Brexit fears could force 15% of UK university staff to leave posts, experts warn

Evidence shows a large number of academics have expressed concerns over job conditions post-Brexit, with dozens of EU academics already rejecting job posts in the UK

Around 55,000, or 30%, of university academics are from outside the UK, including 32,000 from the European Union (Christopher Futcher)

The British government must maintain free movement for EU academics post-Brexit or risk losing thousands of teachers and lecturers across UK universities, a major German body has warned.

Up to 15 per cent of university staff could be forced to leave UK higher education posts, according to the academic exchange service DAAD, leaving institutions understaffed and under-resourced.

The claims follow mounting evidence that European researchers and lecturers are already leaving their UK jobs due to uncertainty about job security post-Brexit.

Head of DAAD Margret Wintermantel said the situation was “proving painful” and leading an increasing number of top educators to look elsewhere for university jobs.

Writing in the Guardian, Ms Wintermantel said: “The mobility of researchers should not be restricted, either for British academics in EU countries or EU citizens at British institutions.

“It is now up to the British government to create the necessary framework to ensure this can happen.”

Some 32,000 university academics in the UK are non-British EU citizens, accounting for 17 per cent of the country’s teaching and research posts. In top-ranking universities, the figure tops 20 per cent.

“The ties between British and German academia are particularly close,” the DAAD president added, however “should the right priorities not be set during the exit negotiations then wider academic collaborations… will be endangered”.

There are currently 5,250 German academics working in UK institutions and some 14,000 German students – the largest non-British European student group in the UK.

According to pro-remain campaign group Scientists for EU, which has been collecting evidence of the impact of Brexit on higher education, there have already been dozens of cases of EU nationals turning down UK jobs or withdrawing applications since the referendum vote.

The group said it had also received 40 reports from British members of international research projects, who were being asked by their EU partners to scale down their role or withdraw altogether, leading to claims of xenophobia.

Several foreign academics said they had experienced abuse, such as being told to “go home”.

Leading educators union bodies and associations including Universities UK, which represents 135 institutions, have urged the government to clarify its proposals for higher education after Brexit and reassure exisiting EU staff and students that they will be able to remain.

“British universities are some of the best in the world,” said Ms Wintermantel, “but to assume that the wonderful success story is one entirely of their own making would be a mistake”.

“The British government should end this uncertainty as soon as possible.

“The mobility of researchers should not be restricted – either for British academics doing research in EU countries, or for EU citizens at British higher education institutions.

“Both benefit hugely from international exposure promoting collaborative research in all fields."