Dear Colleague / Student

Shortly after the EU Referendum decision on 23 June, I wrote to you to let you know that the University was already hard at work assessing the impact of the decision to leave the European Union.

We know this will be a long and complicated process as the political consequences in the UK are realised and the many months of negotiations with the EU get underway.

The University is determined that our voice will be heard in the discussions and negotiations that are now starting to take place. As you may have seen, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, has asked me to chair a group of experts to advise the Scottish Government on securing Scotland’s relationship with the EU. The Standing Council on Europe comprises specialists in legal, financial, business and diplomatic matters.

I am also working hard to ensure that the University of Glasgow joins with others in the Scottish and UK Higher Education sector to influence the outcome of the negotiations. A senior Universities UK delegation is in Brussels at the moment, seeking further clarification from the European Commission on a range of key issues, including how the UK Government, the sector and the European Commission can work together to tackle the uncertainty regarding UK participation in research consortia.

Universities UK is continually updating information on their website and has created a ‘BREXIT FAQs’ page which you may find useful.

www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/facts-and-stats/Pages/brexit-faq.aspx

We welcome the joint statement from the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland reassuring EU students in Scotland that they will continue to benefit from free tuition and associated support for the duration of their course. Free tuition will also continue for EU students preparing to start their studies in Scotland this year. You can find the statement on the Scottish Government website and also on the Universities Scotland website.

Finally, I want to repeat what I said on the day after the leave vote: the University of Glasgow places great value on the contribution that our colleagues and students from the EU make to our community. You are a vital and essential part of our University. The University of Glasgow was founded in the European tradition, and nothing will change our international outlook which will continue to look to Europe for our academic collaborations.

Best wishes

Professor Anton Muscatelli
Principal and Vice-Chancellor

First published: 5 July 2016

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