IEEE Bans Huawei Employees from Peer Review Amid US Trade Restrictions
The IEEE blocks Huawei employees from editing or peer-reviewing academic papers to comply with US trade restrictions. The organization insists the move has minimal impact on overall member activities.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) bans Huawei employees from serving as peer reviewers or editors for its academic publications due to United States trade restrictions. This action follows the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to add Huawei to its "Entity List," which restricts American companies from engaging in certain business activities with the Chinese telecom giant without government approval.
The IEEE states that it complies with U.S. government regulations that restrict listed companies from participating in activities not generally open to the public, warning that violations carry severe legal implications. This sudden restriction sends shock waves through global academic circles, as researchers historically view the New York-headquartered organization as a strictly non-political and open platform for worldwide scientific collaboration.
Despite this removal from the paper vetting process, the IEEE assures its members that the trade policy has a minimal impact on Huawei employees. Affected individuals still access the IEEE digital library, submit technical papers, present at conferences, accept awards, and fully participate in standards-setting activities, including exercising voting rights and submitting proposals.