22 Jun 2016
Vice-Chancellor signs EU Referendum Open Letter
Professor Robert Allison has joined over 100 other Vice-Chancellor’s from UK universities in signing an EU Referendum Open Letter to voters.
The open letter, signed by 103 Vice-Chancellors in total, discusses the concerns surrounding the impact of the UK leaving the EU in universities and students.
The full text of the letter reads:
To British voters,
As Vice-Chancellors of 103 universities, we are gravely concerned about the impact of a UK exit from the EU on our universities and students.
The impact of our universities on our local communities and economy should not be underestimated. Every year, universities generate over £73 billion for the UK economy – £3.7bn of which is generated by students from EU countries, while supporting nearly 380,000 jobs. Strong universities benefit the British people - creating employable graduates and cutting-edge research discoveries that improve lives.
Our membership of the EU enhances this positive impact and makes our outstanding universities even stronger. Inside the EU, we are better able to work collaboratively on ground-breaking research in areas from cancer to climate change. EU membership supports British universities to attract the brightest and best minds from across Europe, enhancing university research and teaching and contributing to economic growth.
Voluntarily cutting ourselves out of the world’s largest economic bloc would undermine our position as a global leader in science and innovation, impoverish our campuses and limit opportunities for British people.
We believe that leaving Europe would create a difficult environment for the long-term investment in higher education and research that is necessary for the UK to maintain its position as a highly skilled and a globally competitive knowledge economy.
For us it is crystal clear that our outstanding universities – and our students – are stronger in Europe.
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