WIREDGOV

The Defence Universities Alliance must enhance, rather than compromise, the core principles that make universities distinctive: intellectual independence, openness and critical inquiry.

The recent announcement of a new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) reflects a growing recognition that universities are an integral component of the UK defence ecosystem, and the necessity of a ‘whole-of-society’ approach as we enter new eras of threats. Conceived with the aim of fulfilling the ambitions set out in the recent Defence Investment Plan, the DUA comprises 35 UK universities chosen from almost 100 applicants, and forms part of a broader £182-million investment to build defence-related skills and expand opportunities across Britain. The founding members include Newcastle University, King’s College London, the University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) states that the DUA will ‘reorientate academia towards Defence and National Security, bring universities into the defence and industrial base, promote Defence within the national student body, and provide coherence in the relationship between MOD and academia.’

On the surface, the more coordinated approach has the potential to strengthen capabilities, accelerate research and develop highly technical graduates for an increasingly challenging geopolitical and strategic environment. However, the announcement raises more questions than it answers about the role of universities in defence and the need to ensure that universities' core principles endure, allowing them to pursue knowledge beyond the state's strategic priorities.

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