LONDON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- There will be no winners from a Brexit settlement that introduces new barriers restricting international research collaboration, the Russell Group said in a statement released on Monday.
The Russell Group represents 24 leading British universities. In the statement, its Acting Director Dr. Tim Bradshaw called on EU and British negotiators to make science and research a priority during Brexit talks.
The statement came as the EU Council prepared to authorize the opening of Brexit negotiations with Britain.
"Working together, Russell Group universities and European partners have made huge breakthroughs in medicine, engineering and any number of other fields. Joint working will continue after Brexit but there would be no winners from restrictive new barriers to collaboration. That would be bad for the UK and bad for Europe," said Bradshaw.
Nearly half of all British academic articles result from international collaboration, and EU member states are some of the Russell Group universities' biggest partners.
"The 86,000 citizens of other EU Member States who work and study at Russell Group universities help ensure our institutions remain dynamic and innovative. We value our EU colleagues very highly and need urgent assurances that, after Brexit, they will retain the same rights to stay and work in the UK that they have now," said Bradshaw.
