26 May 2026
LERU publishes proposal for a framework to help universities navigate defence research
On 26 May 2026, the League of European Research Universities (LERU) published a conceptual framework to help research-intensive universities across Europe address how to engage with defence and security-related research in a principled and transparent way.
The paper, Defence Research in European Universities: A Conceptual Framework, identifies six structural tensions where legitimate institutional values genuinely conflict, and explains why existing governance frameworks, designed for an older era, are increasingly inadequate.
According to LERU, the paper maps five distinctive European traditions — French, German, British and Dutch, Nordic, and neutral state — showing why institutions with different historical and legal contexts will legitimately reach different conclusions about defence engagement. Rather than seeking consensus on outcomes, the framework offers shared vocabulary and analytical tools that enable each institution to articulate its own position coherently.
The paper also addresses the European Union dimension, examining how strategic autonomy frameworks, the European Defence Fund, and the blurring of civilian and security research objectives create new pressures across member, associated, and non-member universities.
The framework was developed in consultation with LERU member institutions and discussed at the 49th LERU Rectors' Assembly. LERU states that future work will develop practical governance guidance and extend the analysis to teaching and education.
For more information:
LERU paper: Defence Research in European Universities: A Conceptual Framework