{"id":173311,"date":"2024-11-13T17:29:15","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T16:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173311"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:35","slug":"does-the-eur-community-want-to-engage-in-defence-research-a-terrible-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/13\/does-the-eur-community-want-to-engage-in-defence-research-a-terrible-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the EUR community want to engage in defence research? \u2018A terrible idea!\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Should academics collaborate with the defence sector to secure sufficient <\/span>funding for research? EM <\/span>asked<\/span> this question last week, prompting a wide <\/span>range of responses. Most reactions were strongly opposed to such collabora<\/span>tion, even if it could help soften the blow of drastic budget cuts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMediacentrum Defensie<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI) issued a <\/span>report at the end of October. To mitigate substantial funding cuts to scientific <\/span>research, the council recommended that academics might take on more de<\/span>fence-related projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

EM ran a small poll on Instagram among its followers. Most respondents <\/span>didn<\/span>\u2019<\/span>t see the point of working with defence; only a quarter were in favour. <\/span>Followers suggested a few areas of defence research they might support, such <\/span>as sustainable innovation and mental health. When asked if academics could <\/span>make a positive contribution to the Dutch military, 38 per cent chose <\/span>\u2018<\/span>security <\/span>for all of us\u2019<\/span>, while over 40 per cent were wholly opposed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Western values<\/h2>

EM also asked students and staff for their opinions on the website. One stu<\/span>dent, who also works as a corporal, thought it would be <\/span>\u2018<\/span>fantastic\u2019<\/span> if aca<\/span>demics could use their expertise to support the military. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Peace is not guaran<\/span>teed in today<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s tense global politics. Academics could carry out meaningful de<\/span>fence research with a positive impact.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another student agreed: <\/span>\u201c<\/span>It<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s remarkable how strongly academics oppose de<\/span>fence. Step out of your ivory towers, work with defence, and make an impact <\/span>that ensures Western values, which are so essential to your work, remain pro<\/span>tected.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How hypocritical<\/h2>

Not everyone, however, shared this enthusiasm. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The EUR is assessing part<\/span>ner institutions to see if they work with the military. And then they<\/span>\u2019<\/span>d collabo<\/span>rate themselves <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>how hypocritical!<\/span>\u201d <\/span>one staff member wrote. Another staff <\/span>member, Irena, went even further: <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Peace can only be achieved by banning <\/span>the arms industry worldwide. Collaboration is not an option!<\/span>\u201d <\/span>One student <\/span>concurred, saying, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Instead of taking more blood money, let<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s focus on in<\/span>creased investment in education and less privatisation.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another staff member described working with defence as <\/span>\u2018<\/span>the moral bank<\/span>ruptcy of science<\/span>\u2018<\/span>, with one simply adding, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>No fucking way!<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

PhD candidate Marlon Kruizinga called it a \u2018terrible idea\u2019. \u201cThe suggestion from the AWTI advisory council isn\u2019t even in good faith. The council includes people like the CEO of arms manufacturer Thales, who profit from war. Moreover, defence research doesn\u2019t necessarily contribute to Dutch security \u2013 it contributes to death and destruction worldwide.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Associate professor Jeff Handmaker highlighted that previous partnerships be<\/span>tween academic institutions and the <\/span>\u2018<\/span>barely regulated arms industry\u2019<\/span> have led <\/span>to serious human rights abuses, <\/span>\u2018<\/span>including war crimes<\/span>\u2018<\/span>. He cited Maya Wind<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s research on ties between Israeli universities and the Israeli military as an example. \u201cIt shows how the arms industry tests new weapons and technologies developed in collaboration with universities on Palestinians.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Staff member Alessia said that, as a transgender woman, she would never <\/span>want to work with defence or the arms industry, as it would feel like a be<\/span>trayal of herself. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The military-industrial complex arms those in power in coun<\/span>tries where LGBTQ+ rights are not only ignored but actively suppressed. Con<\/span>tributing to a system that continually harms my community feels like a denial <\/span>of my identity and values.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t

Reactions to Let’s Talk!<\/em> can be submitted anonymously, with full names, or with first names only. In this article, we have published the names as they were provided in the responses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t