Triggering Article 50
The Prime Minister has made a statement today, 29 March 2017, in the House of Commons to confirm that she has triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. This signifies the formal start of the two-year negotiation for the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union.
We know that the UK will remain a member of the EU for the next two years – and that there will be no immediate change for universities. Many questions on the implications for University students and staff continue to be difficult to answer as they will depend on the outcome of the negotiations over the course of the next two years. However, we recognise that the triggering of Article 50 will heighten concerns of many of our students, staff and prospective students. We have attempted to address as many questions as possible in our guidance pages for students and staff, and will update this guidance and any practical support we can provide as further information is available.
At Warwick, we must continue to recognise what we committed to in June 2016: that our global community is a tremendous gift to the UK. Students and staff from the EU and countries beyond are welcomed as an integral part of our community, and we will engage fully with our partners in European research and mobility programmes. I can assure the Warwick community that we will continue to emphasise how the culture, knowledge and skills, quality research, creativity, innovativeness and civic-mindedness of all of our community greatly enriches the region and the country.
Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor
29 March 2017