Fundamental challenges: trade compliance in university and research settings

As lawmakers increasingly express concerns about the illicit acquisition of sensitive technology from universities, WorldECR is delighted to present this timely, topical webinar on trade compliance in university and research settings.

This is a complex subject for educational and other institutions, as they strive to maintain the right balance between national security priorities and academic freedoms. But recent developments – such as the publication by the European Union of guidelines for dual-use researchers, and headline-grabbing enforcement cases (including Princeton University’s 2021 penalty to settle alleged exports of animal pathogens) – highlight the degree of scrutiny that they’re facing, and the importance of strong compliance.

With presentations from highly experienced practitioners in the United States, European Union and United Kingdom, this one-hour webinar defines the main challenges and provides insights and guidance on:

• Key definitions, e.g., understanding ‘fundamental research’
• Where export control/sanctions issues are most likely to arise (e.g., sensitive research areas, R&D, collaborations with foreign partners, foreign students/researchers, lecture tours and travel, deemed export risks)
• The role of export control officers
• Practical actions your institution can take to limit risk

Drawing on multiple case studies and wrapped up with a roundtable discussion between our panellists, this is a must-see presentation not only for compliance professionals employed in such settings but also for their advisers, partners and collaborators.

Our presenters are:

• Bethany C. Nelson, Export Control Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Reid Whitten, Managing Partner at the London office of law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hamilton
• Branislav Aleksic, Head of Export Control and Corporate Security at Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Munich

Webinar producer Alexander Fried is a former Clerk for the Committee on Foreign Investment into the United States (‘CFIUS’) and is currently studying at the James E.  Beasley School of Law at Temple University.