The University of Southampton has signed a landmark pact with the UK and Australian governments to support the security agreements between the two nations.
The new Advanced Skills Alliance was ratified by UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP at a signing ceremony in Australia with its Education Minister Jason Clare.
The Alliance brings together eight elite universities, including Southampton, to fast-track the skills and research needed to build security, defence and resilience as part of the UK-Australia Geelong Treaty and the AUKUS innovation program.
Professor Mark Spearing , Vice-President of Research and Enterprise at the University of Southampton, said: "We are proud to stand as a key partner in the new Advanced Skills Alliance.
"As a top-100 world university, we will bring the research and educational excellence of a leading UK Russell Group institution to directly support the sovereign security and defence capability in both nations.
"This partnership is an opportunity to apply our world-leading reputation for developing the next generation of highly-skilled doctoral talent to drive innovation and protect the AUKUS Agreement for years to come."
A cornerstone of the new Alliance is the creation of a joint UK-Australia Centre for Doctoral Training, which will focus on high-priority research areas crucial to national security. This includes:
- Nuclear engineering - supporting the Nuclear Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration (Geelong) Treaty and the AUKUS Agreement
- Systems design - developing resilient and defence tech
- Cybersecurity - securing the two nations' digital security infrastructure
UK Education Secretary the Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP said: "Education and innovation are the backbone of the AUKUS partnership.
"By joining forces, our countries are investing in people as much as technology - training the brilliant minds who will drive innovation for shared resilience."
The eight universities involved in the alliance signed a Memorandum of Understanding in close consultation with both the UK and Australian governments.
It also features input from leading organisations in the defence sector such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Babcock International, Australian Submarine Agency, and Austal.
Australia's Education Minister the Hon Jason Clare added: "This is about building sovereign capability in partnership.
"We're not just buying submarines. We're partnering with some of the best universities in the world to equip Australian and British talent to develop, operate and sustain cutting edge innovation for decades to come."
UNSW Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our universities to lead in high-impact innovation.
"By working together across borders and with industry, we can strengthen joint sovereign capability between the UK and Australia in security, defence and resilience - all while growing our economy and creating jobs - this is the strategic principle of Progress For All that lies at the heart of UNSW and we are extremely proud to be a part of this critical partnership."
