New Brexit factsheet: The UK in European research and student mobility

The European University Association (EUA) has published a second factsheet concerning Brexit and the possible consequences for European universities. The “EUA Brexit Factsheet: UK–European Research Collaboration and Student Mobility” demonstrates the vital role that the UK plays in the European Research Area and as an important destination for mobile students.

The factsheet puts numbers on this role as the UK stands out in all areas as a contributor to the European system. According to the data, the UK has the largest number of publications and participants in Horizon 2020 and manages 20% of all the programme’s projects. In addition, the UK is by far the largest destination for mobile students, receiving almost 30% of European students going abroad.

“The European system as a whole will suffer if this contribution is diminished as a result of Brexit,” explains Thomas Jorgensen, EUA’s Senior Policy Coordinator and main staff expert on Brexit. “Mobility and collaboration are demonstrably increasing the quality of research and learning, and the UK plays a part in these collaborations that cannot be replaced.”

This publication follows EUA’s first factsheet on the topic, “After the Brexit Referendum: Possible outcomes for Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+,” which was published in September 2016 and intends to shed light on the different options and possibilities within the EU system that allow the UK to continue as an integral part of the family of European universities.

EUA is working actively to keep universities in the UK as close as possible to the rest of Europe, even after an exit from the Union. The Association will continue its efforts in the months and years to come to support the close links between universities in the UK and those in the rest of Europe.

Notes

To read the “EUA Brexit Factsheet: UK–European Research Collaboration and Student Mobility,” please click here.

To read EUA’s first factsheet, “After the Brexit Referendum: Possible outcomes for Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+,” please click here.

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