Senior ministers from Australia and the United Kingdom have witnessed the signing of a new university alliance aimed at fast-tracking skills and research critical to security, defence and resilience under the AUKUS framework.
The Advanced Skills Alliance was formalised at UNSW Sydney during a visit by the UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson and Australia’s federal education minister Jason Clare. The pact brings together eight leading universities to support delivery of the UK-Australia Geelong Treaty and the broader AUKUS innovation program.
Australian members include UNSW Sydney, Curtin University and Adelaide University, while UK partners are Cranfield University, King’s College London, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton and the University of Strathclyde.
Phillipson said education and innovation were central to the AUKUS partnership. “Education and innovation are the backbone of the AUKUS partnership, and the UK and Australia are home to incredible universities driving cutting-edge research,” she said. “By joining forces, our countries are investing in our future security, technology and above all people – opening up opportunity for students, boosting industry, and building a stronger workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
Clare said the agreement went beyond defence hardware. “AUKUS is not just about submarines, it’s about people,” he said. “Having universities work together, PhD students working together, is what this is all about. In addition, having key businesses in our two countries work together is in the interests of both our nations for the decades ahead.”
A central initiative will be a joint UK-Australia Centre for Doctoral Training focused on security, defence and resilience. PhD candidates will research fields including nuclear engineering and safety, systems design and cybersecurity, with students spending up to 12 months in the partner country.
The alliance will also collaborate on workforce education through short courses, micro-credentials and new curricula aligned with the Nuclear Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration (Geelong) Treaty and the AUKUS Agreement. The arrangement is intended to expand to colleges in both countries, including TAFE in Australia.
UNSW Sydney vice-chancellor and president Professor Attila Brungs said the agreement represented a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to strengthen the skills pipeline, while partner universities highlighted the alliance’s focus on industry engagement and sovereign capability. The alliance will seek funding from both governments and industry to support its objectives.
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
