A coalition of campaign groups has accused UK universities of quietly integrating themselves into the UK’s defence infrastructure after 35 institutions signed up to the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Universities Alliance (DUA). The Ministry of Defence says the alliance aims to: reorientate academia towards Defence and National Security. It wants to strengthen links between universities and the defence sector, and translate research into “battlefield advantage”. Campaigners say the move represents a significant shift in the role of higher education and has taken place without meaningful public debate. Among the founding members are: University of Oxford. University College London. King’s College London.…