Navigating Risks: An Interview on Research Security with Prof. Dr Karen Shire, University of Duisburg-Essen

Questions relating to security and national sovereignty have become increasingly central to international academic cooperation in recent years against the backdrop of the current geopolitical landscape. Open research systems are encountering more restrictive operating environments. At the same time, technological developments are intensifying questions surrounding the potential dual-use applications of knowledge, while geopolitical tensions are having an ever more direct impact on scientific collaboration.

Against this backdrop, since 2019 the Centre for International Academic Cooperation (KIWi) has established itself as the central advisory body for German higher education institutions and individual researchers in the field of risks and security, bringing stakeholders together to exchange perspectives on issues relating to knowledge security.

Vice-Rector and Professor Karen Shire reflects on her practical experience in an interview, discussing both the challenges and opportunities presented by security-related issues in the context of international research projects.

Prof. Dr Karen Shire on key questions currently faced by many stakeholders across the higher education and research sector:

What does "research security" mean, and why has it become an increasingly important topic?
How should research be managed when its findings may have dual-use or multiple-use applications?
How can risks in international academic cooperation be minimised without fundamentally restricting cooperation?
What responsibilities do higher education institutions and individual researchers have in managing these risks?
What different approaches to research security exist at the national level, and what are the implications for international academic exchange?
What role does the academic community play in international relations as an actor in science diplomacy?

One of the most important aims of research security should be to enable international cooperation under difficult and changing circumstances. Prof. Dr. Karen Shire

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Prof. Karen Shire, Ph.D., is Vice Rector for University Culture, Diversity, and International Affairs and Professor of Comparative Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). As Vice Rector, she is responsible for global engagement and strategic partnerships in all world regions and represents UDE in the UA Ruhr liaison offices in North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe & Central Asia. She is a member of the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy, the selection committee for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Feodor Lynen Fellowship Program, and President of the International Sociological Association Research Committee Economy and Society. Her research contributes to an understanding of the effects of globalization on social inequalities.

Knowledge Security in Practice

In response to the growing demand for support in addressing security-related risks, the KIWi is continuously expanding its advisory services and online resources for higher education institutions. In autumn 2026, the KIWi will launch its comprehensive new online platform, Knowledge Security in Practice.

The interview with Vice-Rector Karen Shire marks the beginning of a new video series offering practical insights into how higher education institutions are addressing knowledge security.

The KIWi supports both individual enquiries relating to international collaborative projects and the implementation of institutional structures at German higher education institutions. This includes advice on institutional, governance-related and cooperation-related aspects of international academic cooperation. This broad approach extends beyond research itself to encompass academic exchange involving students and early-career researchers.

For this reason, the KIWi has adopted the concept of Knowledge Security, a term introduced by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat).

Knowledge security describes an integrated approach that seeks to ensure international academic cooperation is conducted responsibly while carefully balancing risks relating to security, integrity and academic autonomy. The concept extends beyond protecting sensitive research to include institutional partnerships, funding arrangements, digital infrastructures, knowledge transfer and commercialisation, as well as issues of research ethics and institutional responsibility.

Unlike the more narrowly defined concept of research security, knowledge security encompasses the entire ecosystem of international academic cooperation and its institutional framework. Whereas research security primarily addresses risks arising from specific fields of research or technologies, knowledge security also includes institutional, governance-related and cooperation-related dimensions of international academic relations.

About the expert

Knowledge Security in Practice