Canterbury Christ Church University did not reply to similar questions by the deadline.
The University of Kent says it has “no current or historic links” to the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), the organisation named in MI5’s espionage alert of 30 September.
Kent Local News put written questions to the University of Kent and to Canterbury Christ Church University on 2 October, after the Security Minister wrote to every UK vice-chancellor asking universities to make sure staff end any arrangements with CGTRI. Both were asked to reply by 5pm on Thursday 8 October.
What the University of Kent said
The university’s press office replied on 8 October: “The University has no current or historic links to the CGTRI.”
KLN had asked seven questions. The reply did not address the others, which asked whether the university had received the Security Minister’s letter and begun a review; whether any review covered the wider London and South East University Group, which includes the University of Greenwich; whether it covered the Institute of Cyber Security for Society and the School of Computing; how the university establishes the ultimate funding source of a research collaboration with a Chinese institution; how many active research collaborations it has with institutions in China; and whether it will tell staff and students the outcome.
Canterbury Christ Church University
Canterbury Christ Church University was sent a similar set of questions on 2 October. No response had been received by the deadline of 5pm on Thursday 8 October. Any response will be reported.
Background
MI5’s alert says CGTRI has “very strong ties” to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), and that its primary purpose is to fund academic research that “directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage”.
MI5 has not named any university, and nothing published links any Kent institution to CGTRI. KLN’s report on the alert sets out what MI5 said and what it means for Kent.
Sources
- University of Kent press office, written reply to Kent Local News, 8 October 2026
- MI5 Espionage Alert, 30 September 2026
- Kent Local News: MI5 alert tells universities to cut ties with Chinese spy-linked funder (2 October 2026)