You will have heard that a referendum held in the United Kingdom last week voted for the UK to leave the European Union. Although this was not a result which was widely anticipated, our country is now preparing to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which will trigger the process of withdrawal. The withdrawal process is intended to be completed within two years of that trigger.

The purpose of this email is to communicate to you that our University remains as international as ever. We at the University of Bath believe that tackling the big problems of our time demands efforts and expertise that transcend borders. Our purpose is to bring together like-minded people in order to build partnerships and teams which are robust and productive. We have a strong track record of engaging globally – on our campus, in Europe, and across the world – and we will continue to pursue that path. There are numerous uncertainties which the United Kingdom will face as a result of this outcome, and these will last for at least several years. As an institution, we will have to adapt to the evolving environment. However, our global approach to research, and our belief that higher education must be executed internationally are not negotiable.

The government has stated that there will be no immediate changes as a result of the referendum outcome and for now the current arrangements with regard to participation in schemes such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+, and the visa status of staff, students and applicants remain as they were before Friday morning.

At the University of Bath, we will continue to take the opportunities that we see to develop our research, build links and bridges internationally (both inside the EU and across the world), and to work with our partners in the common interest.

Whatever the future landscape will look like, the University of Bath will remain international in its outlook and will cherish educational, research, cultural and economic links with Europe and beyond.

The University of Bath is proud to be a global university. We remain determined to work with the very best researchers and students, wherever they may be found. We greatly look forward to working with you in the future.

Professor Jonathan Knight
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)