More than 100 UK vice-chancellors have signed a new open letter to warn about the impact of leaving the European Union.

In a last-ditch intervention before the 23 June referendum, some 103 university leaders state that ¡°voluntarily cutting ourselves out of the world¡¯s largest economic bloc would undermine our position as a global leader in science and innovation, impoverish our campuses and limit opportunities for British people¡±.

¡°Leaving Europe would create a difficult environment for the long-term investment in higher education and research that is necessary for the UK to maintain its position as a highly skilled and a globally competitive knowledge economy,¡± says the letter, published on 21 June.

¡°For us it is crystal clear that our outstanding universities ¨C and our students ¨C are stronger in Europe,¡± it adds.

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Among those to sign the letter include Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge, Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford?and Universities UK president Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Kent.

The letter argues that the impact of the country¡¯s higher education sector, worth an estimated ?73 billion for the UK economy and supporting nearly 380,000 jobs, ¡°should not be underestimated¡±, but universities would find it harder to operate in the event of a Brexit.

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¡°Our membership of the EU ¡­.. makes our outstanding universities even stronger,¡± it says.

¡°Inside the EU, we are better able to work collaboratively on ground-breaking research in areas from cancer to climate change. EU membership supports British universities to attract the brightest and best minds from across Europe, enhancing university research and teaching and contributing to economic growth,¡± it says.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

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Signatories

1.?? ?Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Kent?

2.?? ?Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Liverpool

3.?? ?Professor Julie Lydon, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of South Wales?

4.?? ?Professor Colin Riordan, President and Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

5.?? ?Professor Sir Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Dundee

6.?? ?Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Glasgow

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7.?? ?Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Birmingham

8.?? ?Professor Simon Gaskell, President and Principal, Queen Mary 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London?

9.?? ?Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Reading?

10.?? ?Professor Sir Ian Diamond Vice-Chancellor 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Aberdeen

11.?? ?Professor Paul O¡¯Prey, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Roehampton

12.?? ?Professor Julia Buckingham, Vice-Chancellor, Brunel 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London

13.?? ?Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Exeter

14.?? ?Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Office, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of England

15.?? ?Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice- Chancellor, The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham?

16.?? ?Nigel Carrington, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Arts London

17.?? ?Professor David Phoenix OBE, Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

18.?? ?Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Southampton

19.?? ?Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Salford

20.?? ?Dr Paul Thompson, Rector, Royal College of Art

21.?? ?John Latham, Vice-Chancellor, Coventry 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

22.?? ?Professor Aldwyn Cooper, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Regent¡¯s 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London?

23.?? ?Professor Baron Peter Piot, Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine?

24.?? ?Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Edinburgh Napier 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

25.?? ?Professor Barry Ife, Principal, Guildhall School of Music and Drama?

26.?? ?Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

27.?? ?Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor, Manchester Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

28.?? ?Professor David Maguire, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Greenwich

29.?? ?Professor Sir Paul Curran, Vice-Chancellor, City 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London

30.?? ?Professor Karen Stanton, Vice-Chancellor, York St John 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

31.?? ?Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor and President, Loughborough 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

32.?? ?Professor Anthony Bowne, Principal, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance?

33.?? ?Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor, Anglia Ruskin 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

34.?? ?Professor Bob Cryan CBE, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Huddersfield

35.?? ?Professor Dominic Shellard, Vice-Chancellor, De Montfort 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

36.?? ?Professor Patrick Johnston, Vice-Chancellor, Queen¡¯s 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast

37.?? ?Professor April McMahon, Vice-Chancellor, Aberystwyth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

38.?? ?Bill Rammell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bedfordshire?

39.?? ?Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor, Nottingham Trent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

40.?? ?Stephen Marston, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Gloucestershire

41.?? ?Professor Edward Byrne, President and Principal, King¡¯s College London

42.?? ?Professor John Joughin, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East London

43.?? ?Professor Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds

44.?? ?Baroness Valerie Amos CH, Director, Soas, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

45.?? ?Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, ?Principal, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

46.?? ?Professor Andrew Wathey CBE, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Northumbria 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

47.?? ?Patrick Loughrey, Warden, Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

48.?? ?Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Strathclyde

49.?? ?Dr Maria Hinfelaar, Vice-Chancellor, Glyndwr 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

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50.?? ?Professor Mary Stuart, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Lincoln

51.?? ?Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford?

52.?? ?Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

53.?? ?Professor Paul Boyle, President and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leicester

54.?? ?Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Buckingham

55.?? ?Professor Peter John, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of West London

56.?? ?Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Derby?

57.?? ?Professor Peter Strike, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cumbria

58.?? ?Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor, Keele 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

59.?? ?Professor Richard A Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

60.?? ?Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge?

61.?? ?Professor Stuart Reid, Principal, Royal Veterinary College 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

62.?? ?Professor Julius Weinberg, Vice-Chancellor, Kingston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London

63.?? ?Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor, Durham 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

64.?? ?Professor Sir Timothy O¡¯Shea, Principal, The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh

65.?? ?Professor Paul Croney, Vice-Chancellor, Teesside 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

66.?? ?Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor, The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Northampton

67.?? ?Professor Mark Smith, Vice-Chancellor, Lancaster 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

68.?? ?Professor Michael Farthing, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sussex?

69.?? ?Professor Richard B. Davies, Vice-Chancellor, Swansea 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

70.?? ?Professor Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

71.?? ?Professor Jenny Higham, Principal, St George¡¯s, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

72.?? ?Professor Geoffrey Petts, ?Vice-Chancellor and President, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Westminster?

73.?? ?Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice-Chancellor, Southampton Solent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

74.?? ?Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College London

75.?? ?Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wolverhampton

76.?? ?Professor John Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, Bangor 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

77.?? ?Professor Petra Wend, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Queen Margaret 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Edinburgh

78.?? ?Professor Hugh Brady, Vice-Chancellor and President, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol?

79.?? ?Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Vice-Chancellor, Aston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ?

80.?? ?Professor Michael Thomas, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Central Lancashire?

81.?? ?Professor David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East Anglia

82.?? ?Professor Paul Layzell, Vice-Chancellor, Royal Holloway, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London?

83.?? ?Professor Judith Petts, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Plymouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

84.?? ?Professor Liz Barnes, Vice Chancellor, Staffordshire 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

85.?? ?Professor Calie Pistorius, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hull

86.?? ?Professor Craig Calhoun, Vice-Chancellor, London School of Economics and Political Science

87.?? ?Professor David Green, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, ?51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Worcester?

88.?? ?Professor Nigel Weatherill, ?Vice-Chancellor, Liverpool John Moores 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

89.?? ?Professor John Raftery, Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

90.?? ?Professor Gerald Pillay, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Liverpool Hope 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

91.?? ?Professor Gerry McCormac, Principal and Vice-Chancellor 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Stirling

92.?? ?Professor Christina Slade , Bath Spa 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

93.?? ?Professor Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor and President, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sheffield?

94.?? ?Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of Scotland?

95.?? ?Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean, London Business School

96.?? ?Shirley Atkinson, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sunderland?

97.?? ?Professor Anthony Forster, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Essex

98.?? ?Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton

99.?? ?Professor Joy Carter, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Winchester

100.?? ?Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Salford

101.?? ?Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London

102.?? ?Professsor G.Q Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Surrey

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103.?? ?Professor Alice Gast, President, Imperial College London