We have submitted written evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee’s enquiry into the EU Referendum and its Implications for Scotland. Download our full response here.

Our evidence makes it clear that the EU referendum result has created great uncertainty in higher education. However, our members have strong working relationships with Europe, European universities and other institutions and we will work with all Governments and stakeholders to ensure those relationships are preserved under the new arrangements. Our submission considers various possible models for a future relationship between the UK and Europe, as they relate to higher education priorities. We also reflect on the immediate, and longer term potential implications for higher education as result of the process of withdrawal.

Finally, we draw attention to the immediate priority that is the fee and immigration status of EU undergraduate applicants for entry in 2017. Their status is currently unconfirmed by the Scottish and UK Governments. The 2017 admissions cycle opens on the 6 September and Scotland’s universities have no official steer on the fee status of those students who have, under the UK’s membership of the EU, been entitled to a free higher education in Scotland.

You can find more details about the enquiry here.

Alastair Sim gave oral evidence to the Committee’s extraordinary evidence session during summer recess. The official report from that session can be downloaded here.