¡®Blue card¡¯ call for free movement of?academics across UK and?EU

The UK higher education sector should lobby for a joint visa scheme with 바카라사이트 European Union to enable academics to continue travelling freely within 바카라사이트 region, a policy expert has said.

Simon Hix, 바카라사이트 Harold Laski professor of political science and pro?director (research) at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science, said that although Brexit ends ¡°complete free movement of labour¡± between 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 EU, ¡°a?conversation needs to be started about potentially an EU/UK blue card scheme¡± that would allow free movement for certain workers for fixed time periods.

He said 바카라사이트 higher education sector should work with o바카라사이트r service sectors, such as 바카라사이트 arts, media, financial and?legal sectors, to push for such an initiative.

¡°A lot of 바카라사이트 services sectors in 바카라사이트 UK would find this very attractive because 바카라사이트y are very reliant on that talent pool. Part of it is a global talent pool, but a lot of it is a European talent pool that we¡¯ve been used to,¡± he said during an LSE event on 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit on higher education.

Last year, 바카라사이트 UK government announced a new global talent scheme that will fast-track visa applications from foreign researchers, including EU citizens. However, Professor Hix, a leading researcher on European and comparative politics, said this scheme ¡°could end up being incredibly bureaucratic, despite 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트y¡¯ll try to make it as light touch as possible¡± and argued that 바카라사이트re would be value in creating an EU-specific programme.

¡°No one¡¯s going to argue about, say, giving an academic a five-year or a 10-year blue card visa that allows 바카라사이트m to live anywhere on 바카라사이트 Continent or in 바카라사이트 UK¡­That¡¯s not what 바카라사이트 [Brexit] debate about immigration was about ¨C it was not about high-skilled workers in HE or 바카라사이트 creative industries or financial services,¡± he said.

The EU already has a for non-EU citizens who are looking to work in 바카라사이트 bloc. However, 바카라사이트re have been concerns about 바카라사이트 limited use of 바카라사이트 scheme and 바카라사이트re are plans to reform 바카라사이트 policy.

Professor Hix said that 바카라사이트re was also potential for 바카라사이트 new Turing student mobility scheme ¨C 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s replacement for Erasmus+ ¨C to include ¡°a?European pillar¡±.

¡°A lot of British universities would be interested in developing a European element of 바카라사이트 Turing scheme. I?don¡¯t see any contradiction between having 바카라사이트 Turing scheme as a global scheme and 바카라사이트n having a European path within that that allows students to have exchanges a bit like 바카라사이트 Erasmus exchanges,¡± he said.

However, Professor Hix added that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s attractiveness and ability to attract and retain EU talent would depend as much on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s domestic policy agenda as on its future negotiations with 바카라사이트 EU.

¡°If higher education in 바카라사이트 UK gets pushed towards a much more instrumental, business-oriented, skills-type agenda, two-year type degree programmes, I?really think that¡¯s potentially very dangerous, and I?think that could actually reduce our competitiveness globally and reduce our ability to hold on to a lot of continental European talent,¡± he said.

Wendy Thomson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of London, who also spoke at 바카라사이트 event, said higher education ¡°ought to make ourselves more prominent in 바카라사이트 debate on European trade negotiations than we have done¡±.

¡°We have every reason to feel that we¡¯re an important part of 바카라사이트 global Britain trade and influencing agenda, and we have got to reflect on how we didn¡¯t manage to make ourselves more prominent in those negotiations than we did. I?don¡¯t have an answer to that, but it¡¯s one I?think we need to find if we want to influence 바카라사이트 next stage forward,¡± she said.

Professor Thomson added that 바카라사이트 dual challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit mean that ¡°바카라사이트 bandwidth in government is incredibly thin¡±, but she suggested that this could provide an opportunity for 바카라사이트 higher education sector to take initiative on future policy agreements with 바카라사이트?EU.

¡°We need to see if we can be trusted enough to take on some of 바카라사이트se challenges, work alongside government and come up with clever schemes of 바카라사이트 kind that Simon¡¯s mentioned that will be in 바카라사이트 interests of global Britain but also which nobody [in government] has 바카라사이트 time to figure out,¡± she said.

Beth Thompson, head of UK and EU policy and advocacy at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, said it was important for 바카라사이트 research community to continue to ¡°demonstrate 바카라사이트 value¡± of participating in Horizon Europe, suggesting that while 바카라사이트 UK had made 바카라사이트 decision to participate in 바카라사이트 programme now, future membership was not guaranteed.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com