A major UK–Australia agreement to accelerate the skills, training and research required to deliver the AUKUS program was signed today at UNSW Sydney, marking a significant milestone in building the long-term workforce underpinning the trilateral security partnership.
The Memorandum of Understanding formally establishes the Advanced Skills Alliance, a partnership between leading universities in Australia and the United Kingdom designed to fast-track talent pipelines and research capability in areas critical to AUKUS, including nuclear engineering, cybersecurity, systems design and advanced defence innovation.
The agreement was signed at the UNSW Health Translation Hub in the presence of UK Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson and Australian Minister for Education Jason Clare, underscoring the strategic importance both governments place on skills development as a core pillar of AUKUS.
The Alliance brings together UNSW Sydney, Curtin University and Adelaide University in Australia, alongside Cranfield University, King’s College London, Imperial College London, the University of Southampton and the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom.
Speaking at the signing, representatives emphasised that the Alliance is focused not only on research collaboration, but also on workforce development and industry outcomes.
The Advanced Skills Alliance is positioned as a foundational element of AUKUS workforce development, supporting both Pillar I and Pillar II by strengthening education, training and research pathways aligned with future defence capability needs. A particular emphasis will be placed on PhD-level collaboration, joint research programs, and deeper engagement between universities and defence-focused industry.
UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the agreement reflects the broader evolution of the AUKUS partnership.
“AUKUS is not just about submarines. It is about people – universities working together, PhD students working together, and businesses in our two countries working together to build the skills needed for the decades ahead,” she said.
Australian Education Minister Jason Clare said the Alliance will help ensure Australia has the workforce and research capability required to deliver complex, long-term defence and national security programs.
University leaders from participating institutions said the Alliance provides a practical framework to align world-class research with the workforce demands of defence industries, particularly as Australia and the UK expand cooperation in advanced manufacturing, nuclear-powered submarines and emerging technologies.
The signing of the Advanced Skills Alliance marks a concrete step in translating the AUKUS agreement into sustained people-to-people links, strengthening the skills base and research capacity needed to support national security, resilience and industrial capability across both countries.
Photo Credit: MySecurity Media
