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Britain's top academies urge maintaining researcher mobility after EU referendum

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Researcher mobility between Britain and European Union (EU) member States is "key to our future excellence and should be reinforced" after the EU referendum, according to a joint statement released Tuesday by seven British academies.

The seven academies include: the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Irish Academy and the Learned Society of Wales. They represent the best researchers in their fields in Britain.

Currently 15 percent of all academic staff at British universities are from other EU countries, according to the statement.

"We believe it is vital that UK-based researchers and staff from other EU countries are given assurances that they and their dependents will be able to continue to live and work here. Similarly, opportunities need to be safeguarded for UK researchers to gain experience in other EU countries, " it says.

In a historic referendum last month, Britain voted to leave the EU by 52 percent to 48 percent. The outcome has been seen as a worrying sign by many in the academia.

EU research programs have been a significant and growing contributor to Britain's research. In Framework Program seven from 2007-13 Britain received 6.9 billion euros (7.60 billion U.S. dollars) and is a net beneficiary from EU research programs, according to the statement.

Urgent discussions are needed on how to address any funding gap in both the short and medium term, it says.

The statement also urges the British government to safeguard Britain's assets in research, scholarship and innovation by seeking the closest achievable association with the EU research programs; ensuring that talented researchers from other EU countries have certainty about the opportunities to work in Britain and likewise for British researchers to work in other EU countries; and providing funding that will continue to promote international collaboration. Endit