Reports suggest that most of the companies play an important role in arming Israel, including RTX, which has been a supplier for the country's Iron Dome since 2014. The company gave around £616,000 to universities including Bath, Oxford and Gloucestershire.
Rolls Royce gave the most, accounting for almost £64m in funding. BAE Systems provided over £20m, and Boeing gave £14m. Others gave smaller amounts, including Lockheed Martin which provided £179,000, mostly for research funding.
But those numbers could be significantly higher in reality as some universities did not respond on time or said it would be too expensive to handle our requests. Others denied our FOI requests, claiming the answers would prejudice commercial interests, breach confidentiality, or would be too expensive to answer.
Jinsella, co-founder and executive director of Demilitarise Education, a campaign group which calls for universities to end partnerships and investments with arms companies, said: "Universities hold the potential to shape a world of peace and progress, making their alliance with arms companies tragically ironic. Instead of illuminating minds for a brighter future, higher education institutions are fuelling the engines of illegal conflicts, causing irreparable harm to innocent lives worldwide."
What they're funding
Protesters have recently been blocking BAE Systems factories, calling for the firm to end ties with Israel. The company has also previously been accused of being party to alleged war crimes in Yemen.
But documents obtained by openDemocracy show how BAE Systems has given close to £50,000 to sponsor University College London's (UCL) Centre for Ethics and Law from 2017 to 2021.
UCL decided not to accept any further corporate sponsorship in 2021, but a representative from BAE Systems is still a member of the centre's advisory board.
But many other universities refused to disclose specific details about what arms companies are funding.
Cambridge University said it had received millions of pounds from Boeing and Rolls-Royce for "research collaborations", but didn't explain what the projects were.
Oxford University told openDemocracy that Rolls-Royce gave over £17.5m, but said it could provide no further details since it would reveal confidential information.
Meanwhile, the University of Chichester said it took more than £4.5m from BAE Systems for "research projects" between 2017 and 2023.
A BAE Systems spokesperson said: "We work with a number of academic and research organisations across the UK to develop innovative technology solutions.
"We're horrified by the situation in Israel and Gaza and the devastating impact it's having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.
They added: "Our role in supporting the Royal Saudi Arabian Armed Forces is clearly defined and strictly limited to providing equipment, support and training under government to government agreements between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"We operate under the tightest regulation and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls, which are subject to ongoing assessment."
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said: "UK university contributions have no connection to F-16 sales. Our university contributions in the UK form part of Lockheed Martin's global commitment to supporting programmes that educate and inspire tomorrow's scientists, engineers and mathematicians and prepare the diverse workforce of the future. This support has no link to product sales."
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