Pentagon Demands Universities Sever Ties with Russia

American universities are being required to conduct audits of their partnerships with suspicious organizations from Russia, China, and Iran at the behest of the Pentagon. According to a statement posted on the department's official website, this demand aims to protect government investments in the field of research. The Pentagon seeks to prevent the theft of intellectual property, illegal transfer of technologies, and their use for hostile purposes.

As part of the audits, educational institutions are required to assess the risks associated with research that is either secret or subject to export controls. Additionally, universities have been mandated to implement 'strict mitigation plans', which include ending problematic collaborations.

The Pentagon adds that the entities of concern are included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. A total of 130 educational and research institutions from Russia, China, and Iran are on this list, including Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, the Higher School of Economics, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and other Russian educational institutions.

Previously, more than 30 Russian universities had been included in a list of national security threats in the United States.