LONDON -- British universities are telling academics to disclose links to a Chinese research institute named in an espionage alert issued by the U.K.'s domestic intelligence agency, as experts urge more government action to shield institutions.

Academics at multiple British universities told Nikkei Asia that administrators had circulated emails in response to the warning by MI5.

One university asked academics to identify any current or historical activity involving the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), including any "formal or informal partnership or connection," requesting a swift response.

At another, one of the world's top science and engineering institutions, an academic said there had been "an email blast across the university" reinforcing its "appropriate and robust processes to support colleagues and assess research partners," and directing staff to relevant guidance and contact points.

MI5 said last week that CGTRI had strong ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security and funded research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, covert communications and steganography, or the art of hiding information within a message or image.

It said that CGTRI's primary purpose is to "fund research that directly improves Chinese Ministry of State Security technical capability for espionage." More than 100 U.K.-linked academics had contributed to these projects, the alert said.

The Chinese Embassy in London rejected the allegations as "imaginary and purely fabricated." It said that academic exchanges were lawful and mutually beneficial, urging the U.K. intelligence authorities to stop undermining research cooperation.

Sam Olsen, chief analyst at security consultancy Sibylline, said the public warning was intended to push Whitehall and politicians to understand the risks, saying most people in government "do not understand the threat from China."

"The security services are raising their game because the threat is getting bigger," Olsen said. "A major public announcement is a way of shaking things up." MI5 acknowledged in its alert that many academics and institutions may have acted in good faith, but warned that continued involvement could breach the National Security Act 2023.

British universities have previously been criticized for security vulnerabilities. In 2021, a report by think tank Civitas identified research links involving more than half of Russell Group universities -- Britain's top research universities -- and Chinese military-linked manufacturers or universities.

The U.K. Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee also warned in 2023 that some institutions appeared to be "turning a blind eye, happy simply to take the money." Thames House, MI5's headquarters in London. The agency has warned that more than 100 U.K.-linked academics have contributed to research projects funded by China's Ministry of State Security.

A former security official told Nikkei Asia that "this has to stop," saying British academia was deeply penetrated by the Chinese Communist Party.

"The Chinese state's mass theft of British intellectual property is undermining the long-term profitability of our universities, and actively harming our national security," said the official.

Britain is one of the world's leading research nations. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2025 Critical Technology Tracker ranked the U.K. among the top five countries in 48 of 74 critical technologies, based on its output of highly cited research.

But financial pressures and funding cuts in recent years have made many British universities increasingly reliant on international student fee income, overseas talent and partnerships.

As far back as 2021, the U.K. government had set up the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) to provide advice to research institutions on national security risks linked to international partners.

RCAT had worked with more than 155 institutions and advised on over 500 cases by March 2026, according to its latest figures, but engagement with the service is voluntary.

Olsen said some academics see research activities as an essential matter of allowing information to flow freely around the world, which can make them reluctant to engage with security advisers.

"There is complete naivety about the risks," he said. "You ask researchers working on nuclear fusion whether they have spoken to the Chinese, and the response is: 'Why wouldn't we? Academic research has no borders.'" Responding to the MI5 alert, a spokesperson at the University of Manchester said the school had immediately instituted and completed a full review of any potential research links, and that no "formal or substantive relationship" with CGTRI had been identified.

However, security risks could also arise from informal consultancy work. "Often these types of arrangements are not captured by regulatory frameworks or internal university due diligence processes, so remain difficult to identify and scrutinize," said Tahlia Peterson, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

Peterson said the U.K. has made important progress on research security in recent years, but existing frameworks have developed in a piecemeal and fragmented fashion.

The U.K. government said in September that Britain's first Research Security Strategy would be launched this year, which will set out a single view of research security and support a more coordinated approach.

Peterson said the paper is coming at a "particularly important moment," adding that "the U.K. needs to adopt a more systemic, proactive and adaptable approach to research security." The U.S. has in recent years moved toward a more interventionist approach, including barring Pentagon funding for research involving countries of concern in the defense sector. Clement Ngu is a contributing writer.