Ludger Santen, the president of Saarland University, has stated that limiting scientific freedom in certain security-sensitive areas is unavoidable. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt”, Santen noted, “Where questions of national security are touched upon, we must accept restrictions on scientific freedom.” This view comes amidst a heated debate regarding potential knowledge leakage to China, specifically in connection with the Helmholtz Centre for Information Security (Cispa) in Saarbrücken. Currently, a special inspector mandated by both the federal and Saarland governments is investigating allegations concerning research collaborations with Chinese entities and has called for clearer guidelines for research institutions.
Santen emphasized that the primary focus should be on creating transparent and unambiguous frameworks for researchers, allowing them to perform adequate risk assessments. Furthermore, he stressed that in especially sensitive fields, institutions require support from security agencies-particularly when individual personnel must be vetted.
While advocating for a nuanced approach to scientific cooperation with China, Santen warned that particular caution is necessary when collaborating with scientists from Chinese military universities. In areas directly affecting national security, however, such cooperation must be ruled out. Yet, he cautioned against abandoning scientific exchange with China altogether. According to Santen, China is a powerful scientific nation, and maintaining cooperation could actually strengthen the capabilities of Germany’s scientific system.
