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things as naming rights. Above all, they must insist that the terms of each gift
impose no restrictions on academic freedom. The activities of all chairs, centers,
and projects funded by Chinese support need to be fully transparent and supervised
by independent faculty committees and university administrators, who must bear
in mind that even when a joint project, research grant, or gift has undergone due
diligence and has no explicit or evident strings attached, it can still produce a natural
sense of obligation because no institution wants to offend a generous donor. This is a
problem, not restricted to grants from China, but one that is deeply entrenched in the
fund-raising structure on which American institutions of higher education depend for
their well-being.

Defend Academic Freedom Faculty governance is the core technique for protecting
academic freedom in American universities and is the key to their leading role in
research and teaching. It takes various forms in various institutions, but its key
principles must be applied consistently to interactions involving China. Transparency
must be maintained in the terms of a university's contracts with all outside actors,
whether individuals, foundations, donors, or collaborating institutions such as the
Hanban, which funds Confucius Institutes. Such actors must be subject to regular
oversight by faculty bodies and by administrators answerable to faculty bodies so that
faculty, students, visiting scholars, and others associated with the university in an
academic capacity will have uncompromised freedom of speech, research, teaching,
and programmatic activities.

Universities and their associated institutions—such as university presses—must
refuse all forms of censorship of—or interference in—their publications, conferences,
curricula, participants in events, and other academic activities. Some universities have
formal rules barring such censorship, but they need to increase awareness, training,
and enforcement. Other universities may need to enact or update such rules. While
maintaining the openness of US universities to Chinese students, scholars, and
researchers, universities should push for reciprocity from Chinese partner institutions
with respect to various forms of research access.

In short, universities should enhance protection for faculty and students—especially
international students—from interference in their academic freedom, and campuses
with large numbers of international students from authoritarian countries should
introduce training for students on their academic rights in the American educational
system, and on the proper distance that independent student organizations should
maintain from government actors. Finally, universities should provide a confidential
complaint procedure for students who feel they have come under pressure that
threatens their academic freedom, and university advisors should stand prepared to
counsel and assist these students to deal appropriately with such pressures.

Section 4

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