Dutch plans to screen all researchers and master¡¯s students before they can work on ¡°sensitive knowledge or technology¡± have been described as ¡°disproportionate¡± by sector leaders, who warn the measures could make the Netherlands less attractive to talented international scientists.

, submitted for consultation by education, culture and science minister Eppo Bruins, highlights research areas that ¡°pose the greatest risks to our national security¡±, among them ¡°AI, nuclear, quantum, biotechnology, microchips¡± and ¡°other technology with a possible military application¡±.

Screenings should be carried out by existing government authority Justis, the bill proposes, with an estimated 8,000 scholars ¨C both domestic and international ¨C screened every year. After a consultation period, the ministry intends for the law to be implemented ¡°as soon as possible¡±, with a target launch date of ¡°mid-2027¡±.

Speaking to Times Higher Education, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) strategic adviser Femke van Zijst described the bill as a ¡°disproportionate measure for the goal it aims to achieve¡±, predicting ¡°an enormous administrative burden¡± for universities as well as a significant cost.

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Pointing to differences in national research security policies across the European Union, Van Zijst warned of a potential ¡°uneven playing field¡±, with Dutch institutions compelled to ¡°reject researchers who are then simply hired by another European institution¡±.

¡°The increased administrative burden will cause delays for scientists wishing to work at a Dutch university,¡± Van Zijst added. ¡°As a result, the Netherlands will become a less attractive destination for scientific talent.¡±

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Dutch Research Council (NWO) spokesperson Jennifer Bendsneijder shared similar concerns about ¡°administrative burdens and the proportionality of the measures¡±, while noting the risk of ¡°stigmatisation¡± of particular researchers. ¡°At this moment it is still too early for a realistic assessment of the implications and feasibility,¡± Bendsneijder added.

Marileen Dogterom, president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), said Dutch institutions already have access to ¡°useful¡± research security resources.

This includes a launched in 2022 by then education and science minister Robbert Dijkgraaf, which advises institutions on international collaborations, and a set of ¡°National Knowledge Security Guidelines¡± produced through collaboration with KNAW, NWO, UNL and several other bodies.

These, Dogterom said, are ¡°already doing a really good job, with not that much of an administrative burden¡±. The screening protocol proposed by the new bill ¡°is overdoing it¡±, she said, adding, ¡°It¡¯s going to be a huge burden while picking out very few real risks.¡±

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Dogterom also raised concerns about the ¡°very long, generic list¡± of research areas described as ¡°sensitive¡± in the bill. ¡°I¡¯m in a technical university, and basically 70 per cent of what we do would fall on that list,¡± she said. ¡°You may also get a sense of false security, because it¡¯s a static list. There could be technologies developing that didn¡¯t make it to this list yet that we would like to protect.¡±

¡°Without collaboration with other scientists from around the world, we may lose the edge on many technologies,¡± Dogterom added. ¡°I always say if you close the door one way, you also close it the other way. It¡¯s going to hamper progress.¡±

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com