Just last month, it appeared that a proposal to establish a U.S. Navy-affiliated research center at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa was on its deathbed.

Now the university's Board of Regents is scheduled to hear the case for and against the center Friday.

Supporters claim the military research center would draw millions of dollars in research grants over the next five years and bring prestige to the university. Opponents argue that the University Affiliated Research Center would threaten academic freedom and involve UH scientists in the development of military weapons.

Dozens have signed up to testify at Friday's public hearing — a meeting that has been promised by the UH administration since a process for consultation and approval was outlined last May. Those expected to testify include students, faculty, members of the Hawai'i business community and other key stakeholders in the university, Carolyn Tanaka, a UH spokeswoman, said.
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Sometime following Friday's meeting, UH interim President David McClain will make his recommendation on UARC to the Board of Regents. It is ultimately their decision to approve or reject the center. If approved, UH would become the fifth university in the nation to be designated a Navy UARC.

Marti Townsend, a recent UH law school graduate and a member of the Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition, said her group will have a large presence at Friday's meeting. The coalition has been one of the key opponents in the UARC controversy and was one of the groups that occupied McClain's office for seven days last May.