The University of Exeter’s proposed partnership with the National Defense University in Saudi Arabia is not funded by “dirty money”, as the Exeter branch of the University and College Union claims, nor is it remotely covert (Exeter University approves deal with Saudi Arabia to train military officers and officials, 29 August).

Aligning with UK government policy, it is part of a legitimate strategic alliance with a leading Gulf state that, following the 7 October attacks and ongoing crisis, is playing an increasingly decisive role in Middle Eastern geopolitics.

Within an ethical framework of international law and western liberal norms, the MA in applied security and strategy (MStrat) in Saudi will educate – rather than “train” – senior military officers and other officials from across the Gulf states about strategy and decision-making.

Against the imputations of the UCU spokesperson you quote, the partnership with Saudi is not detrimental to academic positions in the humanities and social sciences at Exeter.

On the contrary, at a time of budgetary contraction and redundancies, the Saudi MStrat is a vital new source of revenue, whose explicit purpose is to protect existing posts and create new ones.
Prof Anthony King
Director, Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter

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