Navigating Knowledge and Research Security in EU-China Relations: The Case of Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands

As the European Union (EU) navigates its intricate relationship with China amidst escalating geopolitical tensions and diverging interests, the concept of ‘knowledge and research security’ emerges as a pivotal concern, especially within the realm of higher education cooperation. This paper delves into the EU's evolving stance towards China, marked by a shift, which categorizes China as simultaneously a partner, competitor, and rival. Amidst this repositioning, the surge in Sino-European academic partnerships has spotlighted the challenges of knowledge and research security, underscoring the need for caution in collaborations with a country whose values diverge from those of the EU. Despite a consensus at the EU level on the necessity of managing ‘knowledge and research security’, the implementation of academic cooperation with China largely rests with individual Member States. This non-centralized approach enables countries to customize their engagement based on national interests and priorities, leading to a varied landscape of academic cooperation with China. This study focuses on three Member States – Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands- each representing different European sub-regions and stances towards China. By examining their approaches to balancing academic collaboration with China against the backdrop of potential security risks, this paper seeks to uncover the degree of convergence or divergence with the EU's overarching position on knowledge and research security with China.