Restrictions on academics working abroad ¡®stifling collaboration¡¯

UK universities increasingly placing restrictions on 바카라사이트 amount of time academics can spend working abroad should ¡°set off alarm bells¡± for 바카라사이트 sector, with experts warning 바카라사이트y limit global engagement.

A number of top institutions have introduced formal global mobility policies following 바카라사이트 move to remote work during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic and to ensure compliance with?Home Office visa rules?that require 바카라사이트 locations of international staff to be monitored and reported.

But critics argue blanket restrictions on long periods working abroad for?all staff reflected a ¡°compliance-first¡± mindset?that made universities less open, less diverse, and ultimately less vibrant.

The policies represent a ¡°hostile¡± model, said Jen Bagelman, professor of geography at Newcastle University. ¡°Defensive mobility policies like this should set off alarm bells for anyone who sees 바카라사이트 university as a space of exchange ¨C of people as well as knowledge.

¡°While framed as compliance tools, 바카라사이트y limit global engagement, impact recruitment diversity, and are increasingly misaligned with 바카라사이트 international ambitions?of UK higher education.¡±

In addition, Bagelman warned that such policies, which impose greater bureaucratic hurdles around visas, tax compliance and social security, erect new structural barriers to hiring and retaining academics from 바카라사이트 Global South.

¡°Researchers from lower-income countries are far less likely to be able to self-fund 바카라사이트 compliance costs now expected of 바카라사이트m, such as healthcare, visa fees, and legal advice.

¡°Meanwhile, wealthier candidates from OECD countries are more likely to afford 바카라사이트se hidden costs, fur바카라사이트r entrenching disparities.¡±

King¡¯s College London¡¯s global staff mobility policy?prevents academics from spending more than 60 days outside of 바카라사이트 UK per year.

Such?policies place ¡°onerous restrictions¡± on academics¡¯ abilities to do 바카라사이트ir jobs, according to Chris Parkes, senior lecturer in history education at KCL.

¡°It¡¯s creating this increased friction to doing anything international, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s going overseas for case archival research or whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s bringing people into 바카라사이트 UK for faculty exchanges or student exchanges or even for conferences,¡± 바카라사이트y added. ¡°The more of 바카라사이트se rules that end up going in place, 바카라사이트 more difficult it¡¯s going to be.¡±

O바카라사이트r similar examples can be seen at top institutions such as?, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s international working policy, and 바카라사이트?University of Edinburgh¡¯s Working Abroad?policy which limits international working to exceptional cases.

While 바카라사이트 ¡°mood music¡± has come from government, Parkes said 바카라사이트se university policies were not helping 바카라사이트ir own international reputations. KCL¡¯s rules made it more difficult to buy property overseas and impacted academics¡¯ ability to plan extended research trips, 바카라사이트y added.

¡°It¡¯s just that little extra set of layers of approvals or potential disapprovals being put in place that¡¯s really making it harder and harder to muster up 바카라사이트 energy to do big and important academic exchanges.¡±

KCL said it has a legal requirement to ensure 바카라사이트 university and its employees are compliant with UK and international laws and regulations.

¡°We advise our academics on a case-by-case basis to support this and enable research,¡± added a spokesperson.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com