Response to the HoC education select committee - impact of Brexit on higher education

09 December 2016

We welcome the reassurances the Government has been able to give on EU students, Horizon 2020 and regional EU funding so far. Our universities are just as open and welcoming to students, staff and ideas as we were before the EU referendum and we will continue to work with partners across Europe and more widely to boost the UK’s international competitiveness.

Nevertheless, the referendum result will have a significant impact on our universities, which have long thrived on global collaboration and international interaction – be it through European staff and students coming to our universities, or when our best researchers work across Europe to tackle big social and scientific challenges.

EU staff and students bring crucial expertise and skills, contribute to a diverse student body and culture and ensure the sustainability of certain key disciplines at our universities. They help deliver highly skilled graduates needed to meet labour market demands and maintain the UK’s place as a world leader in higher education. This in turn benefits the UK’s global competitiveness and also brings a range of benefits to UK students.