Contemporary academic cooperation must combine openness with a firm defence of universal values. Gerhard Volz, Director of International Cooperation at the Austrian agency OeAD, summarises relations with Poland, changes in strategic partnerships following the pandemic, and challenges relating to research security. He believes it is essential to strike a balance between the exchange of knowledge and the growing risk of foreign interference in higher education.
Maintaining the neutrality of science in an era of global geopolitical tensions is a major challenge. Gerhard Volz, head of the international cooperation division at the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD), argues that the time has come for ‘responsible internationalisation’. The expert describes the academic relations between Vienna and Warsaw, highlighting the strong partnership within the Erasmus+ programme and joint initiatives between NAWA and OeAD. Volz draws attention to a profound re-evaluation of the focus of cooperation. Examples include a shift away from China towards South-East Asia and Africa, as well as the need to protect academic freedom from foreign espionage. The expert emphasises the importance of long-term strategies for the development of science, as well as the challenges arising from bureaucracy and political populism, which lead to the questioning of the rationale for funding international student exchanges with public money.