RUSI JournalVOLUME 171ISSUE 1

Rethinking Military Education in UK Universities

Hastings Dunn
9 February 2026clockLong Read
In providing a bridge between cadets and regular service for university students, University Service Units are a valuable part of the wider military community

In providing a bridge between cadets and regular service for university students, University Service Units are a valuable part of the wider military community. Courtesy of PA Images/Alamy

This paper explores the existing provision for military education in UK universities and compares it against the stated priorities of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review.

It demonstrates that Higher Education was a neglected aspect of the SDR and, as a result, an opportunity has been missed to transform the relationship between the MOD and the university sector and to transform what we mean by military education in general.

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