Blanket ban possible for some foreign researchers, minister says

Researchers from certain countries could face exclusion from security-sensitive fields in the Netherlands

The Dutch science minister has said that some researchers from countries considered to be a security threat may be banned from certain programmes and funding streams.

In a debate in parliament last week, science and education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf renewed his commitment to the country’s updated knowledge security policy, which will see the introduction of special officers at higher education institutions. “The knowledge security portfolio must be anchored at the highest level,” he told parliament on 9 February. “According to the security services, risk awareness is important to make international collaboration safer.”