YP Letters: Promoting healthy debate on university's place in world

From: Professor Sir Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor, University of Sheffield.
University of Sheffield vice chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett.University of Sheffield vice chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett.
University of Sheffield vice chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett.

AS the debate about the UK’s place in the EU gets under way, I am being asked by individuals and organisations what position our university should take. Should we stay or should we go?

This is not as easy to answer as you might imagine. No matter how clearly, or strongly, you or I may personally feel about this, our university is a charity and constrained in speaking on political matters. So what should we do? What role should we play?

We should be what we have always been.

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A university is first and foremost a place of understanding and proper debate, with a tradition of allowing different sides to be heard in an atmosphere of respect and challenge. When the Council of the University discussed this issue, we began the planning of campus events needed to promote the healthy debate we all want. We shall all have our own views and will be free to express these respectfully and with conviction.

One big issue that we all agree on, and the council would want me to shout across the rooftops, is the extraordinary importance of our students and staff from across the whole world. We are an immeasurably better place to live, work and do real good in the world because of being a global community. We are in the top 100 of universities and very proud of it. Many of our wonderful staff and students come, of course, from the EU.

Beyond this institutional perspective, my personal belief in the value of the European Union stems from a precious peace between former foes. I count myself deeply fortunate that, in my lifetime, conflict has not engulfed our continent.

So how should we speak about Europe? Over the next few months we will listen to and take part in a debate which I hope will be shaped by facts and purpose, but which I fear may occasionally be saturated in myth and xenophobia. I already know that the tone of discussions in the media and politics has made hard listening for colleagues, including those who have lived in the UK for many years and in some cases brought up their children in this country. For the first time in their experience, some people are feeling uncomfortably foreign. Our university prides itself on being an international community, one which we attempt to model on cooperation and respect for difference. I trust we will do our best to ensure that whatever decision is made on June 23, our university is not divided.