Sir Anton, what do you think as an Economist and as a representative of the most research-intensive British universities, the Brexit?
Personally, I am against Brexit. He is the remembrance of the worst national self-disassembly, since people, as I said before and I stand by it. If you look at economic analyses: Any type of Brexit is harmful, a No-Deal-Brexit the most harmful. The people who are economically and socially the most affected are the most vulnerable in society. Since we can only be against.
It is at the moment in London topsy-turvy. Can be averted a No-Deal-Brexit?
According to Theresa may’s crashing defeat new options to the game, including a soft Brexit or a second Referendum to come back. I would not even exclude the possibility that Mays proposal comes through. But it’s hard to see how parliamentary majorities can be organized for all of these possibilities.
How would you rate may’s proposals from Monday?
It has changed a little – a Plan B has not presented the Prime Minister really. It continues to be your Plan A, only that you want to get new guarantees from the EU for the Backstop for Ireland. It has two hooks. The EU will not give her, apparently, as a verbal commitment that the Backstop is a temporary solution – he will continue to be firmly anchored in the agreement. And if May gets in front of this Background, enough votes together is more than questionable. If May not change your course, it will go under.
In fire, the letter to the main UK higher education associations, is a No-Deal to criticise-Brexit will throw science back by decades. As you come to the assessment?
a 25 to 30 percent of all the scientists in us are from EU countries. Many students from the EU are registered with us. It is about the free exchange of ideas and Talent. Europe has benefited as a continent. A No-Deal Brexit would bring huge uncertainties.
What is the biggest danger for science in the case of No Deals?
the New restrictions on students and academics to prevent, to go from the UK to the EU or the other way around. Many forget that the major EU research programmes are unique in the world. You can win a research scholarship in Germany and then to Italy, go, third means across borders. This is a huge competitive advantage for Europe. Look at the comparison of bilateral programmes between Germany and the United States or the United Kingdom and the United States. The are much more limited.
Is the government, are prepared for the universities, organizationally, to an uncontrolled Brexit?
It can prepare any really. This changes so many things, because you have no control over it. We will do our Best, especially our colleagues will help the countries come from the EU and us to work.
Can you give examples, which will manage the Unis at a No-Deal scenario is particularly difficult to?
the First example: We need to protect our EU colleagues and clarify that you have a secure residence status. The British government has promised that they can stay here. But this must be arranged with the authorities, is a huge bureaucratic effort. A second example: The EU will immediately cease to pay your scholarships and research funds. The government wants to replace the means – how, but knows no one. Again, a huge bureaucratic effort. This is not going to go from today to tomorrow, in the meantime, we need to ensure that we can Fund the projects and still. And finally, We also import Goods from the EU, just think of the lab materials. Delays in the Import are to be expected, the will also be meeting us.
again and again, is to hear British scientists prefer now increasingly in the EU-countries. The more the for international researchers and applied researchers. How does it look on your Uni?
There are some scientists that have received good job offers from the EU and then adopted. In some areas the scientists from EU-countries to apply, for example, in the biomedical field. Still, the negative consequences are limited. That will change in a No-Deal Exit, but radically, I’m afraid.
you are the rector of the University of Glasgow. Scotland is EU-friendly. How is the mood at you at the University?
There is great fear among our students and scientists. 62 per cent of Scots voted for remaining in the EU, in Glasgow there were over 70 percent. For us there is but a small advantage: the EU-colleagues that come to us, know that we are very pro-European and that you will be working in a city, you are welcome.
Even if it comes to a regulated Brexit, is the future of the science relationship is unclear. No matter how an exit agreement will look like: It only regulates the transitional period until the end of 2020. What you are asking for the period starting in 2021?
We want to be a full-fledged partner country for all of the EU’s science programmes, i.e., Erasmus plus and Horizon Europe, the future EU framework programme for Research. Just recently, the Russell Group of the UK universities and the German U15 again.
The Russell Group, which you chaired, which represents 24 leading British universities, the German Association of 15 large German universities. How do you make yourself noticeable?
We have set up a joint catalogue of demands to the German and British government, in which we have the demand yet again. Of course, the negotiations between the UK and the EU requires, of the partnership. The UK would have to Deposit about so much in the programs as it gets. Also applies here: there Would be a softer Brexit – for example, if the UK as Norway is a member of the European free trade Association EFTA would be very much easier. Then we could automatically participate in the science programs.
you Have the hope, that the embodiment of the future of academic relations will be negotiated by 2021 in the end? Also, until then, only two years time.
There are always risks. It is important to us that students and researchers can move freely between the EU and the UK. The closer we tie ourselves to the EU, the faster the negotiations will be completed. Just as for the exchange of Students: This is a core Europe. If we talk about the fact that the EU is a peace project, depends also substantially on whether young people can easily go to other countries and they can get to know.
There are German and English universities, and the separate agreement, to be prepared for the future. The best example is the Berlin Unis and Oxford. The future lies in such individual agreement?
More about
Close cooperation with the British University such As Oxford Berlin can help – and Vice versa
Carla Spangenberg
These bilateral partnerships can not really replace our European network. Regardless of what happens with the Brexit, I believe you for good ideas. The partnerships strengthen what we already have and we don’t want to lose.
