EU Referendum message from the Principal

Published On Mon 27 Jun 2016 by Roddy Isles

The result of the EU Referendum will undoubtedly have implications for higher education but no matter what comes in the future we will ensure that our University continues to be an international one, with staff and students from across the EU and beyond. Dundee is an international university, welcoming students and staff from around the world to Scotland.

We currently host students from three-quarters of all the countries in the world and last week we were joined for Graduation by students and families from as far afield as China, North America and Africa. And, of course, hundreds of graduates from across the European Union.

Our immediate priority is to assure staff and students from the EU that nothing will change in the short term. For EU applicants who have been made an offer to begin study at Dundee in autumn 2016 or in January 2017 (or Sept 2017 deferred entry) I can assure them that if there is any change in funding for EU students during their course of study the University will cover the cost of any tuition fees to allow them to complete their degree studies.

Given the complexity of exit negotiations from the EU it is extremely unlikely that the current process and funding arrangements for students will change significantly in the short term. We are therefore encouraging those who are considering applying for 2017 entry onwards to do so in the usual way. We will keep all applicants informed if there are changes in policy.

There is no immediate impact on the immigration status of current and prospective students and staff from the EU. There will also be no immediate impact on initiatives that are a core part of our EU engagement, including in research, such as the Horizon 2020 programme and the Erasmus exchange schemes.

The University will be working with Universities Scotland, Universities UK, and other universities to ensure that our higher education sector remains globally competitive and continues to welcome staff and students from the EU and around the world.

Our students who come from around the world consistently rank Dundee as offering one of the best student experiences to be found anywhere – the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey, the largest annual study of international students in the world, places us in the World Top 20 and number one in Scotland. We are also a world-leading centre for research in many areas, much of it carried out by staff from across the EU and beyond.

We have been bringing staff and students to Dundee from across the EU for many years. They are a vital part of our rich community and that must, and will, be preserved.

Professor Sir Pete Downes

Principal and Vice-Chancellor

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Corporate Communications
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384910
Mobile: 07800 581902
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk