King’s College London: Tackling global security challenges with partners in the USA and Australia

A new research and educational collaboration aimed at solving key global defence and security challenges has been launched by King’s, Arizona State University (ASU) in the USA, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.

Aimed at providing independent and original knowledge and understanding of national and global security issues, Security & Defence PLuS serves as a keystone in the PLuS Alliance, an existing academic partnership between King’s, ASU and UNSW, which tackles global challenges through research and education.

Security & Defence PLuS was inspired by the AUKUS agreement, a first-of-its-kind partnership announced in September 2021 by the governments of Australia, the UK, and the USA. The pact aims to enable deeper integration of security and defence priorities, including through cooperation in science, technology, industry, intelligence, and the military.

Alongside fostering research projects between King’s, ASU and UNSW on security and defence-related issues, the new initiative will also support collaboration on education. This will involve integrating coursework and joint programmes, providing custom pathways for students around the globe, and opening new possibilities in professional military and interagency education.

President and Principal of King’s College London, Professor Shitij Kapur said:

“Our three universities are globally renowned for their innovation, expertise, and scholarship across security, defence, and international affairs, and each has a track record of providing insight and expertise to their respective foreign and defence ministries.

“We are excited to combine these strengths and resources, and are proud to launch this initiative, which will enable robust integration of our three world-class defence and security studies programmes, to advance vital research and education on the toughest challenges of our era.”

Head of the School of Security Studies, Professor John Gearson said:

“By working across our three institutions, Security & Defence PLuS aims to foster collaborative, policy-focused research, innovative educational offerings, and the generation of new ideas for public discourse. There is no limit to what we might achieve, and the obvious place to start is by advancing the AUKUS partnership.

“Our approach will be underscored by the PLuS Alliance’s aims to provide multinational expertise, academic freedom, and commitment to public value.”