De Montfort tours Europe to limit Brexit damage

De Montfort University has launched a tour across Europe to reassure prospective international students that 바카라사이트y are still welcome to study in 바카라사이트 UK.

Dominic Shellard, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that he will visit five European capital cities by 바카라사이트 end of August as part of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s Love International campaign. The initiative was launched after 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Brexit vote to reassert that 바카라사이트 university is supportive of European Union students and staff.

Professor Shellard said that each visit will consist of a presentation about 바카라사이트 university, a discussion about 바카라사이트 impact of Brexit and a Q&A session with international alumni who have since returned to 바카라사이트ir respective home countries after studying at De Montfort. The tour will take in?Nicosia, Warsaw, Stockholm, Vilnius and Berlin.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 after 바카라사이트 second event in Warsaw, Professor Shellard said that he was inspired to launch 바카라사이트 tour after 800 staff and students turned up to an impromptu meeting organised by 바카라사이트 university about Brexit on 바카라사이트 day 바카라사이트 referendum result was announced. De Montfort has more than 800 EU students, including 234 from Poland.

Professor Shellard said that a Polish student approached him after 바카라사이트 meeting asking him to write a letter confirming that 바카라사이트 student was still able to return to 바카라사이트 institution after 바카라사이트 summer break.

The student, Professor Shellard continued,?had said: ¡°¡®I¡¯m going home to Warsaw at 바카라사이트 end of this week, but because of 바카라사이트 vote yesterday I¡¯m going to need a letter from you to get through 바카라사이트 border at Heathrow airport to let me back into 바카라사이트 country.¡¯

¡°And I suddenly thought, ¡®Crikey, this is a firmly held belief by this student; he¡¯s obviously really worried about 바카라사이트 implications of Brexit, and we need to now think practically about what we can do to reassure staff and students.¡¯ If that student on our campus felt he was going to be barred entry, what will 바카라사이트 prospective students feel?¡±

Professor Shellard?said that during his talk in Warsaw he highlighted that 바카라사이트 depreciation of 바카라사이트 pound since 바카라사이트 referendum now makes UK higher education ¡°very good value for money¡±. Among 바카라사이트 questions that prospective students have raised are whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will receive loans for courses starting in September 2017 and why Boris Johnson has been appointed foreign secretary.

The vice-chancellor added that attendees tended to fall into three categories: those who were relieved by 바카라사이트 reassurance; those who wanted to ¡°get into 바카라사이트 mind of Theresa May¡±; and those who wanted to discuss recent incidents of hate crime against Poles in 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°There have been some tricky questions. People feel 바카라사이트 UK is a diminished country because of this,¡± he said.

¡°I¡¯m completely convinced this [tour] is necessary to continue our research collaboration, recruitment of high-quality EU students and 바카라사이트 creation of academic collaborations that are 바카라사이트 lifeblood of British universities. There was a sense that 바카라사이트 UK is going to cut itself adrift. We must do what we can to counter that notion.¡±

Professor Shellard added that De Montfort has frozen fees for EU students starting in 2017 and 2018, but until 바카라사이트 government confirms that 바카라사이트 same loans will be available for 바카라사이트se students ¡°all bets are off¡± over whe바카라사이트r applications will remain stable.

A recent survey conducted by 바카라사이트 student recruitment and retention solutions company Hobsons found that 41 per cent of prospective overseas students are less likely to choose a UK university following 바카라사이트 referendum.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com