5,000 signatures reached
To: UK Universities
Stop the Militarisation of UK Universities
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The UK Government Just Announced a Major Threat to Education:
The UK government has just announced a new "Defence Universities Alliance" as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025. This move threatens to permanently reshape higher education into a tool of militarisation.
For the first time in UK history, universities are being officially defined as part of the "Defence Industrial Base."
This means campuses, research projects, and even student career pathways are being reoriented to serve military priorities—not the independent public good.
Billions in public money are being diverted into a national war agenda:
- UCAS is set to partner with the Ministry of Defence to promote careers in the war industry
- £182 million funding package, with £50M for five new specialised Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs) across England and £80M to 24 colleges and universities for 2,500+ graduate schemes aimed at programmes for military technological development.
- Redirecting research priorities toward military applications and making universities more dependent on private arms companies
Education should build hope and progress—not weapons and conflict.
Now is the time to resist.
Take action now:
📝SIGN THE PETITION
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--- Sign the Petition to Call on UK Higher Education Leaders to End their Complicity in War and Break from the Global Arms Trade ---
Our Demand: The dED Treaty
Demilitarise Education (dED) is calling for UK Universities to publicly commit to demilitarisation by adopting The dED Treaty, stating that they will:
- Change policy to exclude arms companies
- End their financial, academic and research partnerships with the arms industry
- Reinvest in peaceful and renewable sectors
To create a more peaceful world, our universities should support and develop security innovations to help us face modern-day security challenges—rather than investing in ones that negatively contribute to the threats we face.
Universities hold undeniable power to shape society. By signing this petition you will help to make sure that this power is used in favour of peace and not war.
Every month we wait, the ties grow stronger. The Defence Universities Alliance is already in motion. We must act now.
This campaign is being run in partnership with World BEYOND War, a global nonviolent movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. Visit their website to sign up to hear from this global network for peace: https://worldbeyondwar.org/
Sign the open letter for those affiliated with a UK university: https://ded1.co/how-we-do-it/open-letter-2025
*P.S. This petition is open to the general public and can be signed by anyone worldwide. You can use our registered address postcode if you do not have a UK postcode - M2 3HZ
*P.S. This petition is open to the general public and can be signed by anyone worldwide. You can use our registered address postcode if you do not have a UK postcode - M2 3HZ
Why is this important?
The military industrial complex – the relationship between a country’s military and the defence industry – is not often the first thing that comes to mind when we think about UK universities. But as climate change and global conflict escalate, it has never been more important that our education systems are used to advance peace.
But UK universities continue to invest in and partner with the companies who profit from and contribute to this instability. The dED database has uncovered £2BN+ in these links - and we’ve barely scratched the surface yet!
This demonstrates the massive scope of university relationships with arms entities, rooted in an industry which will not help us tackle modern-day security threats. The arms industry cannot help to resolve the security threats arising from climate change, poverty, and global instability. Veterans for Peace have said this plainly: “War cannot solve the problems we face in the 21st century”. We cannot fight climate change with fighter jets, and cannot solve health crises with combat drones.
As Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. 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.
To create a more peaceful world, our universities should support and develop security innovations to help us face modern-day security challenges – rather than investing in ones that negatively contribute to the threats we face.
Universities hold undeniable power to shape society. By signing this petition you will help to make sure that this power is used in favour of peace and not war.
______________________________________________
P.S. We really need your help to continue our important work.
We don't have many regular donors yet and this crucially needs to change if you want us to continue fighting to take back the power (and use it for peace).
Even £5 a month makes a huge difference.
Donate now if you can and be a part of building this legacy: https://ded1.co/donate
______________________________________________
If you're associated with a UK university: Add a direct message to the Chancellor of your University in the comment box available, using your university email address if possible.
Organisational endorsements:
Bury & Salford Peace Group
Centre for Peacebuilding Organisations
For Our Great-Great-Grandchildren
ForcesWatch
Glasgow University Arms Divestment Coalition
International Peace Bureau
London Campaign Against Arms Trade
Manchester & Warrington AM Quaker Peace Group
Musicians for Peace and Disarmament
Rethinking Security
Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group
Scientists for Global Responsibility
Shadow World Investigations
Stockport for Peace
Stop Fuelling War
The Vivienne Foundation
University of Bristol Students Union
WILPF UK
Sign on behalf of an organisation here: https://forms.gle/NLscs5TDJNi1KrjNA
But UK universities continue to invest in and partner with the companies who profit from and contribute to this instability. The dED database has uncovered £2BN+ in these links - and we’ve barely scratched the surface yet!
This demonstrates the massive scope of university relationships with arms entities, rooted in an industry which will not help us tackle modern-day security threats. The arms industry cannot help to resolve the security threats arising from climate change, poverty, and global instability. Veterans for Peace have said this plainly: “War cannot solve the problems we face in the 21st century”. We cannot fight climate change with fighter jets, and cannot solve health crises with combat drones.
As Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. 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.
To create a more peaceful world, our universities should support and develop security innovations to help us face modern-day security challenges – rather than investing in ones that negatively contribute to the threats we face.
Universities hold undeniable power to shape society. By signing this petition you will help to make sure that this power is used in favour of peace and not war.
______________________________________________
P.S. We really need your help to continue our important work.
We don't have many regular donors yet and this crucially needs to change if you want us to continue fighting to take back the power (and use it for peace).
Even £5 a month makes a huge difference.
Donate now if you can and be a part of building this legacy: https://ded1.co/donate
______________________________________________
If you're associated with a UK university: Add a direct message to the Chancellor of your University in the comment box available, using your university email address if possible.
Organisational endorsements:
Bury & Salford Peace Group
Centre for Peacebuilding Organisations
For Our Great-Great-Grandchildren
ForcesWatch
Glasgow University Arms Divestment Coalition
International Peace Bureau
London Campaign Against Arms Trade
Manchester & Warrington AM Quaker Peace Group
Musicians for Peace and Disarmament
Rethinking Security
Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group
Scientists for Global Responsibility
Shadow World Investigations
Stockport for Peace
Stop Fuelling War
The Vivienne Foundation
University of Bristol Students Union
WILPF UK
Sign on behalf of an organisation here: https://forms.gle/NLscs5TDJNi1KrjNA
How it will be delivered
The dED team and network of campaigners will deliver the petition directly to their university's Vice Chancellor and leadership to negotiate for the adoption of The dED Treaty. It will be used to demonstrate widespread and public support for this crucial change. Student and staff campaigners and key representatives will engage university administration with the open letter to demonstrate support within the higher education sector.
