With the new School of Data Science complete, the University of Virginia has already seen significant interest and investment by the United States government to employ these capabilities in the rapidly evolving modern technology landscape. A new organization was established this fall, called the National Security Data and Policy Institute, that combines various branches of study at UVA to address the nation’s national security issues. However, the institute, led by Batten School Professor Philip Potter, is not the only symptom of the U.S. government’s desire to increase their competitiveness in current and future data ecosystems. This effort at UVA can be seen as part of a broader and global competition for talent and access which has marked the twenty-first century, and especially the past decade.
This rise in technological competitiveness has heralded a shift in views on international business and technological development, and has even impacted universities and the global educational system. One of the most recent and high-profile cases of technological competition can be seen in TikTok. Earlier this year, Congress passed a bill requiring the sale of the company by its parent, ByteDance, over concerns over the Chinese firm’s policies. These concerns stem from the vast amounts of data held by TikTok on American users and how this data is used. Although the ban has not yet been implemented—the company and U.S. government continue to battle in court—this bill’s passage has been the most public example of the data conflict emerging around the world.
Data competition is often directly tied to broader national security and cybersecurity efforts. China has begun legislating the flow of data and use of American technology in critical sectors of the economy, indicating a growing interest in just how much data and information is leaving the United States. Fears about security cannot be easily allayed, with the United States and other governments accusing China of stealing valuable data from companies on the cutting edge of many vital industries.
The broader sphere of data and tech competition does not only apply to China: a recent executive order targeted the transit of American data into “countries of concern.” The inevitable outcome of these concerns has been the increasing politicization of data—how it is gathered, where it is sent, and in what ways it will be utilized.
Data holds a special role in modern intelligence and spycraft, with many modern techniques for hacking into online targets requiring significant amounts of information on individuals who can be targeted to break highly sensitive systems. Russia has previously been accused of “spear phishing” employees—using targeted information to convince personnel to click malicious links or reveal critical information—a process made much easier the more data one has on the subjects in question.
This competition has spilled over into the education sector, with Chinese students and academics facing scrutiny when entering the United States for work or study. An executive order under President Trump “banned students who came from Chinese schools with a strong link to China’s military.” The increasing politicization of academia in a divided world is not necessarily new, with Chinese students having been expelled from the United States during the Korean War in the early 1950s. While such dramatic and controversial steps have not yet been taken in the United States yet, the precedent for educational competition escalation still remains. Some Chinese students at UVA have, in personal conversations, echoed these concerns over the politicization of their status and possible threats to their ability to remain at the university.
UVA is not a stranger to leading the cutting edge of science. For decades, the University maintained a nuclear reactor on the slopes of Observatory Hill. In fact, the book The Bomb in Our Garden notes a possible attempt by alleged Iraqi spies to obtain nuclear information from the Special Collections Library.
In 2022, the Department of Defense granted $4.5 million to UVA alongside a small number of other universities to conduct advanced hypersonics research. This new data center will not be the first foray of UVA into advanced research in cooperation with the U.S. government, and will certainly not be the last. The new institute is partnered with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all of the national spy agencies, including the CIA. Thus, this recognition is a significant moment for the University, promising a lucrative and vital role in national security. Virginia Senator Warner and UVA President Jim Ryan have also voiced their excitement for this project.
Whether this project is the first of many future collaborations or a shorter-term foray into academia by the government is yet to be seen. Not much has been revealed about the structure and deliverables of this project, although UVA and many students here may find this to be an excellent opportunity for advancement in profile and careers.
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