Report

Universities’ role in global conflict

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues the UK universities must be recognised as central pillars of national security and resilience.

The Wartime University: The role of Higher Education in Civil Readiness by Gary Fisher argues UK universities must be recognised as central pillars of national security and resilience. The paper highlights how higher education institutions represent a ‘composite capability’ to enhance and sustain civil readiness, spanning defence, health, skills, logistics and democratic continuity, but warns this potential remains under-recognised and poorly integrated into emergency planning frameworks.

Drawing on historical precedents, the current example of Ukraine and existing UK sector capacity, the report shows that universities are not only vulnerable in times of crisis but also indispensable. From supplying military officers and advancing defence research, to hosting community aid centres and strengthening democratic resilience, higher education institutions already operate across domains critical to national preparedness – and the new Policy Note covers a range of existing examples.

Without clearer policy design however, the diffuse capacity across the UK higher education sector risks remaining fragmented and under-leveraged. Key findings: UK universities are deeply embedded in civil society, employing nearly 400,000 staff and educating 2.9 million students, making them vital infrastructure for resilience.

In Ukraine, universities have sheltered civilians, documented war damage, sustained research under bombardment and mobilised international partnerships. By operating beyond traditional diplomatic channels, they have acted as an extra-governmental network for aid, collaboration and civic stability. In doing so they have offered a powerful model of how higher education can serve as a stabilising force in wartime.

UK higher education institutions already contribute to health security, food security, civic coordination and defence training, but lack formal integration into the UK’s national emergency frameworks. Without clear protocols, universities risk being sidelined in future crises, squandering their potential as trusted, distributed hubs of civic resilience.