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UK universities are accepting money from the military and defence sector, building research around arms-trade needs, while also buying shares in arms companies and profiting from those shares. The UK government sees major advantage in hosting weapons-related research in universities, seeing arms development as falling in line with its economic and national security agendas.
The military sector and arms industry make their profits from resource exploitation, conflict, and the building-up of weapons reserves: the exact things generating instability. Research which could fuel peaceful, sustainable innovation can easily be crowded out, particularly given that defence research has more links to security policy making than research on human security. The truth is, our security relies on the health of the planet and people, not on the health of our militaries, and military spending is not based on a sound analysis of national security.
We, at Demilitarise Education, say that this research and these partnerships jeopardise what a university should seek to do. Instead of selling their research capabilities to arms companies, universities should broaden the minds of their students, working to produce knowledge that improves the health, wellbeing, and security of the world.
The Demilitarise Education Model
1
Research Phase
The research phase involves working with students and the public to collect comprehensive information on universities relationships with the arms trade.
We will build a profile of every UK University: their stances, policies and partnerships with the military and defence sector.
This is so we can benchmark universities by who best champions peace.
2
Engagement Phase
The engagement phase is where we begin to publish this data, to engage universities in the issue and provide the opportunity of signing the Demilitarise Education Treaty.
3
Ratification Phase
Ratification is the process of planning for formal adoption of the treaty, within a university’s existing policies and practices.
4
Implementation Phase
The last phase, implementation, is when universities should be turning the adoption of the treaty into practice.
University transparency will enable us to evaluate how far demilitarisation has been achieved across universities that have signed the treaty, and whether they now champion peace.
Want to learn the myths that sustain the global arms trade? Check out our 7 Myths video series!
We are a community of modern day peacemakers who untangle, expose and end university ties to the global arms trade.
Building the world’s first university and arms database, we want to benchmark how peaceful universities are.
Find your community, build your skills with our training and support and get universities to sign the Demilitarise Education Treaty and begin their journey towards championing our futures over profit.
Your efforts can transform our higher education so as to support world peace, instead of war.