In one case, University College London accepted almost £50,000 in sponsorship from BAE Systems to fund its Centre for Ethics and Law. The company was accused of being party to alleged war crimes in Yemen in 2019.

Sheffield University received more defence funding than any other institution, taking over £42m, while Oxford and Cambridge took £17m and £10m respectively.

Emily Apple of the UK group Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) said: “Universities should immediately stop accepting funding from arms companies. It is totally inappropriate that our universities are funded by a trade in death and destruction.

“The arms trade exists to make money for its shareholders, and the vast sums of money pumped into universities is not an act of benevolence towards education – it is a means of buying influence and ensuring the weapons industry is represented in academia.”

Documents obtained by openDemocracy also reveal that several top British universities, including half of the ‘Russell Group’, have invited arms company officials to sit on their advisory boards.

The findings follow a separate investigation by openDemocracy last month that showed more than a dozen universities had taken advice on degree courses from fossil fuel companies.

We also revealed that university leaders lobbied the government to keep names of foreign donors secret, having accepted more than £281m in secret gifts, including large sums from overseas.

Advice from arms companies

Analysis shows that at least 36 arms company officials sit on advisory boards in 12 Russell Group universities, including boards advising on academic programmes.

Students at Sheffield – which said that five defence officials sit on advisory boards for engineering degrees – have challenged university bosses over its links to the arms trade and protested in support of Palestine.

Elsewhere, Queen’s University Belfast has received almost £4m from defence companies. The university said Rolls-Royce and Collins Aerospace (now part of RTX) both take part in a forum that advises on eight of its engineering courses.

And Warwick University also confirmed that at least one arms company official sits on an advisory board that inputs into all undergraduate and postgraduate engineering degrees – but refused to name them or the company.

£100m over five years

Responding to Freedom of Information requests, 44 universities told openDemocracy they had taken a combined total of at least £100m in funding and donations from eight of the biggest UK and US defence firms: RTX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

All are listed in the top 100 arms and military services in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Reports suggest that most of the companies play an important role in arming Israel, including RTX, which has been a supplier for the country’s Iron Dome since 2014. The company gave around £616,000 to universities including Bath, Oxford and Gloucestershire.

Rolls Royce gave the most, accounting for almost £64m in funding. BAE Systems provided over £20m, and Boeing gave £14m. Others gave smaller amounts, including Lockheed Martin which provided £179,000, mostly for research funding.

But those numbers could be significantly higher in reality as some universities did not respond on time or said it would be too expensive to handle our requests. Others denied our FOI requests, claiming the answers would prejudice commercial interests, breach confidentiality, or would be too expensive to answer.

Jinsella, co-founder and executive director of Demilitarise Education, a campaign group which calls for universities to end partnerships and investments with arms companies, said: “Universities hold the potential to shape a world of peace and progress, making their alliance with arms companies tragically ironic. Instead of illuminating minds for a brighter future, higher education institutions are fuelling the engines of illegal conflicts, causing irreparable harm to innocent lives worldwide.”

What they’re funding

Protesters have recently been blocking BAE Systems factories, calling for the firm to end ties with Israel. The company has also previously been accused of being party to alleged war crimes in Yemen.

But documents obtained by openDemocracy show how BAE Systems has given close to £50,000 to sponsor University College London’s (UCL) Centre for Ethics and Law from 2017 to 2021.

UCL decided not to accept any further corporate sponsorship in 2021, but a representative from BAE Systems is still a member of the centre’s advisory board.

But many other universities refused to disclose specific details about what arms companies are funding.

Cambridge University said it had received millions of pounds from Boeing and Rolls-Royce for “research collaborations”, but didn’t explain what the projects were.

Oxford University told openDemocracy that Rolls-Royce gave over £17.5m, but said it could provide no further details since it would reveal confidential information.

Meanwhile, the University of Chichester said it took more than £4.5m from BAE Systems for “research projects” between 2017 and 2023.

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We work with a number of academic and research organisations across the UK to develop innovative technology solutions.

“We’re horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it’s having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

They added: “Our role in supporting the Royal Saudi Arabian Armed Forces is clearly defined and strictly limited to providing equipment, support and training under government to government agreements between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment.”

A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said: “UK university contributions have no connection to F-16 sales. Our university contributions in the UK form part of Lockheed Martin’s global commitment to supporting programmes that educate and inspire tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and mathematicians and prepare the diverse workforce of the future. This support has no link to product sales.”

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