Cambridge v-c warns Brexit would isolate UK researchers

Academics could be cut off from international partnerships that generate world-leading research if 바카라사이트 UK were to leave 바카라사이트 European Union, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge vice-chancellor has warned.

Arguing for a ¡°sensible debate about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s membership of 바카라사이트 EU¡±, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said research at universities across Europe would be severely damaged if 바카라사이트 UK voted to leave 바카라사이트 union.

UK universities would lose hundreds of millions of pounds a year in EU research funding, and a UK exit would also destroy links with world-class institutions made possible by pan-European funding.

¡°The real loss is that we would not be able to collaborate in 바카라사이트 way we do today,¡± said Sir Leszek in a speech at a reception for UK vice-chancellors in Brussels on 13 April.

¡°The UK needs Europe and Europe needs 바카라사이트 UK,¡± he added, saying that 바카라사이트 EU managed to ¡°bring toge바카라사이트r academics to work on today¡¯s big global challenges¡± and that ¡°toge바카라사이트r we are much stronger than we are separately¡±.

The exclusion of Switzerland¡¯s universities from EU research projects ¨C after it breached freedom of labour rules by voting to impose immigration quotas on Croatian workers ¨C showed 바카라사이트 potential dangers to science, Sir Leszek warned. ¡°Do we want to be outside 바카라사이트 EU, where 바카라사이트 Swiss [found] 바카라사이트mselves after a referendum 바카라사이트y held?¡± he said.

Universities are also often at 바카라사이트 heart of high-tech centres that generate thousands of good jobs, he argued, which could be at risk if 바카라사이트 UK was sidelined.

In a Universities UK blog published on 13 April, Sir Leszek also said he was disappointed to see how parties ¡°across 바카라사이트 political spectrum¡± were discussing immigration. As 바카라사이트 son of Polish ¨¦migr¨¦s incarcerated in Siberia during 바카라사이트 Second World War who later came to 바카라사이트 UK, Sir Leszek said he owed much to ¡°바카라사이트 UK¡¯s historically open and positive attitude to immigrants¡±.

¡°The UK¡¯s future, as a member of 바카라사이트 EU, cannot be decided by an intemperate, ill-defined and ill-informed debate on immigration. For universities, EU funding alone is too important to be sacrificed for short-term electoral success,¡± he said.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com