Threat of Brexit causing academic brain drain

Figures released by British universities show even before the United Kingdom has left the European Union, the prospect of Brexit is taking its toll on the country's academic institutions with almost 11,000 EU staff having left jobs in the country since the 2016 referendum.

The information was obtained by the Liberal Democrats from 81 of the 136 members of higher education representative body Universities UK, and shows that in the period 2018-19, 4,014 staff left their posts, an increase of 31 percent on the previous year, and 40 percent higher than in 2014-15.

In addition, the Royal Society, the country's leading scientific academic association, said in a statement in October that the UK's share of funding given out each year by the EU has fallen by almost one-third since 2015.