Following the referendum of 2016, the UK government has this week formalised the outcome by officially announcing its decision to leave the European Union.
This will mean that in the weeks and months to come formal UK departure negotiations will start before potential new agreements with the European Union can be made. So far it remains unclear what the impact will be of leaving the European Union. The uncertainty has created a lot of anxiety and confusion about what this will mean for our staff and students and their families, as well as the wider Higher Education sector, including its donors and regulators.
As we did in the immediate aftermath of the referendum result, we would like to assure you again that Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is, was and will remain a higher education institution that embraces its staff and students’ diversity wherever they come from. We have done so for almost 119 years and will continue to do so in the years to come, when we welcome future colleagues and students who will be selected on their academic credentials and potential rather than their place of origin. In addition, our academic relations; donor base; business partnerships and government contacts are truly global and this will not change. As such we are in the process of signing up to the #weareinternational campaign of UK universities which was founded in the spirit of treasuring universities as places of international exchange and mutual respect.
Now that the negotiations are about to start formally, It is anticipated that these will take up to two years. During that period it is foreseen that there will be:
- No change to the immigration status of EU staff employed by LSTM
- No change to the immigration status of EU students currently studying, or planning to study with LSTM in 2017-2018
- No change in fee status for EU students currently studying, or planning to study with LSTM in 2017-2018
- No change in existing EU grants or collaborative projects with other EU (academic) institutions.
LSTM will continue to be an international organisation that works with institutions and scientists from across Europe and the world. We will strive for the best possible outcomes in the medium and long-term now that the government negotiations with the EU have started. There might be a prolonged period of uncertainty, but we will do our best to keep you informed of the impact negotiations might have on LSTM, its staff and students and will seek to mitigate these as much as possible.
Useful links
- University UK - Brexit and UK Universities.
- British Council - The EU referendum and international students.