King’s College London has been named as one of the 35 founding members of the UK’s new “Defence Universities Alliance” (DUA), a consortium of universities with interests in defence.
The national network has been established with hopes to strengthen collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Defence on research and skills related to national security.
The announcement comes weeks after King’s revealed plans for a merger with Cranfield University, marking another significant expansion of the university’s involvement in the UK defence sector.
Some King’s staff have reportedly criticised the merger for creating a “militarised” merged institution, with Cranfield known for its close links with the military, noting a “worrying obsession” with defence.
King’s is known for producing a significant volume of defence and security research; it is notable for its Department of War Studies, which describes itself as one of the world’s leading centres for the study of conflict and security.
Publicly, the DUA have said membership follows a “competitive selection process” and that it aims to coordinate defence-related work across UK universities amid rising global security challenges.
According to King’s, the initiative is intended to support research capability and economic growth, as well as improving the UK’s resilience in the face of evolving security challenges.
In recent years, pro-Palestine campaigners at King’s have protested the university’s relationships with defence organisations and companies connected to the arms industry, amidst wider scrutiny of universities’ institutional and financial links to the defence sector.
As part of the alliance, King’s will work alongside other universities and the Ministry of Defence on areas including conflict prevention, diplomacy, peacebuilding, cybersecurity, health security, emerging technologies, robotics and the ethical, legal and societal dimensions of defence research.
Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi, Senior Vice President (Research and Special Initiatives), said “King’s has long been committed to using, and sharing, our expertise and research to help prevent violent escalation, encourage conflict resolution, and bring about positive change as part of our tradition of public service,” adding that “as a founding member of the DUA we look forward to continuing to strengthen these contributions to UK national security and resilience.”
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shitij Kapur said the university’s involvement would allow King’s to contribute its expertise while helping to develop “the knowledge, judgement and ethical awareness required for the UK to navigate complex security challenges in a rapidly changing world.”
Professor Tim Dafforn, the Ministry’s Chief Scientific Advisor, described the DUA as “a genuinely transformative step forward in how Defence partners with the UK’s world-leading academic sector” that would strengthen national security while supporting innovation and economic growth.
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