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OU's Platforming of BAE Systems

Submitted 2 years ago by Dan Horne

Passed
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During this year's CareersFest, the OU prominently featured BAE Systems as an employer. BAE Systems is a weapons manufacturer; and have previously sold bombs to Saudi Arabia which were used in Yemen. On top of this, their weapons are currently being used in Gaza. I strongly believe platforming such a company goes against the university's core values of peaceful learning, and the majority values of the student body. I propose asking the university careers team to suspend any involvement with BAE Systems, or other weapons manufacturers. Thank you.

Robin Long: 8:49pm on 12 Nov 23 BAE Systems is weapons manufacture that has to comply with the UK Governments Export regulations, while the company does supply military equipment that could be used in conflicts, the decisions on how and when to use this equipment are made by the governments(in your example the Israeli) and military forces( the IDF) who are involved in the conflict not by BAE Systems, I think everyone can agree that the university's core values are correctly aligned. But many student's are here to learn with a view to gaining employment, as BAE are a viable option for people looking for employment in a variety of fields. It's down to the individual student to choose to engage with BAE or any other supplier of defence or weaponry equipment based on their own beliefs and ethics.
Dan Horne: 9:20am on 14 Nov 23 Hello Robin, Unfortunately I disagree with you almost entirely here. Your point about BAE Systems having to comply with UK regulations is interesting, considering their American subsidiary was fined $400 million dollars for breaking those regulations in the states [1]. It is also worth noting that legal regulations, and laws generally, are no substitute for morality; though I am sure you are already aware of this. Saying that the arms manufacturing companies do not have a responsibility to be aware of how their products will be used and that it's "out of their hands" is very naïve and irresponsible. If a company sells bombs to terrorists who would use them against the civilian population we wouldn't want the university to be associated with them; and, setting aside your point about the IDF and Gaza as that is currently an incredibly heated issue, BAE selling these weapons to Saudi Arabia (who subsequently used them on civilians in Yemen [2] and also on refugees from Ethiopia [3], a warcrime and crime against humanity respectively) is the equivalent to that. Either BAE is unaware of these very public attrocities and therefore are too irresponsible to sell weapons - or they, more likely, decided that it doesn't matter how their weapons are used so long as it doesn't impact their bottom line, even usage against civilians (children, mothers, the elderly). The Open University's core values are of accessibile learning for eveyone all around the world [4]. BAE Systems weapons have been used directly against universities and schools in Yemen [5]. Other core values are "creating and sharing knowledge and learning to realise social and environmental justice" [6]. The two highest representatives at our institution, the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor, both have backgrounds in human rights work and social equality; with Baroness Lane-Fox, the Chancellor, being patron [7] to Reprive [8], a human rights charity. As mentioned, BAE Systems has allowed Saudi Arabia to commit crimes against humanity with the sale of their weapons; going totally against any kind of social justice based principles the university has.
Dan Horne: 9:20am on 14 Nov 23 In regards to employment, I can think of 100 more suitable and fulfilling employers for Open University students. I agree, as you said, that it is down to the individual student as to if they chose to engage with BAE Systems - but if that is the case why does the university need to feature them so prominently as an employer? Surely a student intelligent enough to work for BAE would be very capable of reaching out to the company themselves? I do acknowledge that BAE Systems also does work within a variety of fields, but this then raises the question of why they feel it is necessary to continue to sell arms at all? What I am requesting is a chance for students to say which companies are featured by the university; especially if the company has as controversial a track record as BAE Systems does. That is not a controversial stance to have.
Dan Horne: 9:21am on 14 Nov 23 References --- [1] - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bae-systems-plc-pleads-guilty-and-ordered-pay-400-million-criminal-fine [2] - https://caat.org.uk/homepage/stop-arming-saudi-arabia/the-war-on-yemens-civilians/ [3] - https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/08/21/they-fired-us-rain/saudi-arabian-mass-killings-ethiopian-migrants-yemen-saudi (Note this link is very disturbing) [4] - https://about.open.ac.uk/policies-and-reports/mission#a2 [5] - https://www.refworld.org/docid/5be942f926.html (See also; https://www.unicef.org/yemen/media/5546/file/EDUCATION%20DISRUPTED%20Report.pdf (Note this is a PDF file)) [6] - https://www5.open.ac.uk/sustainability/ [7] - https://members.parliament.uk/member/4275/experience [8] - https://reprieve.org/uk/about-us/
Cece Egan: 5:32am on 21 Mar 24 I would like to thank Dan for raising this issue here and in your article in The Hoot. I wholeheartedly agree with the suggestion to propose to the careers team that they suspend involvement with BAE Systems and arms manufacturers more generally. In my time in other higher education institutions, I have seen how such partnerships provide a pipeline for graduates into the military-industrial complex. On top of this, such associations grant legitimacy to companies such as BAE, allowing them to be seen as prestigious within STEM in order to evade their impact and function.
Barry Dalgleish: 12:18pm on 26 May 24 The UK Government has been caught out obfuscating the laws that are supposed to regulate arms. This is clearly outlined by CATT: https://caat.org.uk/news/media-release-david-cameron-is-shamefully-misleading-the-country-over-uks-1bn-arms-sales-to-israel/ I have queried the OU directly regarding any links with Israel. I will refuse to engage in any further studies until the OU breaks any ties it may have, That I guess would include BEA Systems.
Barry Dalgleish: 8:20pm on 26 May 24 Evidence has been submitted to Scotland Yard that could indict senior ministers of war crimes: https://www.icjpalestine.com/2024/05/22/starvation-war-crimes-complaint-may24/

Passed issues

OU's Platforming of BAE Systems