Credit: Steve Houldsworth
Reporter and News Editor
The University of Glasgow released a video on 27 January featuring Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli that outlines how Brexit will impact students, staff and their relationship with Europe.
In the video, Muscatelli said that Brexit will not have an “immediate impact” on students and staff applying for settled status, including students receiving funding from the Scottish Funding Council.
Muscatelli also ensured that the Erasmus+ programme will continue, and that the University is working with British and Scottish governments to negotiate membership. He also noted the University will seek bilateral agreements to help students fulfill the exchange requirement for their degree or if they simply wished to do so.
Many EU nationals have joined the University as staff over the past year, according to Muscatelli. He wanted to reassure both students and these staff that they were welcomed on campus despite the UK leaving the EU.
“We need to make sure we continue to support them,” Muscatelli said. “A lot of it is about reassurance and making sure they understand that they are not only welcome in the University, but actually that we are a welcoming country in Scotland and we do want them to be here and to be part of our community.”
Earlier this month, University of Glasgow Vice Principal of External Relations Rachel Sandison released a statement that similarly ensured the continuation of the programme after Parliament voted against Clause 10 of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill on 8 January, which would have made it a requirement for the government to negotiate to remain a full member of the Erasmus+ programme.
Other issues Muscatelli discussed were EU research schemes and the University’s European links. He mentioned that the University was founded on the statues which were modelled on the University of Bologna in 1451, and that the University is part of the founding members of the Guild of EUropean Research-Intensive Universities.
The University of Glasgow official Facebook page shared the video this afternoon with a Scottish and EU flag and the caption: “UofG is proudly global and distinctively European. Our outlook and attraction as a place of learning, study and research will not change as a consequence of #Brexit.”
Brexit is slated to happen at 23:00 GMT.
