The University of Sheffield is one of 35 UK universities chosen to form the Government’s “Defence Universities Alliance” (DUA), despite objections from students.
Launched on July 13 by Defence Minister Luke Pollard, the DUA aims to strengthen research and unite academia with the armed forces. Other participating universities include King’s College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester.
Students have expressed concerns about the ethics behind aligning with the defence industry during worldwide conflicts. In 2023, the University’s Student Union Council voted to introduce the “4D’s Manifesto”, which called for the University to demilitarise, decolonise, decarbonise, and democratise.
The Manifesto also calls to cut ties with arms companies, including Rolls Royce, BAE systems and Boeing. The companies have drawn extreme criticism due to their links to conflicts and human rights violations.
SU President Sam Omondi said: “Higher education is in a financial crisis. As universities continue to suffer from the effects of marketisation, their interests will continue to align with where the money flows, and that is always going to be tied to the ‘defence’ interests of our government, a state desperate to maintain their imperialist agenda and geopolitical power.
“I also understand that young people face a crisis for employment while living costs continue to rise and state benefits are continually threatened.
“But rather than fixing the crisis, and giving graduates a real chance to work in more ethical and sustainable fields, the government continues to exploit this crisis and funnel students for their own gain into propping up the systems that are creating generational problems instead of fixing them.”
Sheffield’s decision to be a founding member of the alliance is the latest development highlighting its growing ties within the defence industry. In June, the University was awarded over £2 million in Government funding to support “defence-related courses” such as civil and mechanical engineering.
A recent report by Demilitarise Education also named the University of Sheffield as the top militarised university in the UK, with its ties to the arms trade being valued at over £500 million.
BAE Systems opened a £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield last year. The company is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of arms and technology for defence, with its products being sold for use in attacks on Yemen by Saudi Arabia, the Iran War and to arm the IDF during its attacks on Gaza.
Similarly, Rolls-Royce’s German Power-Systems subsidiary MTU developed the engines used in Israel’s Merkava 4 and 5 battle tanks that were deployed heavily during attacks on the Gaza Strip.
In May 2024, Sheffield UCU revealed in its Genocide and Arpatheid Complicity Report that the University had received £72 million in funding from arms manufacturers between 2012 and 2022, more than any other institution during that period.
Multiple demonstrations against Sheffield’s relationships with these companies have been held on campus over the years. In October 2022, Sheffield Action Group occupied The Diamond to call upon the University to sever ties with the arms trade.
On The University of Sheffield’s decision to become a member of the DUA, a spokesperson for Sheffield Action Group said: “Sheffield University has once again chosen to expand its ties with the arms industry and the Ministry of Defence instead of supporting students and staff.
“They chose to focus on war and profit rather than education – getting their own students to build weapons that will be used to destroy Universities and lives elsewhere in the world.
“We know that when our government talks about ‘Defence and National Security’, what they mean is increasing imperialist brutality across the globe.”
The University of Sheffield has responded to this by pointing out the employment opportunities for students within the defence sector, amid increasing government investment and rising global threats.
A spokesperson for the University said: “We recognise and respect that our students hold strong and varied views regarding global issues, higher education’s involvement with the defence sector and our institutional partnerships.
“We feel it is unrealistic to expect a future world in which the UK doesn’t need a national defence sector that can respond to emerging threats and we believe the sector can be a force for good in terms of creating high-skilled jobs and attracting investment into regions such as South Yorkshire.
“All defence-aligned research at the University is subject to rigorous ethical oversight, governed by our Defence and Security Framework and aligned with our Code of Ethics.
“Crucially, external defense research grants and sector-specific industrial partnerships operate independently from core university funding models and do not divert institutional resources away from other faculties.”
Despite this, some students feel that the University has not been fully transparent regarding their ties to the arms industry, and have shared that they are uncomfortable with the prospect of their tuition fees aiding this.
Casey Nelson, a second year English Language and Linguistics student, and member of the University’s anti-cuts coalition said: “The armed forces have no place in education.
“I, like most students, was unaware of these issues before attending, and knowing would have absolutely put me off. Since the announcement of the DUA there has been an uptick in major news sources covering the issues here and in other universities. Hopefully this will continue so students can make more informed choices about their education.”
As awareness of the University’s military ties increased, some students have questioned whether progress in defence and engineering is taking precedence over other sectors, such as humanities and social sciences.
Imogen Falshaw, a second year Sociology student said: “It concerns me that the tuition fees I am paying could potentially be used to further global conflicts. Instead, I feel my tuition fees should be reinvested into improving my education.
“I also think it demonstrates a prioritisation by the university of certain subjects as the uni may have vested interests in the industry. This is largely at the expense of humanities and social sciences degrees.”
The University responded to student concerns regarding their relationship with the defence sector, amidst cuts to humanities and social science departments. A spokesperson for the University said: “We are extremely proud of our arts, humanities and social sciences programmes. They produce highly skilled, flexible and resilient graduates who go on to successful careers and tackle the most pressing global challenges of our age.
“Like many UK universities, we are adapting to changing sector demands and shifting student enrolments and our priority remains protecting the world-leading teaching and research that Sheffield is known for.”
Further information about Sheffield’s defence industry ties can be found on the University website.
Featured image credit: Sheffield Action Group
