UK universities sign deals as ‘no-deal Brexit’ looms

Some of the biggest names in the British higher education sector have secured partnerships with universities on the Continent to ensure continued access to research and to maintain student exchanges once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, writes Richard Vaughan for iNews.

The desire to establish links on both sides of the Channel stemmed from the UK’s decision to leave the bloc after the EU referendum in 2016. But a growing panic of a no-deal Brexit has further galvanised universities, which are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact it would have on their ability to access funding and run research programmes. Failure to secure a Brexit agreement will see the UK lose its access to the EU’s €80 billion (US$90.6 billion) research pot, which the Russell Group of elite universities gains the most from.

Earlier this week, the University of York announced it will sign a £3 million (US$3.9 million) partnership with the Maastricht University in the Netherlands to give “some certainty” over research funding and the exchange of students and staff. It follows a similar move last year by the University of Glasgow, which signed a deal in June with Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, to provide similar assurances to staff and students.
Full report on the iNews site