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Why I believe Brexit from the EU would harm UK higher education

By Blog Editor, IOE Digital, on 4 March 2016

Michael Arthur

Following Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that the European Union referendum will take place on June 23, there is now a clear possibility of an outcome that culminates in British exit from the EU. Voices from across British politics and public life are aligning themselves to different sides of the debate, and as head of one of the UK’s world-leading universities, I want to state my own position.

I believe that British exit would be bad for UCL and for higher education, research and innovation across Europe. This is my personal view, but it is also one that I see shared across our sector, both by individuals and by organisations.

Universities UK – the sector opinion on Brexit 

At a launch event for UUK last year, this collective, sector-wide body expressed the view that it would be a very negative outcome for UK higher education if we were to leave the European Union. Our sector should be considered seriously in the debate, since UK universities generate £73 billion (more…)

Why IOE and UCL have decided to merge

By Blog Editor, IOE Digital, on 27 November 2014

Chris Husbands and Michael Arthur
Higher education is changing – and at a dizzying speed. Universities now operate on a global canvas, and reputations are made (and lost) on a worldwide scale. Around the world, measures of quality – however imperfect, flawed and downright misleading they may be – drive student preferences, funders’ decision-making and government strategies. At the same time, local impact remains equally important: all universities exist in communities, but as those communities become more diverse and demanding, the pressures on universities intensify. It’s easy to despair at the pace and scale of these challenges, but adapting to change can be bracing too. New challenges bring new possibilities and new horizons. It’s against this background that after a good deal of thought and careful planning we have decided to merge the IOE and UCL, creating academic opportunities for both partners. The merger will take effect from 2 December.
About the IOE
The IOE was established at the beginning of the 20th century. Initially set up to train teachers for the rapidly developing schools of London, it was from the very beginning international in outlook. Over the next hundred years it expanded its role and remit enormously, so that at the beginning of (more…)