Brexit or Not, UK Higher Education Must Keep its Global Outlook

In Times Higher Education, IIE President Allan Goodman emphasizes that the case for international academic partnerships transcends the debate over whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union. Dr. Goodman penned the op-ed during a recent visit to London to offer a U.S. higher education perspective during in a panel convened by the Universities for Europe campaign. While he acknowledged that staying in the European Union would make it easier for UK universities to continue to participate in the EU funding for scientific research, he maintained that the role of academic leaders should be to advocate for partnerships and collaboration worldwide, on every level, independent of the Brexit vote. 

Goodman writes, "What U.S. educators would not want to see is the UK pulling back from international academic engagement. Those who have come out against staying in the EU have said that funding that the British government does not contribute to EU programmes could be used to fund other models of cooperation. If the vote were to go in that direction, it would be essential for university leaders to make sure that this happens, as it might be tempting to redirect those funds into other, more UK-focused initiatives."