European science conversations
by the community, for the community
The UK and the EU-27, on the assumption that the UK will leave the EU, have mutually benefited enormously from collaboration in the field of research, innovation and higher education over the past 45 years.
Since the vote of the UK public to leave the EU in June 2016, there has been extensive discussion about the negotiations surrounding Brexit. This article assesses the impact of Brexit on European research. The UK is home to many excellent research institutions Read more […]
Too much is at stakes in European science for people managing research—particularly in the UK—to leave it up to politicians to determine their future. Brexit or no Brexit, there are signs that further integration of the UK scientific activities into the European research fabric is underway. Indeed, universities across the UK are establishing new partnership deals in education and research with European and Commonwealth universities. Whether this move will allow UK research institutions to remain attractive to European collaborators remains to be seen.
On 8th May 2017, one of the arm of the British scientific establishment, the Royal Institution, has opened its famous lecture theatre to a debate about Brexit. Brexit is not about extricating the UK from the European scientific endeavour. And Brexit does not bring to an end many important aspects of the integrated European scientific projects. Today, it is not obvious, however, which strategies the UK–and the other EU 27 countries–could adopt to sustain as much as possible international collaborations and mobility. In this opinion piece, representatives of EuroScience argue that scientists need to raise their voices to guarantee their future and the future of our societies. Should all negotiation fail and the UK ends up with weakened relations with the EU 27, the authors argue, it remains to be seen whether the UK plan to strengthen relations and collaborations with the US, the Commonwealth and East-Asia will be an adequate substitute.
Given the size of its economy, the participation of the UK as FP Associated Country would be expensive. These are the kind of issues on which a debate entitled ‘Brexit: the scientific impact’ are due to focus on, on 8th May at the Royal Institution, London, UK.
Amidst the flurry of questions about the future of science after Brexit, another yet unanswered question also arises: What happens to how the UK regulates potentially hazardous chemicals that currently fall under EU legislation?
About a month after the British Referendum, the UK Parliament held a Parliament Links Day to communicate political plans to support UK science post-Brexit.
Scientists for EU will campaign for continued EU membership and will communicate the current and future benefits of the EU to the UK via its impact on our science capacity.
Imagine what would happen if the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in the referendum of the 23rd June 2016? To give our readers a better idea of the consequences of the Brexit for the country’s scientists, EuroScientist has commissioned UK technology journalist Paul Hill to write a fictional day in the life of a British academic post-Brexit. This gives food for thought on the factors influencing the position of Europe’s centre of gravity in research.
This briefing from Wellcome relates to the BREXIT impact on health research and cooperation in medical trials and data sharing.
Peter Tindemans talks about what the agreement of Christmas’ eve between the EU and the UK implies for research and innovation cooperation.
HiLASE is a new technological infrastructure in the field of application-oriented laser research and development.
EuroScientist journal 
