More than 100 UK vice-chancellors have signed a new open letter to warn about the impact of leaving the European Union.
In a last-ditch intervention before the 23 June referendum, some 103 university leaders state that “voluntarily cutting ourselves out of the world’s largest economic bloc would undermine our position as a global leader in science and innovation, impoverish our campuses and limit opportunities for British people”.
“Leaving Europe would create a difficult environment for the long-term investment in higher education and research that is necessary for the UK to maintain its position as a highly skilled and a globally competitive knowledge economy,” says the letter, published on 21 June.
“For us it is crystal clear that our outstanding universities – and our students – are stronger in Europe,” it adds.
Among those to sign the letter include Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor, University of Oxford and Universities UK president Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor of the University of Kent.
The letter argues that the impact of the country’s higher education sector, worth an estimated £73 billion for the UK economy and supporting nearly 380,000 jobs, “should not be underestimated”, but universities would find it harder to operate in the event of a Brexit.
“Our membership of the EU ….. makes our outstanding universities even stronger,” it says.
“Inside the EU, we are better able to work collaboratively on ground-breaking research in areas from cancer to climate change. EU membership supports British universities to attract the brightest and best minds from across Europe, enhancing university research and teaching and contributing to economic growth,” it says.
Signatories
1. Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kent
2. Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool
3. Professor Julie Lydon, Vice-Chancellor, University of South Wales
4. Professor Colin Riordan, President and Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University
5. Professor Sir Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Dundee
6. Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow
7. Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice Chancellor, University of Birmingham
8. Professor Simon Gaskell, President and Principal, Queen Mary University of London
9. Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading
10. Professor Sir Ian Diamond Vice-Chancellor University of Aberdeen
11. Professor Paul O’Prey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Roehampton
12. Professor Julia Buckingham, Vice-Chancellor, Brunel University London
13. Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor, University of Exeter
14. Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Office, University of the West of England
15. Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice- Chancellor, The University of Nottingham
16. Nigel Carrington, Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London
17. Professor David Phoenix OBE, Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank University
18. Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Southampton
19. Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, University of Salford
20. Dr Paul Thompson, Rector, Royal College of Art
21. John Latham, Vice-Chancellor, Coventry University
22. Professor Aldwyn Cooper, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Regent’s University London
23. Professor Baron Peter Piot, Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
24. Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Edinburgh Napier University
25. Professor Barry Ife, Principal, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
26. Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University
27. Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor, Manchester Metropolitan University
28. Professor David Maguire, Vice-Chancellor, University of Greenwich
29. Professor Sir Paul Curran, Vice-Chancellor, City University London
30. Professor Karen Stanton, Vice-Chancellor, York St John University
31. Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor and President, Loughborough University
32. Professor Anthony Bowne, Principal, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
33. Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor, Anglia Ruskin University
34. Professor Bob Cryan CBE, Vice-Chancellor, University of Huddersfield
35. Professor Dominic Shellard, Vice-Chancellor, De Montfort University
36. Professor Patrick Johnston, Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast
37. Professor April McMahon, Vice-Chancellor, Aberystwyth University
38. Bill Rammell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Bedfordshire
39. Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor, Nottingham Trent University
40. Stephen Marston, Vice-Chancellor, University of Gloucestershire
41. Professor Edward Byrne, President and Principal, King’s College London
42. Professor John Joughin, Vice-Chancellor, University of East London
43. Professor Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor, University of Leeds
44. Baroness Valerie Amos CH, Director, Soas, University of London
45. Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, Principal, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
46. Professor Andrew Wathey CBE, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Northumbria University
47. Patrick Loughrey, Warden, Goldsmiths, University of London
48. Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Strathclyde
49. Dr Maria Hinfelaar, Vice-Chancellor, Glyndwr University
50. Professor Mary Stuart, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lincoln
51. Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford
52. Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University
53. Professor Paul Boyle, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Leicester
54. Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor, University of Buckingham
55. Professor Peter John, Vice-Chancellor, University of West London
56. Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Derby
57. Professor Peter Strike, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cumbria
58. Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor, Keele University
59. Professor Richard A Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University
60. Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge
61. Professor Stuart Reid, Principal, Royal Veterinary College University of London
62. Professor Julius Weinberg, Vice-Chancellor, Kingston University London
63. Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor, Durham University
64. Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal, The University of Edinburgh
65. Professor Paul Croney, Vice-Chancellor, Teesside University
66. Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Northampton
67. Professor Mark Smith, Vice-Chancellor, Lancaster University
68. Professor Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sussex
69. Professor Richard B. Davies, Vice-Chancellor, Swansea University
70. Professor Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University
71. Professor Jenny Higham, Principal, St George’s, University of London
72. Professor Geoffrey Petts, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Westminster
73. Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice-Chancellor, Southampton Solent University
74. Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost, University College London
75. Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor, University of Wolverhampton
76. Professor John Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, Bangor University
77. Professor Petra Wend, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
78. Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Bristol
79. Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Vice-Chancellor, Aston University
80. Professor Michael Thomas, Vice-Chancellor, University of Central Lancashire
81. Professor David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, University of East Anglia
82. Professor Paul Layzell, Vice-Chancellor, Royal Holloway, University of London
83. Professor Judith Petts, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Plymouth University
84. Professor Liz Barnes, Vice Chancellor, Staffordshire University
85. Professor Calie Pistorius, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hull
86. Professor Craig Calhoun, Vice-Chancellor, London School of Economics and Political Science
87. Professor David Green, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Worcester
88. Professor Nigel Weatherill, Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool John Moores University
89. Professor John Raftery, Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University
90. Professor Gerald Pillay, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Liverpool Hope University
91. Professor Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor University of Stirling
92. Professor Christina Slade , Bath Spa University
93. Professor Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor and President, University of Sheffield
94. Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of the West of Scotland
95. Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean, London Business School
96. Shirley Atkinson, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Sunderland
97. Professor Anthony Forster, Vice-Chancellor, University of Essex
98. Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor, University of Brighton
99. Professor Joy Carter, Vice-Chancellor, University of Winchester
100. Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, University of Salford
101. Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Vice-Chancellor, University of London
102. Professsor G.Q Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Surrey
103. Professor Alice Gast, President, Imperial College London
