Students debate impact, what this means for them

SOON AFTER Britain voted to leave the European Union and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his decision to step down, students gathered around tables at the British Council in the capital and began examining what ‘Brexit’ — British exit from the European Union — would mean for them.

“Never saw EU sticking together,” said Naina Gautam, who had visited the UK in 2014. Gautam said the “vibe was one of segregation” in the largest EU city, London. Preparing for the civil services examination, at the council library, the students debated aspects of the vote — political, economic and personal.

“In the run-up to the vote, there was a lot of talk about Britain’s xenophobia emerging from the migrant crisis across Europe, I wonder if that will translate to other European countries,” said Tamanna. Enrolled in a three-month course to study German at the Max Mueller Bhawan in Delhi, she is learning German to join her brother in Munich.

Shatabdi Ghosh-laskar, Head Language Courses & Examinations at the centre, said the effects of the Brexit vote would largely be economic, rather than political or cultural. “EU was mainly an economic creation so when we heard the result this morning, our first thoughts here were the impact on the markets and not scholarships,” she said. She pointed out that students applying to colleges across Europe tend to look at individual countries rather than as a 28 country bloc.

About 300,000 foreign students study in Germany, of whom 11,860 are Indians, according to the German mission. Most German universities are sponsored by the state to keep study-fees affordable, “and the number of scholarships available keep increasing”. However, beyond the politics and economics, mobility is the bigger question for those seeking jobs in Europe.

More than 6,000 students and professionals enrol at the Alliance française de Delhi to learn French. Monica and Aamir are artists studying the language at the centre hoping to settle down in France.

“We love the culture, the place, the movies and we know Europe to be a land of artists,” said Monica. They believe a united Europe is essential for peace in the region and if more nations seek to exit, “it could damage this unified identity”.