We’d like to hear from academics and students, both in the UK and Europe, about how the academic world could be undermined by the UK leaving the EU. Share your views



Nearly 15% of the research and teaching staff at Britain’s universities come from other European Union member states, as do more than 5% of the students.

Every year, some 15,000 British students take advantage of the EU’s Erasmus exchange programme to study and work on the continent – double the number who did so 10 years ago.



In 2014, British universities received €1bn of research funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme: about 13% of the total, and second only to Germany. In total, the UK – which contributes about 11.5% of the EU budget – receives about 16% of all EU science funding. In areas such as health, British establishments routinely win around 20% of grants from the prestigious European Research Council, and lead more than 20% of health projects that the council funds.



Would Brexit damage British universities, science and research? Your GuardianWitness contributions Read more

What would happen to this rich, developed web of funding, academic exchange and cutting-edge, cross-border collaboration – the “knowledge bloc” – if Britain left the union? Some predict a disaster, a body-blow to Britain’s universities generally and to scientific research here in particular. Others insist Britain could negotiate independent academic cooperation agreements with Brussels, and that a Brexit would free up cash currently transferred to Europe that could more than make up for a fall in funding.



If you are a European student or academic in Britain, or a British student or academic working on the continent, or if you work or study in a university with European colleagues, we would like to hear your views. Would a Brexit weaken Britain’s universities, or perhaps strengthen them? What would the impact be on your studies or current research project? And in what ways do you think Britain’s wider society might be affected?



You can share your experiences via GuardianWitness by clicking on the blue ‘Contribute’ button – all these reviewed contributions will be published. Or if you prefer, you can share your responses in the form below.

