Recommendation 148

As our predecessor Committee noted in its Report on Immigration and Scotland, in 2018, EU citizens make up around 17% of academic staff and 25% of research staff at Scottish universities.345 During our inquiry witnesses spoke to us about how “vulnerable” this makes the research sector in Scotland following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.346 Professor Tim Bedford, University of Strathclyde, noted that: If you look at the proportion of people who are working in high-value, knowledge-based functions in our industries, a large proportion of those people have come into the country from Europe in particular. They have come through doing courses, potentially going on to PhDs, then staying in the country, adding talent and creating wealth for the nation. There is a real risk that, if we do not manage this transition very carefully, there will be a break and the flow outwards of talent to other international centres will continue. If we block off the stream of talent that is coming in, there is a danger of a brain drain over the next 10 years, which would have potentially disastrous consequences.347 344 Wellcome, Priorities for the 2020 Spending Review (September 2020), p 5 345 Scottish Affairs Committee, Fourth Report of Session 2017–19, Immigration and Scotland, HC 488, para 15 346 For example: Q94 347 Q139 56 Universities and Scotland