University: Europe poaching academics because of Brexit Warning to MPs that institution is losing top staff
EUROPEAN colleges are trying to poach academics from British universities because of Brexit, a top university has warned.
The University of Birmingham, a member of the prestigious Russell Group of universities, also said European academics had withdrawn job applications because of uncertainty about the UK’s future relations with the EU.
And it said Brexit had given the rest of the world the impression that the UK was “less welcoming” to foreign students, who make a massive contribution to the UK’s economy.
The warnings came in a paper submitted by the university to the Commons Education Committee, which conducted an inquiry into how Brexit was affecting higher education.
The University of Birmingham teaches 20,000 undergraduate and 14,000 postgraduate students, and employs more than 7,000 staff from more than 150 nationalities and backgrounds.
It told MPs: “We are deeply concerned at the lack of clarity for our EU staff and there have been a number of instances where potential highly-skilled EU academics have withdrawn from recruitment processes citing Brexit. We also have examples of our EU academics being targeted for recruitment by European universities.”
The university said overseas students, including those from the EU, contribute £408 million to the West Midlands economy, generating 5,180 jobs in the region and beyond. It added: “We are deeply concerned that Brexit will lead to the country being – or being perceived to be – considerably less welcoming to overseas students, particularly when combined with the alarming proposals from the Home Office to reduce international student numbers.”
There are currently 8,000 EU students and 5,000 EU academics at West Midlands universities, while 1,500 students from West Midlands universities are studying in Europe.
Birmingham urged the Government to take international students out of the official immigration figures, to make it clear that any attempts to cut immi- gration are not designed to discourage students coming here.
It called on ministers to make it clear that EU students would still be eligible for student finance next year.
And it asked the Government to run a campaign encouraging overseas students to come here.
The university suggested “a sharper investment and marketing focus on ensuring that UK higher education does not lose further market share to other countries”.
Concerns were also raised by Aston University in Birmingham, which presented its own submission to MPs highlighting the importance of the Erasmus+ programme. This pays for students to spend time studying in other EU countries. It helps EU students to study in Aston, and Aston’s own students to spend a year overseas, the university said.
Aston University said: “Ideally, the UK should be able to continue to participate in the ERASMUS+ programme on equal terms to other member states. However, should this not be possible, the UK Government should commit resources to support an equivalent programme.”
West Midland universities were not alone in expressing concern.
Prof Tony Stevenson, deputy vice-chancellor of Newcastle University, told the inquiry: “If you look at the immigration policy and the mood music and the perception in markets out there that are receiving all of that, they do not see Britain at the moment as a welcoming place, despite the rhetoric from the Government.
“The Government has a narrative of global Britain open for business and we seem to be doing something different in the immigration space for students.”
In its report, the Education Committee said the Government must end doubt about the future residency rights of EU citizens currently living in the UK.
Highly-skilled EU academics have withdrawn from recruitment processes citing Brexit University of Birmingham