Ninth Level Ireland

“Trinity has announced a commitment to advocating for the United Kingdom’s continued membership in the Erasmus+ programme. In a email sent to all staff and students, Julia Carmichael, Trinity’s Chief Risk Officer (CRO) wrote that ‘we at Trinity will be at pains to show over the coming months that it is in the interests of the UK to continue the academic relationship it has with EU countries, particularly Ireland’ …” (more)

[Madalyn Williams, Trinity News, 21 February]

“UK academics love the ERC, but selective participation in Horizon Europe is unlikely to be on the table, says John Womersley. Right at the end of the UK prime minister’s recent parliamentary statement on British intentions during the next 11 months of negotiations with the European Union comes a brief sentence on which the UK’s research and higher education communities are pinning great hope …” (more)

[Times Higher Education, 20 February]

“An EU research head says that he is ‘optimistic’ that there will continue to be close scientific collaboration with the UK after Brexit. Prof Mauro Ferrari said that science bodies on both sides of the Channel want close existing links to continue …” (more)

[Pallab Ghosh, BBC News, 15 February]

“The Irish Universities Association (IUA) has joined 36 other higher education and research organisations from across the European Union and the United Kingdom in a joint declaration of cooperation on research and student exchange. All 37 pan-European organisations have signed the statement calling on governments across Europe for their continued commitment to the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes …” (more)

[IUA, 3 February]

“Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald had said Brexit must not be allowed to damage scientific research and that the concerns of the scientific community must be heard. The party’s climate and economy spokesperson was speaking after representatives of university, research and science groups across Europe issued a statement calling for universities in Britain and the north to have ‘full association’ with European research projects after Brexit …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 3 February]

“I am trying to decide whether to remove the Twitter ‘Scientists for the EU’ twibbon from my profile. I still am a scientist and I’m still pro EU, but there’s no longer quite the same message to be conveyed …” (more)

[Athene Donald’s Blog, 2 February]

“What does the UK withdrawal from the EU mean for College’s relationship with Northern Ireland? The United Kingdom exited the European Union at 11pm on 31 January 2020. Sparked by a narrow victory of 51.9% for the Leave campaign in the UK’s June 2016 referendum on EU membership, the date marked the end of a period of debate and delay lasting more than three and a half years …” (more)

[Isabella Noonen, Trinity News, 1 February]

“University leaders in the UK and Europe have signed a joint statement calling for UK universities to remain part of European research schemes after Brexit. As the UK leaves the European Union, 36 higher education groups have called for a ‘swift agreement’ to allow UK universities to rejoin EU research networks and Erasmus student exchanges …” (more)

[Sean Coughlan, BBC News, 31 January]

“With the legal formalities for Britain’s exit from the EU now complete, the university world of the UK and the EU is looking to Phase 2. After three and a half years of regret and frustration, they have a plan in hand. However, this could well be derailed, since at the same time the Johnson Government will be negotiating the future trading relationship with the EU, where the outcome is unpredictable, write Anne Corbett and Claire Gordon …” (more)

[LSE Brexit Blog, 31 January]

“Last week, the government reassured Irish students travelling to study in Northern Ireland and the UK – and those coming in the opposite direction – that existing fee arrangements would be maintained for another year. In January of last year, 364 days ago and three weeks before the February CAO deadline, students starting in September 2019 got the same assurance …” (more)

[University Times, 12 January]

“Irish students hoping to study at UK universities next September will not face a hike in fees and can continue to avail of Irish grant support despite the UK’s scheduled exit from the EU at the end of the month, according to the Department of Education. In a statement released on Friday, Minister for Education Joe McHugh said the current fee regime and grants support for Irish students studying at UK institutions from September 2020 would remain in place …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 10 January]

“The government has confirmed that existing fee arrangements will be maintained for Irish students enrolling in UK universities in 2020/21, amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit’s implications …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 10 January]

“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today announced that current fee regimes and grant supports are being maintained for Irish students going to higher education institutions in the UK from September 2020. The Ministers also confirmed the current system will apply for students from Britain and Northern Ireland who are applying to attend colleges in Ireland …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 10 January]

“The government has said it is committed to maintaining the UK’s membership of the Erasmus+ programme, which funds opportunities for young people to train and study across Europe, despite shooting down an attempt to make its membership a priority in EU withdrawal negotiations …” (more)

[Richard Adams, Guardian, 9 January]

“British MPs yesterday voted against making securing full ongoing participation in the EU’s Erasmus+ educational and work placement exchange programmes a negotiating objective in the next phase of Brexit talks. The vote has been met with anger and disappointment from pro-EU commentators and social media groups – however it does not mean participation has been completely ruled out …” (more)

[Oliver Rowland, The Connexion, 9 January]

“Mí na Nollag (the Month of Christmas) is how you say December in the Irish language. Today is the first of that month, which it makes it precisely two years to the day since I started work at Maynooth University …” (more)

[In the Dark, 1 December]

“We would like to thank the Chair, Senator Neale Richmond, and the Committee members for inviting the Irish Universities Association to address the Committee. We would like to start by highlighting the importance of higher education and research to the Irish economy and the role it plays in protecting Ireland from global crises before discussing Brexit specifically in terms of higher education and research …” (more)

[IUA, 9 October]

“Pressure on the Government to boost third-level funding has ramped up after former UCD Professor Hugh Brady, now head of a leading UK university, warned how Ireland’s higher education sector was lagging behind. Prof Brady didn’t hold back as he warned ‘the state of Ireland’s higher education and research system should be viewed as a national crisis’ …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 October]

“Jim Miley Director General of the Irish Universities Association today responded to comments made by Hugh Brady, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, at the British Irish Chamber event this morning, Jim Miley said …” (more)

[IUA, 4 October]

“Thank you for the invitation to address you this morning: I had the honour of taking up the role as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol in 2015. For those of you not familiar with the UK system, most universities are run by a Vice-Chancellor who is both the Chief Academic Officer and Chief Executive …” (more)

[IUA, 4 October]