Universities losing EU academics in anticipation of Brexit

“Waiting to feel the full force of Brexit is not an option that many EU academics are willing to take”

Amidst a wave of ministerial resignations and speculations surrounding a vote of no confidence, talks over leaving the EU continues to be a mixture of apprehension and scepticism as the future of a Brexit Britain remain worryingly unclear. Waiting to feel the full force of Brexit is not an option that many EU academics are willing to take, with more than 2,300 already having resigned from British universities over the past year.

Amidst a wave of ministerial resignations and speculations surrounding a vote of no confidence, talks over leaving the EU continues to be a mixture of apprehension and scepticism as the future of a Brexit Britain remain worryingly unclear. Waiting to feel the full force of Brexit is not an option that many EU academics are willing to take, with more than 2,300 already having resigned from British universities over the past year.

Government plans to end the freedom of movement are already looking likely to be disastrous for the sector with acclaimed academics and researchers already beginning to secure jobs outside the UK. In fact, new figures have already shown a 19% increase in EU staff departures compared to before the EU referendum. At the top of the resignation, list is the University of Oxford which saw 230 departures of EU academics in the last year, compared to 171 in 2014-15

Theresa May’s endeavour to remove priority status for EU migrants comes as a major deterrent to academics who will have to compete for a Tier 2 Visa before the annual 20,700 gap is reached. For those that rely on the ability to travel easily for teaching, research and projects, bearing the burden of costly and complex visa processes is an option that few will want to take.

Currently, EU nationals make up 17% of all higher education staff with a crucial 30% of economics and econometrics academic staff being from Europe. Fears of losing such high numbers of staff could be detrimental to a sector that contributes a huge £95 billion to the UK economy. With recruiters already reporting difficulty in hiring higher education staff, ensuring the UK remains an attractive and beneficial destination to work needs to be high up on the government’s agenda.

Maintaining the EU’s contribution of research funding is also critical in ensuring the UK remains at the centre of innovation and competitiveness. Research income from EU sources represented 13% of the collective research grant income, equivalent to a significant £600 million. Risks of losing this funding could mean universities take a major hit to their research and collaborative activity which currently puts the UK as a first-class educational body.

“Maintaining the EU’s contribution of research funding is also critical in ensuring the UK remains at the centre of innovation and competitiveness”

Proposals to retain the UK’s position as a world-leading university sector have included the introduction of a post-Brexit permit which Russell Group universities have argued will attract European academics and students. The introduction of a European skills permit for students and qualified workers, including academics, would grant the right to work and study for up to five years. At a time when the UK will need to increase its global competitiveness, the proposal would boost the country’s knowledge economy and encourage the intellectual capital of UK businesses.

In a report by Russell Group universities, the association laid out its aims for maintaining the UK’s higher education status including the government’s commitment to additional investment and the securing of a good deal to allow the ease of global mobility. The group emphasised the need to maintain the UK’s status ‘as a competitive and outward-looking nation’ and ‘to drive world-class research and innovation’.

As an industry that champions internationalism and diversity, it is not surprising that academics are looking overseas for research and work prospects. The government desperately needs to invest in additional collaborative and research opportunities to ensure the UK retains its critical pool of academic talent.

This article has been written by Maddie Grounds, political correspondent at Immigration Advice Service, a team of UK immigration lawyers.