The University of Otago has been accused of being “desperate” and “shameful” in chasing a contract with the New Zealand Defence Force, which includes helping to develop weapons.
The comments come from Green Party MP Francisco Hernandez after he was presented with an Otago University discussion document prepared for the NZDF, which was leaked to the Otago Daily Times.
The university prepared the document after the NZDF advertised research contracts, some of which included weapons research.
The university document said New Zealand-developed weapons tech “offers a potential to build unique sovereign capabilities relevant to our own geostrategic context and physical environment”.
“They could provide guaranteed access to new equipment vital for the defence of our territory and interests in times of global supply chain issues; and compatibility research could ensure joint security operations with partners are enabled.”
It was a “tragic waste” that so many of the concepts and technologies with potential to improve New Zealand’s security have been developed by universities only to be left under-utilised, the document said.
The university could consider “giving employees a share in the success of any product that attains commercial viability”, the document said.
Mr Hernandez said the whole thing was “shameful”.
“Otago University desperately bidding for a defence technology accelerator contract, especially one with a mandate for offensive weapons technology, is deeply concerning.
“The idea that the knowledge and talent of one of our most renowned universities could lead New Zealand to develop weapons and export them to the US military and others, is deeply shameful and antithetical not only to Otago University’s values, but also the values of Aotearoa.”
The university should refuse to work on offensive weapons technology and act as a force of peace and understanding around the world, Mr Hernandez said.
The document includes several different examples of Otago University working in specialised research which could have crossover with the NZDF, such as physics Prof Craig Rodger’s solar tsunami protection plan.
Prof Rodger told the ODT that it was a “surprise” to see his work mentioned in this context.
“The bit that talks about my research programme seems reasonable and sensible to me.
“We are working with various organisations to help make New Zealand more resilient to space weather, a natural disaster risk which one day could cause a lot of damage to critical national infrastructure.
“This [document] looks like telling a part of the New Zealand government about a bunch of Otago University skills and abilities which ‘they’ might like to fund additional work around.
“Could be a cool opportunity.”
But another Otago University staff member said the implications for academics were “fraught”.
“If a contract with the Defence Force was to be taken up, then the onus of sort of any moral or ethical or other opposition would be put on to the individual academic, as opposed to this being discussed collectively and collaboratively as a university community.”
The staff member was worried working with the NZDF could make the university a target for cyber espionage and other forms of obstruction.
“But these are calls that aren’t coming from our leading thinkers at all.
“These are economic arrangements that are being advanced by our political actors and managers rather than the university community and its thinkers.”
The staff member said he was aware of opposition to the NZDF proposal among some of the academic community at the university, but also the discussion had not been out in the open.
The document’s conclusion said some aspects of the project would be controversial to the wider public, “given the culture of anti-militarism which has arisen in much of the country”.
This meant it would be necessary to communicate to the public “the ethical values and necessity of the tech and the safer world it provides”.
“Should any individual academic decline to work on defence technologies (or indeed, any research) for their own reasons, then the university would accept this stance.”
University responds
DVC Research & Innovation Prof Greg Cook said In a statement on Saturday morning that it was “important to be clear that as part of the RFI (request for information), the university is not proposing to build defence weapons”.
“The RFI is an early scoping exercise only, no contracts have been entered into.”
Prof Cook said the university had partnered with the NZDF “for many years across areas such as military medical training and environmental projects”.
“We value these constructive relationships and the opportunity to contribute to the security of New Zealand and our people.”
The NZDF was unable to comment before deadline.