Education Committee Inquiry: The impact of exiting the European Union on higher education

Written Evidence submitted by Bournemouth University

Executive summary:

  • Existing students: we are concerned about potential changes part-way through a course - visa requirements may be imposed, loans and grants may be withdrawn and universities may be required to increase fees for EU students. Any such changes affecting existing EU students studying in the UK would be very detrimental to the reputation of the UK and UK universities overseas – not just in Europe.
  • Guarantees should be given about these matters up to the date of Brexit.
  • We believe that whatever changes are made to UK immigration rules affecting workers, it is important that universities are able to continue to recruit international staff, including EU staff under the post-Brexit arrangements.
  • BU’s strategy includes a focus on global engagement, as we believe that this contributes to the quality of our education and the employability of our graduates. Erasmus+ has been an important enabler for our development in this area.
  • We are particularly concerned that the loss of funding will have a disproportionate impact on students from less well-off backgrounds.
  • We are also concerned about losing the Erasmus framework, which facilitates mobility.
  • We believe that restrictions on immigration affecting students and staff will have an impact, because of reciprocal arrangements, on the prospects and opportunities available to UK students and academics.

Bournemouth University

Global engagement is at the heart of BU’s strategy. We believe that experiencing the learning and/or working environment of another country and culture enriches students’ learning experience and journey at BU, and enhances their employability by providing them with a skillset and perspective that are vital for today’s fast-evolving globalised world.

The likely impact of the UK exiting the EU on EU students studying in England

We would be concerned if changes to visa rules may mean that existing students had to apply for visas to continue their courses, if loans and grants were to be withdrawn part-way through a course or if universities were required to increase fees for students part way though a course. Any such changes affecting existing EU students studying in the UK would be very detrimental to the reputation of the UK and UK universities overseas – not just in Europe.

What protections should be in place for existing EU students and staff?

Fee levels and existing loan and grant arrangements for should be guaranteed for those students starting courses up to the point of Brexit. Students who have started their courses before Brexit should not be subject to fee increases to international levels during their course and it would not be fair to students to remove their ability to take out student loans for later years and of their courses or to large increases in fees partway through the course. The government has already issued this assurance for students starting courses in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years, and this should be extended to those enrolling on the 18/19 academic year (assuming that Brexit will be in March 2019, two years after the planned article 50 notice in March 2017).

It is BU policy not to increase fees for students once they have started their course. Not all universities have the same policy, but the government could issue reassurance that universities will not be required to introduce fee increases based on a legal argument about discrimination.

We believe that all EU staff offered employment (up to the date of Brexit) should be entitled to remain in the UK. The continued uncertainty will have an impact on existing staff and those applying for posts now. We have experience of applicants withdrawing for recruitment processes because of the Brexit uncertainty.

We are also concerned that the government may introduce restrictions (through work permits or other means) that would restrict our ability to recruit EU staff in the future. We believe that an international approach to education and to research is important for students, staff and for the quality of research. We believe that education and learning will suffer in the UK if it becomes more difficult to recruit EU staff.

The future of the Erasmus+ programme following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU

Internationalisation is now a key priority in HEIs globally, with a particular emphasis on mobility of students (IU, 2016, Gone International 2016: The Value of Mobility), staff and researchers as well as increased partnerships and collaborations (Digital Science, 2016, The Implications of International Research Collaboration for UK Universities). The UK Higher Education (HE) sector historically has not achieved high rates of outward student mobility, and recent trends show that only 1.3% of UK domiciled students were mobile in 2014/15 (HESA,2015).

BU’s Global Engagement (GE) Plancontains a specific objective to ‘enrich our (staff and) student experience through a range of outward and inward mobility programmes’. BU has seen a steady and consistent increase in student mobility across the institution.

One of the impacts of a restriction on this opportunity would be that home students become less open to other cultures.

BU has successfully launched the Global Talent Programme (GTP), which brings together our extra-curricular employability offer and offers students a mechanism to provide evidence to future employers that they are Global Talent, through the Global Talent Award. To date we have 229 registrations during September and October 2016. The GTP is not just for international students, nor is it just for students who want to work overseas. The GTP has been designed to ensure all our students have the attributes they need to succeed in the workplace.

One of our students undertook an internship with an organisation linked to the Youth Olympic Games in Norway. He creatively designed innovative ways to celebrate the Torch Tour/Relay in the build-up to the opening ceremony, and pitched many ideas that were specific to each of the individuals selected to represent their country as the torch travelled around Norway. The direct impact on a major international sporting event from a BU student's work placement provides a vivid example of the benefit of the mobility experience funded by Erasmus+ on both the student in terms of his professional development and experience, and on the local and international sports industry.

The number of students who went to study and on work placement in Europe as part of their degree has increased by 38% under the programme over the last 5 years. Bournemouth University has received around €200,000 to €280,000 pa from the Erasmus programme. 87 of our students and staff travelled overseas funded by Erasmus+ last academic yearenabling them to learn, experience and effectively collaborate with their counterparts in Europe. 3.9% of BU’s student population travelled overseas as part of their studies (including work placements) during the 2015/16 academic year; double what it was the previous year. Given BU’s efforts to promote International activities to students and staff, we had anticipated further increases in students undertaking Erasmus+ funded activities.

The UK’s decision to leave the EU in June 2016 provides an opportunity for innovative approaches to and concepts of all types of mobility and innovative approaches to collaborating effectively with Europe. If the Erasmus+ funding is no longer available in the UK, this will not stop us collaborating with Europe. However, it might have a negative impact in short term on the successful, steady and consistent increase in outward mobility numbers in recent years.

We believe that it is important that continued access to Erasmus+ is negotiated as part of the arrangements for Brexit, or that a replacement arrangement is put in place. In particular, we are concerned that removing funding for mobility will mean that students from less privileged backgrounds will not be able to participate in mobility.

Even without the financing, the framework for the Erasmus exchange programmes facilitates and supports exchanges. To remove this framework and require universities to set up independent arrangements with partners across the EU will greatly increase bureaucracy and reduce opportunities for staff and student mobility.

Yolana Bankova

One of our high performing students, Yolana Bankova, has always taken an interest in international mobility and helped to set up a group called EuroPeers, which is an offshoot of Momentum World whilst looking for extra volunteering opportunities. EuroPeers was launched in March and Yolana continued to volunteer with them and took charge of their social media strategy.

”In the first two years of my studies, I was mainly dedicated to my course and I could not find the exact type of organisation I wanted to join in Bournemouth. I reached out to an organisation called Momentum World and they got back to me very quickly. They said one of their interns was just establishing a new European network in England called EuroPeers and she was looking for other volunteers to help her. EuroPeers UK is a network of young people who have experienced the advantage of studying, volunteering or participating in youth projects in other countries. By sharing what we have been through, we promote the Erasmus+ programme and encourage other young people to take advantage of the life-changing opportunities this provides.”

“At the beginning, we decided to gather more people using the social media and connections that her organisation already had. Similar to other popular groups on the social media I suggested we started sharing our own stories to grab people`s attention. I was the first one who volunteered to share what the youth projects I have participated in gave me. After posting a couple of stories, we gathered a bigger group of followers.

We created our own internal structure including various departments. I got a leading role in the marketing department being responsible for the Social Media Content – the part I initiated myself at the very beginning of the organisation.”

“Apart from each of us working on our official roles, we were also managing the organisation of a big launch event. Again, my main responsibility related to the event was to promote it and communicate it in an appropriate way with the right target group: young people interested in youth projects and already established organisations who would be interested in supporting us. The event was a huge success where we managed to create many new contacts and met many people who supported our initiative. Since then, members of the organisation have been invited to various conferences across Europe including Poland, Belgium, Germany, Austria and etc.”

Tazio Sciarrino

Tazio Sciarrio is studying BSc (Hons) Sport Management. Tazio Scicario’s story is published on our website.

“It was fantastic being part of the Erasmus programme. It gives students the chance to open their minds, survive in another country and learn different characteristics of life and of a European country that is different from their own.”

“Learning to coexist, adapt and accept a new environment with different people is really interesting. This experience can only be beneficial, one that revolutionises your life, your rhythms and your ambitions."

Charlie Douglas

“Iwas fortunate enough to have been chosen to study abroad for four months in Madrid at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos during the second semester of my second year”.

“One of the biggest things I have gained from my experience of being in Madrid is an increase in self-confidence. Being in a new environment has improved my problem solving skills, communication skills and inter-cultural awareness.”

James Marshall

“This opportunity to study abroad has given me an insight into what life is like as a student in another country. Although the study culture is not entirely different from the system in the U.K., I do feel that there are subtle differences that have broadened my learning. However, Erasmus is more than just studying. Firstly, I feel that it has greatly improved my interpersonal skills, and I'll feel a lot more confident talking to new people when I return home. Having come here not knowing anyone, I was forced to meet new people and it was very enjoyable and also a confidence boost in doing so. Although I've lived away from home before, I felt truly independent coming here on my own, and it's also helped me become a lot more organised from day to day”

Georgina Willans:

“I have just completed a Semester abroad in Amiens, France. It was the first time that I got to fully practise my French and I found it very helpful and felt fortunate to be able to learn amongst French native speakers.ESC Amiens really try to enhance your French whilst you are studying and offer many language classes as well as the opportunity to have a Tandem Partenaire. I’ve also strangely started to like the topics of Motivation and Teamwork that we are covering in OB which is surprising as I was never that interested in these specific topics when I covered them for A Level but to be honest it is making doing the work much easier as I now am interested in furthering my knowledge on the subjects.”

“I feel so fortunate to have met such an amazing bunch of people and to be able to create so many memories with them away from home. So far, Erasmus has been one of the best things that I have ever done.”

Rachel Bowen:

Rachel Bowen is a member of BU staff who went on a 2 week Erasmus professional staff mobility to Bremen’s University ‘International Staff Week: read her blog here.

“I benefited greatly from many work shadowing sessions, presentations, meetings and best practice exchange”. There were also colleagues who indicated their interest in further cooperation with BU”

Safi Sabuni, President ofESN International.

“The Erasmus Impact Study has shown that young people who have undertaken a period of study or work abroad are more open-minded, more engaged and more employable than their non-mobile peers. The way ahead looks turbulent for our continent, and whether the UK is in or out of the EU, we must continue to invest in those who will be shaping and leading the Europe of the future”

Risks and opportunities for UK students

As noted above, withdrawing, or being ejected from the Erasmus + arrangements will limit the opportunities for UK students to undertake exchanges or work placements in the EU. The withdrawal of funding and the administrative and practical difficulties of replacing the Erasmus framework with separate arrangements mean that in practice, there will be fewer opportunities and it will be harder for students to take up these opportunities.

The diversity of student cohorts provides UK students with the ability to interact and be more culturally aware than in other countries, thereby providing advantages in a global job market.

We also support international mobility for our students outside the EU, which is not affected by the availabilityof Erasmus funding or structures or EU visa requirements – but we do not believe that these opportunities will necessarily be increased by Brexit – unless the UK is able to reach agreements with other countries that increase the opportunities currently available. For example, if the government was able to invest some of the Brexit premium in funding additional international mobility opportunities for UK students, that would provide a substantial opportunity for UK students.

How changes to freedom of movement rules may affect students and academics in English higher education institutions

We are also concerned about the impact of visa or other restrictions. If the UK applies these to EU students seeking to study or undertake work placements or exchanges in the UK, then there is a risk that reciprocal arrangements would be introduced by the EU or individual member states, which would make it much harder for UK students to work or study in EU countries. This has the potential to impact the employability of UK graduates internationally – taking up an exchange, study or placement opportunity in a European country demonstrates flexibility and an international approach that helps students wherever they seek work later, including working for international organisations in the UK.

Please see our response above in relation to existing EU staff and students. We believe that international (including EU) education is important and that excellence higher education should include an international element – including exposure to staff from overseas. We would welcome changes which make it easier to recruit international as well as European staff – but we are concerned that the focus will be on reducing numbers overall.

How to ensure UK universities remain competitive after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU

The removal of EU funding and a potentially significant restriction on EU student numbers, affecting fee income, could have a major effect on the finances of some institutions.

As noted above, if the impact of the changes to the availability of funding and freedom of movement means that universities in the UK become less international in their approach, with fewer opportunities for staff and students to experience other cultures and different approaches, this will over time impact the quality and outcomes for students and the quality of research. The removal of EU funding and a potentially significant restriction on EU student numbers, affecting fee income, could have a major effect on the finances of some institutions.

What the Government's priorities should be during negotiations for the UK to exit the EU with regard to students and staff at higher education institutions

Enabling staff and students to travel easily for study and work, despite other restrictions on freedom of movement that the government might seek, because the international element of staff and student experience is vital to the quality of education and research in the UK. Negotiating arrangements that enabling the UK to stay within the Erasmus+ scheme and Horizon 2020 and its successor schemes will provide frameworks, which benefit UK universities and their research, as well as access to funding.

What steps the Government should take to mitigate any possible risks and take advantage of any opportunities

As noted above, guarantees of status and arrangements for those coming to the UK before Brexit would be beneficial.

Bournemouth University

Submitted by Jane Forster

10th November 2016

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