British universities are some of the best in the world. Their combination of academic rigour and creativity are admired across the globe. The world-class research they produce has, over decades, provided the basis for innovation and thus guaranteed the success of a whole nation.

But to assume that the wonderful success story of Britain’s universities is one entirely of their own making would be a mistake: the UK’s academic system has thrived because, not in spite of, the openness it has shown to foreign researchers in the past.

Higher education, probably even more so than the NHS, is dependent on talented academics from across the rest of Europe. Of the academics teaching and researching at British universities, about 55,000, or 30%, are from outside the UK – and 32,000 are from the European Union, of whom 5,250 are German.

The ties between British and German academia are particularly close: about 14,000 Germans currently study at British universities – some of Erasmus exchange schemes, some as students for the length of a full degree. They make up 11% of the British student body, the largest group of non-British European students in the UK.

Many of these students will be the bridge-builders of tomorrow – as politicians, researchers, artists, diplomats or chief executives. After the US, Germany is the UK’s most important trading partner.

But unless the right priorities are set now, the consequences of Britain’s vote to leave the EU could put this winning collaboration at risk.

Recently the British Council proposed that Brexit need not mean the end of the Erasmus+ programme in the UK. The demise of the student exchange scheme between the UK and Germany and other European countries would be a catastrophe.

However, it’s not only Erasmus+ that’s threatened: should the right priorities not be set during the exit negotiations then wider academic collaborations between the UK and Germany will be endangered.

Higher education, probably even more so than the NHS, is dependent on talented academics from across Europe

Like their fellow UK students, German students in the UK currently pay the home fees rate. If this should change, the academic exchange with the UK will collapse – and the groundwork for future cultural ties with it. As the president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), representing 239 institutions of higher education and 105 student bodies, I therefore call on the British government to guarantee that our students do not in the future have to pay higher fees than their British counterparts.

For teaching staff Brexit poses further challenges. The uncertainty with regard to working conditions, to the possibility of staying, and to residence permits for academics and their families is already proving painful. Some top academics are not accepting posts in British universities as they do not know the conditions under which they will be able to work here in the future.

The British government should end this uncertainty as soon as possible and clarify matters. Within an international research context, 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.

The DAAD has been involved globally with supporting academic cooperation for more than 90 years. In London we opened our first branch office in 1952 thanks to the far-sightedness of our British partners after the second world war. The UK and Germany have been able to build on cooperation between universities and on academic projects that have grown over decades. I promise that this cooperation will continue, built on this solid base.

We will involve ourselves fully in future negotiations between German and British universities and partner organisations for continuity, expansion and openness of academic exchange.

Now it is up to the British government to ensure this can happen.