The decision to leave the EU will have a significant impact on universities .
To maximise the ability of universities to deliver cutting edge research and innovation, boost jobs and growth and drive productivity, a good outcome for higher education and research is needed from the Brexit negotiations.
With negotiations soon to get underway, what are the priorities for the Russell Group?
Excellent EU students are indispensable for world-class universities, contributing to a diverse student body and a thriving society, culture and economy.
There are 61,000 students of other EU nationalities at Russell Group universities, making up 8% of undergraduate students and 15% of postgraduate students. The reassurances Government has provided for current EU students and those starting courses in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 have been very helpful to provide EU students the certainty they need.
We are seeking the following reassurances:
Confirmation of the immigration status of existing and prospective EU students and their right to remain in the UK for work or postgraduate study.
Confirmation at the earliest opportunity of the fee rate EU students might move to and when this would come into effect – this applies to postgraduate students as well as undergraduates.
A strong base of talent from Europe and across the world enables research-intensive universities to remain globally competitive and is fundamental to excellent research, innovation and education.
EU staff members make a significant contribution to our success, in particular to the excellence of the UK research base and in teaching key subjects vital to the UK economy, such as STEM and modern languages.
Currently, there are around 24,860 members of staff from other EU countries at our universities.
We are seeking the following reassurances:
Confirmation of the continued working rights for current EU staff (and their dependants) at UK universities and for those who take up positions during the transition period before the UK has left the EU. We would want staff and their dependants to retain the same rights to stay and work without a visa that they have now (with no time limit placed on this).
In the longer term, we want to ensure our universities can continue to recruit the talented staff they need from all over the world without overly-burdensome visa requirements.
Research and innovation are global pursuits and are most effective when ideas and people are mobile across borders.
The mobility of talent, the networks, collaborations, critical mass of research activity and funding that we gain from EU membership have contributed to the competitiveness of our leading universities and the UK economy as a whole.
Research income from EU sources represented 13% of the collective research grant income to Russell Group universities in 2015/16, up from 8% in 2007/08 – equivalent to £600 million.
We are seeking the following reassurances:
Ensuring the UK remains the best place for science and innovation is one of the Government's 12 key Brexit principles – we want to ensure this remains a priority for the upcoming negotiations, with a view to ensuring continued UK participation in EU research (including research infrastructures), for the full duration of Horizon 2020 and future Framework Programmes with a focus on excellence.
The Government should develop a long-term roadmap to increase public and private sector investment in R&D in the UK to 3% of GDP, particularly to support universities’ international collaborations post-Brexit. This will be important to replace any lost EU funds and to ensure the UK remains a globally competitive scientific nation.
A commitment that the Government will look to secure a good deal to allow continued participation in Erasmus+, which contributes to social mobility and has a positive impact on graduate employability.
Find out more in our latest Brexit briefing.
