, according to documents I saw.

The Canadian government confirmed to me this list is coming - likely first of its kind. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

NEW: Canada's list appears to be the first to serve as a “blanket ban” for federal funding for research with "higher risk" entities. And universities will apply more broadly.

The U.S. entity list for trade/export controls doesn't apply to research. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

Several sources estimate that the final list will contain more than 50 entities with connections to China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.

The likely loss of funding and connections with international experts are reasons why some oppose the move. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

@M_Johnston1 estimates that if Canada’s top universities stop partnering with 50 entities, this would mean the loss of $100 million in annual funding from existing foreign partners. That would be *in addition* to federal funding losses. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

The University of Waterloo already told me it will end research partnerships with Huawei because of security concerns.

Now @UWaterloo says they'll go much further to cut ties with ALL entities on the government list.

“So we safeguard everything."
thestar.com/news/canada/20…

Waterloo professor @ozsu warns we're missing a key point.

"'Chinese are stealing our IP' assumes that knowledge generation is one-directional: we create, and they steal."

"There are areas where our international partners are leading and we benefit." thestar.com/news/canada/20…

I started working on this in February, chasing tips that big developments were coming, including unis cutting ties with Huawei and the government coming up with an entity list - a bold move for Canada when the U.S. doesn't have such a policy.

Read here: thestar.com/news/canada/20…

Shoutout to @PerrinGrauer for submitting a freedom-of-information request to UBC in 2019.

UBC's contracts with Huawei, shown in this story, reflect how more than half of industry-directed IP that Canadian universities generate is handed to foreign firms. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

While Canada may be the first to name and ban fed funding for entities, how far this goes depends on whether unis and private institutions will avoid entities altogether.

So far @UWaterloo firmly said it would and @UMontreal says it likely will, too. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

@UWaterloo @UMontreal The U15 group of leading research universities said there's a consensus to broadly avoid working with entities on the list out of a “shared responsibility to do research in the Canadian public interest".

What are your thoughts? thestar.com/news/canada/20… @U15ca @ChadGaffield

Thanks to all who helped me learn about the topics, including @SusanShirk1 @Dennismolin11 @b_momani @StephanieCarvin, @M_Johnston1 and sources who trusted me with govt info that was in the public interest.

Click to support time-intensive reporting 🙂
thestar.com/news/canada/20…