Dear Students,
We have woken up today with the news that Britain has voted
to leave the European Union. Students will naturally have important questions
that will need answering over the next few months about how this affects them
personally – some of those questions will be impossible to answer for some
time. We should remember that leaving the EU will not happen overnight and that
there will be a gradual exit process with significant opportunities to seek
assurances and influence future policy as we adapt to our new future.
Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is the clause that triggers
a two-year negotiation process between the UK and other Member States, during
which time the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union will be decided.
This planning process will involve experts across all industries to ensure that
there is minimal disruption to business and universities. The Prime Minister
stated in his resignation speech that he will go by October and it is for his
successor to invoke Article 50 at that point.
Barring unilateral action from the UK Government which is
unlikely, the vote to leave the EU does not mean there will be any immediate
material change to the UK university sector’s participation in EU programmes
such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+, nor to the immigration status of current and
prospective EU students and staff.
Throughout the transition period Lancaster will work with
other universities and UUK to focus on securing support that allows our
universities to continue to be global in their outlook, internationally
networked and an attractive destination for talented people from across the
world and especially Europe.
A key priority will be to convince the UK Government to take
steps to ensure that staff and students from EU countries can continue to work
and study at British universities and to promote the UK as a welcoming
destination for the brightest and best minds. We will of course keep you up to
date with developments.
My very best wishes
Professor Mark E. Smith, Vice-Chancellor
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