Defence Academy of the United Kingdom

The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom provides Higher Education for personnel in the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, Other Government Departments and service personnel from other nations. The Director General of the Defence Academy is Peter Watkins, a UK civil servant and former Director Operational Policy in the MOD 2008-2011. The immediately previous Director General of the Defence Academy was Lieutenant-General Andrew Graham CBE who took up his post on 30 May 2008.

Structure
The Defence Academy is headquartered at Shrivenham in southwestern Oxfordshire and was formerly known as The Royal Military College of Science (RMCS) which delivers education and training in a number of sites. The majority of training is postgraduate with many courses being accredited for the award of civilian qualifications.

The formation of the Defence Academy consolidated education and training delivered by a number of different establishments into a single organisational and budgetary structure, intended to improve efficiency, reduce duplication of effort and align delivery to defence requirements. The Defence Academy is also responsible for the maintenance of relationships with the UK academic establishment and with military and naval service educational institutions worldwide.

Non technical research is carried out for the development of doctrine and analysis of the international security environment.

Delivery units and locations
Training is delivered by:


 * Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), Seaford House, Belgravia, London
 * Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), Watchfield, Oxfordshire
 * Defence Academy - College of Management and Technology (DA-CMT), Shrivenham, Oxfordshire
 * Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC), Amport House, Amport, Hampshire
 * Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme
 * Aston University
 * University of Birmingham
 * Loughborough University
 * Newcastle University
 * Northumbria University
 * University of Southampton
 * Southampton Solent University
 * Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Governance
The Director General of the Defence Academy was, until 2011, a three-star rank (Vice Admiral, Lieutenant-General, Air Marshal) which can be filled by any of the three Armed Services.

DDA chairs the Defence Academy Management Board which is composed of the Commandants of the constituent delivery units and Chief of Staff, Defence Academy who also serves as Commanding Officer, Shrivenham Station.

The Management Board report to a Four-star Steering Board and an Advisory Board including academic expertise from the private sector and academia. A customer board at two-star level represents the customer community.

Academic provision is delivered through partnering agreements with Cranfield University and King's College London.

Directors have been:
 * 2002-2005 Sir Roger Jackling
 * 2005-2008 Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, late Scots Guards
 * 2008-2011 Lieutenant General Andrew Graham, late Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * 2011–present Peter Watkins (civil servant)