From mortar board to mortars
The UK government has awarded £80 million to 24 universities and colleges across England to expand defence-related education and training, reportedly – by them – creating nearly 2,500 new student places in subjects linked to national security and military industry needs.
The funding, announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Department for Education, will support courses in engineering, computing, cyber security, robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing. The government says the initiative is designed to strengthen the UK’s defence workforce and support the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review. It is not known how many of the student places will go to serving military personnel.
Twenty-four institutions were selected from 112 applicants.
They include Bournemouth University, the University of Winchester, Lincoln College, City College Plymouth, the University of Birmingham, the University of Liverpool, Birmingham City University, Durham University, the University of Lincoln, the University of Sheffield, the University of Southampton, the University of Surrey, Teesside University, the University of Warwick, the University of Westminster, Yeovil College, Aston University, the University of Exeter, Newcastle University, the University of Plymouth, the University of Cumbria, St Mary’s University Twickenham, the University of Bath, and the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering.
The government said £50 million would fund additional student places over the next five years, while a further £30 million would support new teaching facilities and infrastructure.
The announcement comes after new research by Demilitarise Education which identified at least £2.39 billion in documented partnerships between UK universities and military organisations and arms companies since 2018. The report found that defence sector involvement in higher education has become increasingly embedded across British universities.
Among the institutions receiving new defence funding are several universities already identified by Demilitarise Education as having substantial links to the military-industrial sector, including the University of Sheffield and the University of Birmingham.
The expansion of defence-focused education raises questions about the relationship between military research and academic traditions that have historically focused on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
Several of the newly funded institutions host recognised centres or programmes linked to peace, conflict or security studies. Bournemouth University is home to the Centre for Conflict, Rule of Law and Society, while Durham University hosts the Durham Global Security Institute. The University of Birmingham offers postgraduate programmes examining global conflict and cooperation.
The funding announcement follows an unsuccessful Freedom of Information request submitted by AOAV seeking details of membership in the Defence Universities Alliance. The MoD declined to release either the names of institutions that had applied, citing – amongst other things – commercial sensitivity.
Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence, said: “The government’s investment demonstrates how closely higher education is becoming intertwined with Britain’s defence ambitions. Universities have always played a role in scientific and technological development, but there is a growing public interest in understanding where the line lies between education, research and military capability.”
He added: “At a time when universities face severe financial pressures, defence funding may appear more than attractive. Even so, surely transparency remains essential. Refusals of FOIs are counter to this. Further, students, staff and the public deserve to know how these relationships are formed. How they shape research priorities, how they reflect institutional values and how they steer the future direction of higher education.”
The MOD claims the latest investment forms part of a wider £182 million defence skills package and comes as the government prepares to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027. Ministers argue that the expansion will help meet urgent workforce shortages in strategically important industries.
AOAV, however, sees it as further evidence of the growing militarisation of Britain’s university sector.
If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to war is paved, all too often, with academic papers.
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