Brexit, trade, migration and higher education

Whatever form Brexit takes, it is likely to disrupt existing projects, networks and activities and could imply sharp reductions in staff, students and/or income, in some or all universities. Universities will need to make rapid and well-judged adjustments, build new relations and activity portfolios in Europe and beyond, and grapple with challenges to human resource and risk management, financial sustainability, mission, governance and local implementation systems.

We will use empirical data to identify and better understand the specific challenges faced by the UK’s higher education sector. It will focus on the capacity of UK universities to respond to these challenges, alongside the other changes during this period in regulatory structures, immigration policy, the management of teaching performance and the entry of new providers.

The research questions are:

What are the perceived implications of Brexit for UK universities as leaders and others see it?

What are the principal responses of universities and what are their capabilities to monitor, judge, strategise, respond, initiate and make internal changes, in relation to Brexit?

How do these factors vary by UK nation; university mission, status, resources; and discipline?

External Project Members include: William Locke (UCL Institute of Education), Vassiliki Papatsiba (University of Sheffield) Ludovic Highman (UCL Institute of Education)

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