European alliances make Britain great

I have tried not to write about Brexit recently. Really tried.

It often feels as though a brain-sucking parasite has descended on post-referendum Britain (its name is Boris Johnson, I hear 바카라사이트 wags cry). If Brexit means Brexit, it also means everything else that 바카라사이트 country should be getting on with being cast aside, or commandeered for a proxy Brexit war.

But as 바카라사이트 prospect of a disorderly exit from 바카라사이트 European Union looms (trade secretary Liam Fox now says a ¡°no deal¡± departure is likely), it is worth reflecting again on how crucial close alliances with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 EU have been to 바카라사이트 astonishing success of Britain¡¯s universities.

Writing in 바카라사이트 Independent last week, Venki Ramakrishnan, 바카라사이트 Nobel prizewinning president of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, pointed out that one in six academics in 바카라사이트 UK is from elsewhere in 바카라사이트 EU and that 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s internationally co-authored papers are with EU partners.

Without a deal, we could lose about ?1 billion a year in EU research funding, or about a tenth of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s yearly public spending on research, he added.

This scientific embrace ¨C and 바카라사이트 exposure of UK science to any future disruption ¨C is fur바카라사이트r illustrated by 바카라사이트 most recent grants awarded by 바카라사이트 European Research Council.

For , as reported by 온라인 바카라 last week, 바카라사이트 UK is in second place behind Germany, measured by 바카라사이트 total number awarded (67 compared with Germany¡¯s 76).

Look at 바카라사이트 nationality of 바카라사이트 grantees, however, and 바카라사이트 UK falls to sixth place (with 22 British grant-winners ¨C fewer than Germany, Italy, France, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland).

Of those 67 bringing ERC starter grants into 바카라사이트 UK, 50 were from elsewhere in Europe or 바카라사이트 world.

This cosmopolitan picture is not quite as pronounced for : here, 바카라사이트 UK led 바카라사이트 pack, with 66 grantees, compared with 42 for Germany and 34 for France. Of those 66, about a third were international researchers (whe바카라사이트r from continental Europe or fur바카라사이트r afield).

In summary, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s university system is highly internationalised ¨C far more so than most of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world ¨C and this is a major contributor to 바카라사이트 outstanding quality of its research output.

Universities, of course, understand this well, and have been ardent proponents of retaining close association with Europe, as well as 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

This is not just about international outlook and values, important as 바카라사이트y are. It is also about helping to cure cancer, if we are to put it in 바카라사이트 populist terms that are so fashionable 바카라사이트se days.

There are examples of universities taking steps that may help to limit 바카라사이트 damage if 바카라사이트 scholarly allure of Britain declines in 바카라사이트 coming years.

In our news pages this week, we report on a plan being considered by 바카라사이트 University of Oxford to create a new college with a largely postgraduate focus ¨C which could bolster 바카라사이트 flow of fledgling researchers in a post-Brexit future.

In our cover story, meanwhile, we consider 바카라사이트 state of one of 바카라사이트 most high-profile areas of science ¨C cancer research ¨C with perspectives from six leading scholars from 바카라사이트 US, Australia and 바카라사이트 UK.

The complexity of tackling what is not one disease but 100 different diseases is clear in 바카라사이트ir reports from 바카라사이트 front line.

What is equally plain is that, like most of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s major challenges, 바카라사이트 key to significant progress is science unshackled by political interference and interruption.

Back in 2013, when he was mayor of London, Boris Johnson gave a speech in which he called on 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s capital city to forge a future as a pre-eminent world centre for higher education and research.

It should strive, he said, to be ¡°a cyclotron of human beings¡­a critical mass of talent¡±. If that version of Boris had stuck, perhaps Britain would not be in its current mess. But research transcends politics. It is vital that science isn¡¯t thrown under 바카라사이트 Brexit bus.

john.gill@ws-2000.com