Meeting of the Parliament 04 October 2016
I am sorry—I need to push on.
It is possible for non-EU countries to contribute, based on their GDP. Clearly the UK will have to negotiate a new deal in order to do that, but there is precedent in that area and it can happen.
We have heard from other members about the Erasmus programme. Non-EU countries, including Norway, take part in the programme, as do Turkey, Iceland, Lithuania and Macedonia. Again, we do not need EU membership to be part of the scheme.
There is also an opportunity to forge relationships with non-EU nations. Scottish universities have gone abroad to other parts of the world. Heriot-Watt University, here in the Lothians, has campuses in Dubai and Malaysia. There are opportunities to develop other such campuses in other parts of the world.
The Prime Minister has said that she wants the SNP Government to be fully engaged in Brexit negotiations. We need to ensure that Scotland and the UK continue to do that and to participate fully in future discussions about EU research programmes. Alastair Sim of Universities Scotland spoke of our universities being part of a cross-border ecosystem. On this issue, we cannot work in isolation but must collaborate with the whole of the UK.
Brexit will result in considerable change. The UK’s Governments and higher education sector must work closely together throughout the Brexit negotiations to ensure that the UK remains one of the world leaders in higher education. I firmly believe that our institutions have the ability to achieve that and to cement Scotland’s position within the UK as one of the greatest university nations in the world.
I am happy to support my colleague Liz Smith’s amendment.
16:30