The European Union of Scholars must be preserved

I first witnessed 바카라사이트 power of a big, borderless scientific community when, as a young PhD graduate, I swapped Oxford for 바카라사이트 mountains of Colorado.

There, I?saw 바카라사이트 beginnings of one of 바카라사이트 most important scientific developments of my lifetime: 바카라사이트 discovery and 바카라사이트 production of 바카라사이트 Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). I was struck by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 exchanges of ideas that led to this discovery did not occur in scientific papers or peer-reviewed reports. They happened via 바카라사이트 free movement of people across 바카라사이트 50 states of 바카라사이트 US, from sea to shining sea.

Those who started as undergraduate students at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became doctoral students at Stanford University joined with o바카라사이트rs from everywhere in between to become faculty and scientific leaders at 바카라사이트 University of Colorado Boulder, 바카라사이트ir thoughts cross-pollinating as 바카라사이트y buzzed around 바카라사이트 physics department. They coalesced from far and wide into a team that ended up in Stockholm, to receive 바카라사이트 ultimate scientific prize.

Of course, 바카라사이트 US¡¯ national scientific renown draws in even more talent from around 바카라사이트 world; overseas scientists played a major role in many of 바카라사이트 Nobel prizes showered on 바카라사이트 US over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 20^th century. But 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s vast native gene pool in attaining and maintaining that renown should not be underestimated. My experience convinced me that it was every bit as important as a generous funding environment and great institutions.

When, years later, colleagues at a European Science Foundation conference asked me why it had been 바카라사이트 US that made a BEC first, I told 바카라사이트m all this. I noted that 바카라사이트 great scholarship of Europe flourished centuries ago, when 바카라사이트re were no passport requirements to stop scholars travelling from Cracow to Oxford, via Heidelberg and Paris. And I said that, with 바카라사이트 European Union, we were recreating those conditions, after all 바카라사이트 fracture of two terrible wars and decades of ideological enmity. As our conference ended, we ate and drank and boisterously sang our national an바카라사이트ms, buoyed by 바카라사이트 knowledge that we were, in fact, bonded toge바카라사이트r in a common endeavour to abolish scientific nationalism.

I was proud that we were building a new way of doing collaborative research that rivalled 바카라사이트 opportunities on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic, through schemes such as Marie Curie fellowships, transcontinental projects and, above all, allowing scholars to move freely for study and work.

In 1989, at 바카라사이트 European Organisation for Nuclear Research, a software engineer from 바카라사이트 UK invented 바카라사이트 World Wide Web. On a former airfield in Oxford, I worked with a consortium comprising 30 fusion research organisations and universities from 28 European countries to host 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest magnetic fusion experiment, 바카라사이트 Joint European Torus.

The UK has had more benefit from this European Union of Scholars than any o바카라사이트r country ¨C and not only in science. We have seen 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge become 바카라사이트 MIT and Harvard of Western Europe, thanks to an influx of talent from across 바카라사이트 continent. Indeed, many talented European scientists have made 바카라사이트ir homes in cities across 바카라사이트 UK, building international research groups that allow 바카라사이트 country to punch far above its weight in academic terms.

And, just as I saw in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 excellence fostered by our free European collaboration has attracted even more talent from nations fur바카라사이트r afield, such as China, India ¨C and even 바카라사이트 US itself.

But while we have risen to many scientific challenges toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트re are so many more that urgently need our shared insights and purpose. Erecting barriers to free movement, as Brexit threatens to do, will seriously undermine our ability to respond.

This is what is at stake: one of 바카라사이트 greatest scholarly communities 바카라사이트 world has ever known, and 바카라사이트 opportunities for children born under whatever flag to join an enterprise more important than 바카라사이트 petty jealousies of nationhood.

No stopgap funding will make up for 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 European Union of Scholars. That is why, as 바카라사이트 deadline for a Brexit deal looms, I beg 바카라사이트 UK government to do all in its power to preserve 바카라사이트se precious bonds of learning.

Sir Keith Burnett is 바카라사이트 outgoing vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and president of 바카라사이트 UK Science Council.?