East Michigan News

Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman Tim Walberg of the House Education and Workforce Committee have urged Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University, and the University of Detroit Mercy to terminate their partnerships with Chinese universities. The Michigan institutions are reportedly engaged with Chinese entities that support China's military efforts, potentially compromising U.S. technological advantages.

Moolenaar and Walberg expressed concerns in letters to each university president, emphasizing the need to protect research funded by American taxpayers through agencies like the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. They stated: “The research at your university is funded by the American people and it must be protected." They further warned about risks posed by collaborations with Chinese institutions: “The university's PRC collaborations jeopardize the integrity of U.S. research, risk the exploitation of sensitive technologies, and undermine taxpayer investments intended to strengthen America's technological and defense capabilities."

These letters follow a report from last September detailing risks associated with U.S.-China academic collaborations. Other universities such as Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California Berkeley, and University of Michigan have already ended similar joint institutes.

Eastern Michigan University's partnerships involve Beibu Gulf University and Guangxi University. Concerns include Beibu’s Maritime College training students for military purposes under semi-military management, while Guangxi aims to leverage EMU's cybersecurity status for its own national priorities.

Oakland University's partnerships include Changchun University of Science and Technology, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, and Beijing Information Science and Technology University. These institutions are involved in advancing China’s defense technologies.

The University of Detroit Mercy has dual-degree programs with Beijing University of Chemical Technology among others. There is concern over knowledge transfer as Chinese students gain access to advanced technologies during their studies in Detroit Mercy.

Each university holds a designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency but faces scrutiny over potential misuse or transferal of sensitive information due to these international partnerships.