Staff push back against Welsh universities joining UK defence alliance

Mark Mansfield

Staff at Wales’ two universities involved in a new UK defence initiative are pushing back against their institutions’ decision to join the scheme.

University and College Union (UCU) branches at Cardiff and Swansea universities have passed motions opposing membership of the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), which was formally launched by the Ministry of Defence in July.

Cardiff and Swansea are among 35 founding universities and are the only Welsh institutions taking part.

Both universities have defended their involvement, saying it will create opportunities for research, collaboration and students.

The DUA is intended to strengthen links between universities, the Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces and defence industry.

Its charter commits members to increasing research and development capacity in defence and national security-related fields, promoting defence careers and allowing defence companies and the Armed Forces to attend careers events.

The Ministry of Defence says the initiative will help universities turn research into “battlefield advantage” as well as medical advances, while providing routes into careers including cyber security, robotics, artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering.

The alliance forms part of a £182m UK Government defence skills package. Almost 100 universities applied to take part.

But UCU members at Cardiff and Swansea have raised concerns about what they describe as the increasing “militarisation” of universities.

Both branches have passed motions opposing the alliance, arguing it risks influencing research priorities, compromising institutional independence and creating ethical conflicts.

A Swansea UCU member who proposed its motion said: “Universities should be spaces where research is driven by society’s most pressing needs, not by industries that profit from violence and suffering.

“We should instead focus on addressing the root causes of conflict: poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis.”

A member of Cardiff UCU’s executive committee said staff and students had not been consulted before the university joined the alliance.

They said: “Students from conflict areas have shared with us how they feel excluded and deeply affected by the University inviting arms manufacturers to campus that make the very weapons that were used to kill and maim members of their families and communities.

“This is before we even get to the wider dangers to all of society of militarised universities.”

Cardiff University said the concerns raised by UCU were “not representative of all staff”.

A spokesperson said: “A significant number of our academic staff are committed to using their research to contribute to national security which also includes matters of health, energy and food security.

“Universities have a responsibility to enable and protect academic freedom and inquiry. We support our colleagues undertaking activity aligned to defence, security and resilience.

“Decisions about all of Cardiff’s research activity continue to be governed by the University’s robust and established policies, ethical frameworks and legal obligations.”

The dispute also centres on university policies governing careers and relationships with defence companies.

Campaigners say Swansea had previously committed not to advertise jobs in the arms industry alongside roles in the fossil fuel, mining and tobacco sectors, but subsequently reversed that position.

Consultation

Swansea University said its Ethical Careers Policy had been updated following “extensive consultation”.

A spokesperson said the university provided impartial careers support and promoted opportunities across a range of sectors, allowing students to make decisions based on their own interests, values and aspirations.

The university said its DUA membership reflected expertise including advanced materials, human interaction and physiology, cyber security, navigation and communications.

It added: “We are confident that our membership will create new opportunities for collaboration, skills development and innovation, and are committed to engaging with our students and staff, including our campus unions, as these opportunities emerge.”

At Cardiff, UCU says the university had previously committed to reviewing the ethics code governing its Student Futures careers service with student involvement, but argues the process did not provide the consultation students had expected.

Cardiff University said its Student Futures Code of Impartiality was approved by its Senate, which includes elected staff and student representatives, in June 2025.

A spokesperson said: “Whilst we appreciate that some of our students and staff will disagree with our approach, to meet the full range of aspirations it will, occasionally, include engagement with some sectors and employers that some disagree with.

“Our aim is to provide our students and graduates with the freedom, information and support needed to make their own career choices.”

Open letter

Opposition to the alliance extends beyond Wales, with 54 student union officers from universities around the UK signing an open letter against it.

When the DUA was launched, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said: “The Defence Universities Alliance will create meaningful connections between students, academia and defence, boosting research, skills and defence expertise across the UK to strengthen industry.”

The alliance’s charter says the initiative is intended to support a “whole of society” approach to national security challenges, while requiring universities to protect academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

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