When selecting partners, UTS evaluates each potential collaboration against its unwavering core values — excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship and social justice — alongside our commitment to academic freedom and adherence to regulatory and internally imposed standards. Each partnership is evaluated based on its unique context, weighing risks, benefits and potential impacts on UTS's reputation and values.
Defence-related partnerships at UTS are focused on advancing knowledge in the context of national security. UTS has no direct research or investment link to any military conflict. We do not work in areas related to weapons manufacturing, and those partnerships we have with companies in the defence sector have a national focus on delivering on our responsibilities as a public institution to support national security.
UTS has a history of making the world safer and more just through research, teaching, and outreach. Scholars collaborate with academics, communities, and organisations globally, confident in their academic freedom, which is a key foundation of democracy. They must work within relevant legislation and research ethics guidelines. In this context, UTS seeks to make its partnerships more transparent to potential staff, students and members of our community.
As well as its commitments as a public university to research, teaching and outreach, UTS is also a community of staff, students and alumni, who have a diversity of views and should be able to respectfully discuss ideas and views, even when strongly held or contentious in nature. This right to freedom of speech should not impact upon the safety and wellbeing of our community. Everyone should feel welcome at UTS, and there is no place for racism, hate speech or discrimination of any kind at the university.
UTS works with external organisations, staff and student partners to ensure that UTS activities are inclusive of people of all faiths and ethnicities and that UTS is a safe place for learning. UTS reports annually on its commitment to Humanitarian Scholarships and Scholars at Risk programs, focusing on networking with like-minded universities and supporting students and staff from war-affected communities.
Current strategic and research partnerships
UTS has current strategic and research partnerships with the following third-party entities that engage in activities related to national defence and security.
| Third-party | Partnership type | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Navantia Australia Pty Ltd | Research1 | Research project overview |
| Department of Defence | Research | |
| Department of Home Affairs | Research | Research project overview |
| Defence Science and Technology Group of the Department of Defence | Research | Research project overview |
| Thales | Strategic2 | Partnership overview (opens external page) |
| Thales | Mentoring | Lucy Mentoring Program (opens external page) |
| Thales | Scholarships |
|
1 A research partnership, for the purpose of this page, is defined as having an active research project ongoing at the time the page is published.
2 An industry strategic partnership should work in a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary manner on shared problems and projects that are inherent to both parties’ future success. Relationships should exist across multiple levels of both organisations. Partners may operate in the government, corporate, cultural or community sector (this is a draft definition and is currently being reviewed for approval).
Authorisation and enquiries
This information is released under authorised practice release provisions of the NSW Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (s.7) on the authorisation of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students). For any enquiries regarding defence-related partnerships, please get in touch.