Journal article
Research security by roundtable: analysis of Germany’s committees for the ethics of security-relevant research
Science and Public Policy, Vol.First online, pp.1-13
28/04/2026
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Abstract
An increasingly fractured geopolitical environment is driving substantial change in the conduct of international academic research. In the European Union (EU) Member States have enacted numerous measures designed to limit or eliminate risks of espionage, foreign interference and illicit technological theft. However, these same measures are often rejected or resisted by higher education institutions, claiming they unnecessarily complicate research, stifle innovation and infringe on academic freedom. This paper seeks to examine one research security measure adopted in Germany. These Committees for Ethics
in Security-Relevant Research (in German, Kommissionen für Ethik sicherheitsrelevanter Forschung or KEF) aim to provide researchers with guidance on ‘research of concern’ and—where necessary—the imposition of any regulatory controls or safeguards to the protection of that research. This paper presents a normative defence of Germany’s model for academic self-regulation and proposes that model for other States to possibly emulate in research security.
Details
- Title
- Research security by roundtable: analysis of Germany’s committees for the ethics of security-relevant research
- Creators
- Brendan Walker-Munro - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Science and Public Policy, Vol.First online, pp.1-13
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Identifiers
- 991013372057802368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2026.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article