Council of Military Education Committees of the Universities of the United Kingdom
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| Formation | 1919 |
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Membership
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20 University Military Education Committees |
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President
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General Sir Mike Jackson |
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Key people
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Mr. Roderick Livingston (Chairman) Dr. Patrick Mileham (Vice-Chairman) Mr. Robin Thomas (Secretary) Prof. Patton Taylor (Treasurer) |
| Website | http://www.comec.org.uk/ |
The Council of Military Education Committees of the Universities of the United Kingdom (COMEC) represents the interests of Military Education Committees in negotiations with Defence and the Armed Forces over policy development in officer training, the University Service Units and the Reserve Forces. COMEC organizes an Annual Defence Conference, publishes Occasional Papers and awards a Prize to the Officer Cadet who demonstrates outstanding achievement in leadership through military expertise, public service commitment and Service Unit activities.
The Central Organisation of Military Education Committees of the Universities and University Colleges was established in September 1919 following a conference of representatives of Military Education Committees of universities. The name was changed in 1970 to the Council of Military Education Committees of the Universities of the United Kingdom in order to express clearly the fact that it was not an organisation with an executive role but rather an advisory and coordinating body.
2011 on General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO DL, former Chief of the General Staff
2006 - 2011 Sir Graeme Davies FRSE FREng, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
1999 - 2006 Field Marshal The Lord Vincent of Coleshill GBE KCB DSO, former Chief of the Defence Staff
The University Service Units have their origins in the Army reforms of Richard Haldane, Secretary of State for War, from 1905 to 1908. In the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907, the Universities were invited to establish Officers’ Training Corps on the stipulation that they must have a Committee responsible for Military Education.
MECs facilitated the establishment during the Second World War of the University Naval Division, which vanished with the end of war, not to be resurrected for another quarter of a century as the Royal Naval Unit in 1971.
UOTCs were inaugurated from 1908 onwards.
University Air Squadrons were created at Cambridge and Oxford in 1925 and at London in 1935, but all were closed down with the outbreak of war in 1939. MECs sponsored in 1941 the inauguration of the national scheme for establishing Air Squadrons in Universities.
The Defence Technical Officer Engineering Entry Scheme [50] (DTOEES) provides education and support to students preparing for a career as an engineer or technical officer in the Armed Forces or MOD Civil Service. Students attend Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC) and, on completion of their A levels, go on to study for an engineering, technical, business or logistics degree at one of the DTUS partner universities.
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