Knowledge Diplomacy in the De-Risking Context: What Does “De-Risking” Mean for EU-China Higher Education Collaboration?

The de-risking strategy rolled out by the European Union (EU) in 2023 was a major historical event for EU-China relations in higher education. In this study, 40 international education professionals from both China and the EU were interviewed to glean an understanding of what potential impact the policy may have on EU-China relations in higher education. Using knowledge diplomacy as a theoretical lens, this study aims to examine whether the higher education sector is able to balance national security and knowledge diplomacy in their international activities in the “de-risking” context. Despite some important concerns perceived, close to half of international educators from both sides are optimistic about the higher education sector's ability to transcend geopolitical tensions and continue collaboration. The confidence in the future prospect shows that de-risking presents challenges to collaborations, but the challenges do not necessarily eliminate the possibility of knowledge diplomacy.