Steps must be taken to avoid ‘brain drain’

It is almost five months since the historic vote to leave the European Union, and still the rumblings of discontent continue. The implications of the vote remain unclear – not least because the actual process behind the UK’s retreat from the bloc is still shrouded in uncertainty.

What is absolutely apparent is that the nation remains deeply divided.

Among the latest high profile figures to speak out is the principal of Dundee University, Sir Pete Downes.

He fears a crippling impact on an educational establishment heavily reliant on staff and students from fellow EU countries.

A mass exodus of such individuals would, Sir Pete contends, lead to a potentially damaging “brain drain” from the City of Discovery.

Dundee in general, and the university in particular, has worked hard to forge a bright future. Attracting global expertise in fields of academic excellence, not least the life sciences sector, has been critical.

Sir Pete is right to fear any threat to the city’s lofty reputation.

Whether or not his concerns are borne out remains to be seen and will only become clearer once the mechanism of our departure from the UK is explained.

The nation’s political masters must get that right, or the consequences will be damaging indeed.