The European Commission defines foreign interference as coercive, covert, deceptive, or corrupting activities that are carried out by, or on behalf of, a foreign state-level actor contrary to the sovereignty, values, and interests of the European Union (EU). Addressing foreign interference in EU Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) requires awareness and vigilance by all members of the academic community, who are collectively responsible for identifying, reporting, and responding to cases of foreign interference. The EC Staff Working Document titled Tackling R&I Foreign Interference outlines a comprehensive strategy for tackling foreign interference that covers key areas of attention grouped into the following four categories: values, governance, partnerships and cybersecurity. This document provides a non-exhaustive list of possible mitigation measures that can help HEIs and RPOs to develop an Awareness-Prevention-Response-Recovery strategy, tailored to their needs.
Source: European Commission
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