Creeping influence of military sector at UK universities revealed
A report by UK scientists reveals the secrecy surrounding the growing influence of the military on the research agenda in British universities.
Behind Closed Doors report, Scientists for Global Responsibility
Behind Closed Doors, published today by Scientists for Global Responsibility, is the result of an in-depth investigation into sixteen of Britain’s universities, including some of the most prestigious.
Universities investigated were Birkbeck College London, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial College London, Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan, Newcastle, Oxford, Plymouth, Sheffield, Southampton, University College London, and the West of England.
Using new data gained under the Freedom of Information Act, the report’s authors estimate that the average level of military funding of UK universities is up to five times larger than government figures suggest.
The report also reveals the pervasive extent of the military influence in UK universities. The authors encountered significant disquiet among some university staff about the growing presence of military and commercial influences on campus, and their effect on the research agenda.
The report highlights how, since 2002, new military research groups have sprung up in universities supported by publicly-funded research councils, military corporations and the Ministry of Defence. The expansion of such groups has been accelerated by the 2006 Defence Technology Strategy.
The UK is the world’s third biggest spender on military research and development (R&D), approximately £2.5 billion net expenditure by the Ministry of Defence alone in 2005/6.
The military targets ‘high-prestige’ universities for the highest funding, thus diverting some of Britain’s finest scientists away from crucial areas such as health and the environment into military research. In 2006, governments in the rich, industrialised countries spent $96 billion on military R&D, compared to $56 billion on health and environmental R&D and $1.1 billion on renewable energy R&D.
The report’s authors call for a full public debate on the role of the military in UK universities. One of the authors, Dr Chris Langley, said “The creeping influence of the military establishment in our universities is deeply disturbing. We encountered secrecy, evasiveness and a lack of accountability while researching this report. Many university officials expressed concerns about military funding but were afraid to speak out. There must be complete transparency if public confidence in science is to be maintained.”
Download a copy of the report.
Scientists for Global Responsibility is an independent organisation of ethically-concerned science, design and technology professionals, founded in 1992.