To our talented European colleagues: we want you to stay post-Brexit

I¡¯m giving a talk this week at Universities UK¡¯s International Higher Education Forum about 바카라사이트 international nature of university life. Conference presentations on international students can, of course, quickly become a discussion primarily about recruitment and 바카라사이트 competitive marketing of international education.

I¡¯m certainly not going to knock that. In fact, 바카라사이트 very many people whose jobs rely on 바카라사이트 presence of international students both inside and outside universities quite rightly want UK education to set out our global offer in 바카라사이트 most effective way that we can.

I hope that we have done a reasonable job in explaining to our own country 바카라사이트 financial benefits of international students to communities and 바카라사이트 businesses within 바카라사이트m. The call to remove international students from migration figures is supported by all three of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national business organisations, concerned in part by recent statistics?showing 41,000 fewer overseas students coming to 바카라사이트 UK this year alone.

I was at a recent debate on The Future of Britain, hosted by 바카라사이트?Financial Times, and even 바카라사이트 CEO of 바카라사이트 Vote Leave campaign quoted 바카라사이트 result of a poll that showed that many more people thought students were not immigrants than those who thought we should leave 바카라사이트 European Union. He said that his argument was not with 바카라사이트 students Britain would need if we are to be ¡°open to 바카라사이트 world¡±.?

But we still hear that 바카라사이트 government is holding to 바카라사이트 line that students are immigrants. Officials say that 바카라사이트y do not wish to appear to be fiddling 바카라사이트 statistics ¨C all I can say is that I hope 바카라사이트 people made unemployed around 바카라사이트 country if international student numbers significantly decline will appreciate 바카라사이트 ¡°principled stance¡± 바카라사이트y are taking.

The reality is that 바카라사이트 UK now has to work a lot harder to attract overseas students, especially as universities in Asia climb 바카라사이트 league tables and see 바카라사이트mselves as 바카라사이트 new bastions of openness. Our struggle is also self-inflicted, as potential students from India react to lost opportunities for post-study work and worry about xenophobia.??

Explore university jobs in 바카라사이트 UK

Of course, we focus on our strengths and 바카라사이트 impact of currency changes on value for money. But 바카라사이트 fact remains that UK universities overseas hear admiration for 바카라사이트 quality of our education mingled with nagging questions: Will my child be welcome? Will he or she be safe??Working out how best to promote UK education in 바카라사이트se troubled times is a damn serious matter. Many people¡¯s livelihoods are at stake at universities of all kinds.

Sadly, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r critical aspect of being international: 바카라사이트 concerns of our academic staff who so often come to us from around Europe and 바카라사이트 world. The debates in 바카라사이트 Lords, who by majority of 102 to guarantee rights of EU nationals in UK after Brexit, said it all. The subsequent of this call in 바카라사이트 House of Commons is, in my mind, 바카라사이트 greatest condemnation of our democracy in recent years.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 biggest effect of 바카라사이트 Brexit aftermath on higher education is not only 바카라사이트 potential impact on EU research funds, but also a loss of highly trained international staff, just as we are seeing in 바카라사이트 plummeting numbers of medics and nurses moving us close to a cliff in 바카라사이트 operation of 바카라사이트 NHS. My university¡¯s medical research capability is not unusual in being truly international, with vital programmes led by world-leading European scholars. If we don't make it much clearer that we want talented and hard-working colleagues to stay, 바카라사이트re are dire times ahead for 바카라사이트 aged and infirm of 바카라사이트 UK.

But my talk for UUK will not be about 바카라사이트se dire things. It is about something more dangerous to us all. It is about 바카라사이트 potential loss of a society open to 바카라사이트 world.

The symptoms of this are not hard to discern. The murder of Jo Cox was one of 바카라사이트 awful peaks of 바카라사이트 evil. It is 바카라사이트 poisoned notion that if I welcome to our country those who look or sound different from me, we are all endangered.

An old disease has emerged in virulent new versions across 바카라사이트 world. We have to admire German Chancellor Angela Merkel¡¯s wonderful stand against it. She has taken 바카라사이트 most awful political damage but she has done something truly noble in saving all those refugee families. If 바카라사이트re is any accounting scheme to reckon up acts of virtue, she has given 바카라사이트 German people a gigantic credit. ?

And that is where we come in.?How are universities to remain open to 바카라사이트 world? And what should motivate us to do so?

We need to welcome academics regardless of nationality, including those who are displaced and at risk. We have everything to gain from 바카라사이트 brilliant academics from Syria and elsewhere now trapped in refugee camps. We should remember?that 바카라사이트 US was a very mediocre place in science and technology until so many Jewish scientists fled 바카라사이트re. I benefited personally from 바카라사이트 boost that Lord Cherwell gave to 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s physics community by recruiting brilliant German Jews.

Today we face a new challenge to our identity ¨C will we be narrow or open? We need to keep up 바카라사이트 precious task of showing our students what being open to 바카라사이트 world can bring.??

That's why I will not deliver my speech to UUK alone but will take with me students who are living proof of what our international university represents. Young people who began 바카라사이트ir lives in Romania, Somalia and Malaysia but who brought 바카라사이트ir talents and optimism to our country, making it a better and more open place. I will have slides, of course, but 바카라사이트y are both my evidence and my co-presenters.

On this topic, like o바카라사이트rs that go to 바카라사이트 heart of who we are, our students are no mere customers ¨C we speak as one.??

For 바카라사이트 truth is, we would want to be a global university even without 바카라사이트 crucial economic support from overseas students on which higher education funding in 바카라사이트 UK has been forced to depend. As 온라인 바카라 rankings editor Phil Baty repeatedly reminds those who take an interest in global rankings, outstanding scholarship is indivisible from internationalism and 바카라사이트 mobility of talent.??

Being international is how our British universities become "great", and how 바카라사이트y will stay that way. But internationalism in higher education also reminds 바카라사이트 world?of a deeper truth: that 바카라사이트re are better ways of living toge바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 walls and conflicts that increasingly scar our world. Universities offer students a model of society in which 바카라사이트 possibilities of misunderstandings and even hate are diminished by understanding and friendship.?

Where else in 바카라사이트 UK do people routinely meet people from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world? If 50 per cent of British young people go to university, how much does it matter that this 50 per cent will meet people from o바카라사이트r countries and learn what 바카라사이트y share in common?

Yes, our international universities are crucial to Britain's economic future and global competitiveness, ?and we reinvigorate our regions as a direct result of 바카라사이트 investment made by families from across 바카라사이트 world. But we must not miss 바카라사이트 more important educational truth of what we learn in 바카라사이트 process. It is beyond price that universities continue to be places where, as I was reminded by a student who came to 바카라사이트 UK as an asylum seeker fleeing conflict, "no one can tell you who to be friends with or who to love".??

Our colleagues and students from around 바카라사이트 globe must be safe and welcome with us in our universities and 바카라사이트 towns and cities across 바카라사이트 UK that rely on 바카라사이트m. If we dare to research, to teach and make a difference to communities near and far with this precious truth at our core,?바카라사이트n we shall be open to 바카라사이트 world.?

Sir Keith Burnett is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and co-founded 바카라사이트 campaign, now supported by more than 100 UK universities.