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Pentagon orders 30 universities to scrutinize ties with Chinese research partners, fueling new ‘Cold War’ in science_我的网站

布达佩斯

一 |

The Pentagon, headquarters for the United States Department of War, is seen on August 13, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Photo: VCG
The US Department of War has ordered 30 US universities to review their research, financial and academic ties with foreign entities of concern, including Chinese institutions and organizations linked to former Confucius Institutes, warning that failure to comply could jeopardize their eligibility for future federal research funding.
This move marks the latest step in US' efforts to tighten academic cooperation with China, extending Cold War-style thinking into scientific research. Curtailing academic exchanges would ultimately undermine US' own research and innovation capacity, creating a self-imposed bottleneck for technological development, said a Chinese expert.
In a statement on Monday, the department said that it had formally notified the universities to conduct "immediate and comprehensive" audits of their foreign collaborations as part of a broader effort to tighten research security and prevent what it described as "unauthorized technology transfers, intellectual property theft and adversarial exploitation."
The reviews will cover active ties with foreign institutions identified under Section 1286 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act, as well as organizations associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes. The institutions must report their findings and any actions taken to the department by August 31.
This move marks another step in Washington's push to tighten its "research security" agenda and shield US academia from perceived "foreign influence," as the federal government increasingly intervenes in universities' research partnerships, Zhu Ying, a professor at the Baize Institute at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
By stretching the concept of national security, constraining academic freedom and politicizing scientific cooperation, Washington is turning research ties into a tool of strategic competition with China, said Zhu.
On July 23, the Department of War released its FY2025 update to the Section 1286 list, identifying 130 academic and research institutions in China, Russia and Iran that it claimed engaged in "problematic activities" and pose risks to US-funded research. The department urged US researchers, universities and industry partners to exercise strict caution when collaborating with, sharing data with or providing funding to institutions on the list.
Of the academic and research institutions on the list, more than 80 are based in China.
Zhu noted that the list continues to expand, covering more institutions and academic fields. The policies are putting growing pressure on US universities, threatening some joint projects and constraining decisions on research teams, funding and international exchanges. Moreover, these measures reflect a clear anti-China bias and risks creating discriminatory barriers.
The Pentagon's statement on Monday claimed that to maintain eligibility for future federal research funding, the notified universities must complete a comprehensive audit of all identified foreign collaborations, assess the exposure of sensitive or export-controlled research, and implement strict mitigation plans, including the termination of problematic partnerships.
The Pentagon did not release the names of the 30 universities. However, a Fox News report on Monday cited a US official as identifying the schools subject to the audit, including Georgetown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin, Emory University and Harvard University, among others.
Weng Dongdong, who is a professor in virtual reality technology at Beijing Institute of Technology, an institution included on the 1286 List, noted that his university's collaborative ties with US partners have been terminated on multiple occasions, and such partnerships have become extremely scarce ever since the Department of War added it to the list. Cutting academic exchanges under the guise of national security has dealt a blow to normal academic interactions.
A Florida based university professor told the Global Times that as China and the US compete across multiple fronts, Washington, facing growing pressure as China catches up, is increasingly responding with restrictions and pushback.
But Chinese students and scholars are a vital part of US' scientific research workforce. Backed by strong foundational training, they have made significant contributions in STEM fields. If the US imposes stringent restrictions on recruiting Chinese students for China-US research partnerships, its own research capacity could suffer considerable damage, said the professor.
Zhu also noted that the US' continued tightening of reviews of university-level research cooperation in recent years stems from growing self-doubt and mounting anxiety as China's technological catch-up has outpaced US expectations.
The latest move extends Cold War-era thinking into scientific research and has already had a chilling effect on academic exchanges. In the long run, tying cooperation with China to broadly defined "China-related risks" will undermine US' own research openness and innovation capacity, pushing the country toward a self-imposed technological bottleneck, said Zhu.
If the trend continues, a "new Cold War" in scientific research could emerge among China, the US and other major technological powers. Such fragmentation would squander global resources and impede scientific progress, said the expert.
。中新网北京8月22日电 (记者孙自法)作为中国人工智能赋能科学研究(AI for Science，简称AI4S，也称科学智能)领域最高规格的学术盛会，2026科学智能大会8月21日至22日在北京中关村成功举办。通过国际科技合作专题交流研讨，大会为中国深度参与并引领全球科学智能合作提供“中国方案”。大会国际科技合作专题“数字可持续发展”平行会议上，郭华东院士作学术报告。中新网记者孙自法摄　　本次大会的14场平行会议，分别以“基础研究”“科技创新与产业创新融合”“国际科技合作”三大专题为牵引密集举办，集中呈现科学智能在多学科、多场景的纵深突破。

二 | 　　基础研究专题直指“科学智能之根”，覆盖科学智能基础理论、科学数据、科学基础大模型、科研智能体与自主科研系统、自主实验室与科学表征新范式等关键方向。　　科技创新与产业创新深度融合专题直击“科学智能之用”，聚焦科学智能从实验室走向产业界的关键一跃，围绕生物医药、能源化工、材料开发、科学仪器、工业智能化五大方向，议题覆盖靶点发现、智能药物研发、化工智能实验室、电池材料智能创制、AI赋能科学仪器、智能制造与无人化工厂等产业一线，充分展现科学智能在支撑现代化产业体系中的“源头活水”作用。　　国际科技合作专题以“全景数字生命”“数字可持续发展”“植物星球”“深时数字地球”四大国际大科学计划为依托，系统研讨中国科学家倡议发起并牵头主导的国际大科学计划在科学智能赋能下的最新进展，为全球科学智能合作提供“中国方案”。　　这次大会的两场全体会议，首场以“推进人工智能赋能科学研究”为主线，呈现当前科学智能从技术研究向科研实践深入的发展趋势；第二场则从安全到自主实验室，描绘科学智能落地路线，更加聚焦“科学智能如何走深走实”。

三 | 　　大会的上百场学术报告，覆盖数学物理、化学化工、生命医学、材料科学、地学、信息技术、农学、工程管理等众多学科，集中展现出中国科学智能领域的重要进展与突破。大会全体会议上，王坚院士作学术报告。中新网记者孙自法摄　　大会期间举办的科学智能人才之夜活动以“AI文明原点”为核心，设立深空、算力、数据、生命与机器五大星际战队，与会专家学者围绕 AI发现“非人逻辑”科学规律、数据永生、后人类时代进化路线、超级算力与地球生存四大思辨议题展开深度交锋，为中国科学智能领域积蓄创新人才力量。

四 | 　　2026科学智能大会由中国科技发展基金会、北京科学智能研究院联合主办，并得到“学术科协”科学智能专家委员会深度学术指导。聚焦“人工智能变革科研范式”主题，大会为推动科研范式从“假设驱动”“数据驱动”迈向“智能驱动”注入了强劲的共识与力量。　　与会专家学者认为，人工智能正在成为继实验、理论、计算之后，驱动科学发现的核心引擎。他们呼吁中国科学家在这场科研范式变革中继续走在前列，以高水平科技自立自强支撑新质生产力发展。