Exclusive: Cambridge University backtracks on divesting from arms companies

The University of Cambridge has backtracked on a move towards divesting from all weapons companies, Middle East Eye can reveal.

According to documents seen by MEE, on 16 April the University Council, Cambridge's central governing body, approved the introduction of a "monitoring regime" for investments in "conventional weapons".

This monitoring regime was proposed by the Cambridge University Endowment Trustee Body (CUETB), which oversees the university's investments, and would track the endowment fund's "exposure to companies which primarily manufacture conventional weapons", according to the Council.

If the fund's exposure to weapons companies was to exceed "a certain threshold as a proportion of its assets", discussions "would then be initiated with UCIM [University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited, which runs the endowment fund] as to how to manage a reduction in exposure of the [fund] in this category in due course."

This came in response to a report by a working group on investments that the university established in 2024, due to a student encampment organised by Cambridge for Palestine.

Documents also showed that in July 2026, the Cambridge University Endowment Trustee Body agreed to set the threshold for arms investments at zero percent under the monitoring regime.

This unprecedented development would mean that any exposure at all to arms companies would automatically require discussions to be opened on "a reduction in exposure".

It appeared to signal at least partial, if not full, divestment from weapons companies.

However, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told MEE that the university has quietly replaced the plan introduced in April with another that no longer requires divestment.

According to the new plan, the zero percent monitoring threshold will remain in place but the "action plan" in response to exposure to conventional weapons would not need to lead to a reduction in exposure.

MEE understands that this new decision, which has not been publicised, was made by the endowment trustee body but has not been put to the University Council. Some council members said they were not informed of the change.

It is unclear when the decision was made and the university did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

'Maximal obfuscation'

A spokesperson for Cambridge for Palestine told MEE that the group was "shocked, but not surprised, to learn that the university has once again backtracked on one of its commitments to our demands.

"The notice in April issued by the University Council made clear that if arms investments were to exceed a yet-to-be-decided threshold of overall investments, then exposure to such investments would be reduced as part of a new monitoring scheme," the spokesperson said.

"This mechanism was reaffirmed by Council in a statement responding to staff demands for full divestment last month.

"Now that this threshold has been set at zero percent, we are hearing that the university has chosen to ignore and sideline its own statements and commitments by... removing any process of investment exposure reduction."

The spokesperson added: "What’s worse is that this decision appears to have been imposed by another body, rather than the University Council, whilst the Grace [motion] on divestment that initiated the process has yet to be voted on by the Regent House, the University's democratic body of faculty and staff."

The spokesperson further said: "The University can backtrack all it likes, and obfuscate language to avoid scrutiny and accountability. But Cambridge for Palestine re-emphasises that students, staff and local activists will never stop campaigning... until the University’s money is used for education as it should be, not for funding war and occupation."

This comes after MEE revealed in February that Cambridge's endowment fund had invested more than £140m ($189m) in a fund that owns shares in companies linked to Israeli human rights violations.

The fund has previously refused to disclose companies in its portfolio, citing “legal reasons of confidentiality”.

In the last quarter of 2025, the UCIM invested more than £140m in the iShares ESG Select Screened S&P 500 fund, which owns shares in companies including Palantir Technologies, Caterpillar and GE Aerospace.

In January, dozens of Cambridge academics accused the university of "maximal obfuscation" over details about its £4.2bn ($5.74bn) endowment fund and its links to arms manufacturers.

Senior staff said they were unable to properly examine these investments because the university had not been open about which companies are involved.