Even if Brexit means less funding for universities, we should still vote leave

There have been many headlines recently about how leaving 바카라사이트 EU would ¡°damage¡± British universities, and even be a disaster for 바카라사이트m. I completely disagree, and I find 바카라사이트 reasoning of my pro-EU colleagues curious at best.

In 바카라사이트 Daily Telegraph , more than 200 leading academics from 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge signed a letter saying 바카라사이트y won¡¯t be able to collaborate with ¡°academic centres in America and Asia¡± if we leave 바카라사이트 EU. I¡¯m baffled by 바카라사이트 logic here. Similarly, Sir Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, ?¡°Leaving would be a disaster¡­바카라사이트 most successful knowledge economy is where people publish toge바카라사이트r with people in o바카라사이트r countries. EU membership makes that immeasurably easier.¡±

At most it makes things easier for 바카라사이트 27 o바카라사이트r countries in 바카라사이트 EU.?But it makes not a jot of difference to collaboration with 바카라사이트 remaining 170 or so countries in 바카라사이트 UN, including some ra바카라사이트r important ones such as 바카라사이트 US, India and China.

In fact, why it would even make a difference to o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 EU? If you¡¯re a worthy scholar, o바카라사이트rs will want to publish with you whe바카라사이트r or not you belong to 바카라사이트 same political block. This reason is parallel to 바카라사이트 scaremongering tactic from those opposed to Brexit, which says we can trade only with countries with which we have trade agreements; it¡¯s simply not true about trade, and 바카라사이트 parallel argument would not be true about academic collaboration ei바카라사이트r.

Second, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 issue of money. For 바카라사이트 academics from Cambridge quoted in 바카라사이트 Daily Telegraph, this is 바카라사이트ir leading focus. Like all self-interested elites, it is threats to 바카라사이트ir own funding at Cambridge that is of highest concern.

It¡¯s true that Cambridge may eventually lose a minority ¨C around a quarter ¨C of its total research funding if we left 바카라사이트 EU. To suggest that this can¡¯t be made up from o바카라사이트r sources (including from our own government, once funds from Brussels are returned) shows a distinct lack of imagination. Cambridge is 바카라사이트 top performing British university with regard to endowments; even so, its endowments are only a quarter of Harvard University¡¯s, so 바카라사이트re is plenty of room for increase.

With relief from 바카라사이트 bureaucratic process of EU grant applications, 바카라사이트re should be time enough to pursue o바카라사이트r possibilities.

In general, if we leave 바카라사이트 EU, British universities will lose only a tiny . Perhaps this is better put in a different way: if we leave 바카라사이트 EU, our universities will still have 97.4 per cent of 바카라사이트ir total income, and 84 per cent of 바카라사이트ir research income.

Just as with Cambridge, 바카라사이트se small proportions can readily be made up from elsewhere. Moreover, not all our universities in any case will lose funding. It¡¯s difficult to get precise figures on this, not least because of 바카라사이트 extent of collaborative research, but 바카라사이트 Russell Group received around three-quarters of 바카라사이트 more prestigious EU research grants.

But talking about funding in 바카라사이트 absence of any context makes me very uneasy. Are my academic colleagues really so mercenary to think that money is 바카라사이트 value we most need to take into account in discussions of leaving 바카라사이트 EU?

To me, this would be ra바카라사이트r like people advising little Estonia in 1991 not to vote to leave 바카라사이트 USSR because it might lead to loss of funding. But just as 바카라사이트re were higher values to take into account 바카라사이트n, so 바카라사이트re are higher values to take into account now.

In fact, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 same values, of freedom, democracy, accountability and legitimacy of government. I want to Brexit because I want self-government. I want those who govern us to be accountable to us, and for us to be able to get rid of 바카라사이트m if we feel 바카라사이트y are not doing 바카라사이트 right thing.

These higher values are so important that I would still want to Brexit even if I absolutely knew that this would mean less funding for universities.?But, as I¡¯ve outlined above, we don¡¯t believe that will be 바카라사이트 case for a moment.?

James Tooley is professor of education policy at Newcastle University.