How Dundee University’s troubles have been made worse by UK Government’s hostility towards migrants

Historically, Dundee was known for jute, jam and journalism, and certainly two of those sectors remain important locally. However, in more recent years, the city has won a global reputation as a centre for education and research.

It was a nod to the excellence of its education and research institutions that Dundee rebranded itself, quite rightly, as the City of Discovery. This was more than a historic reference to Captain Scott’s research ship that sits alongside the V&A on Dundee’s riverside. It was a reference that looks to the future. The City of Discovery speaks of an innovating, creative and pioneering spirit that is forward thinking whilst building on a rich heritage.

Dundee University is ‘world-leading’

Higher education is an integral part of that story, both in terms of the education and research it delivers. Eighty-four per cent of Dundee’s research is assessed as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”.

That work has led to improvements in the lives of people at home and abroad on social justice, such as improved oral healthcare for homeless populations, tackling language disorders in children, work on standards in midwifery that are being adopted across the world, and international environmental protection with research, for instance, that led to the largest marine protected area around the Pitcairn islands being created. Dundee University has an impact at home and abroad that Dundonians rightly take pride in.

I concede that I am no neutral observer, and absolutely declare an interest. My first degree was at Dundee University where I spent four happy and productive years studying Scots and international law. That experience and opportunity set me up for life, as it did for countless friends and relatives with several close family members studying at Dundee University. My granny even worked as a cleaner in the halls of residence.

Like so many other people in Dundee and the surrounding area, the university provides an important backdrop to my life, and we therefore all take pride in its achievements. In Dundee, the university is part of the family. While this would have been an awful week for staff and students at the university, its importance to the fabric of the wider community is difficult to overstate.

Crucial to the economy

Dundee University may have hit the headlines this week, but it is far from alone in the positive impact it creates for our communities. Scotland’s higher education sector is genuinely world-leading, delivering educational opportunities and excellence in research that benefits each and every one of us, from healthcare to economic development and environmental sustainability. Dundee is fortunate in having two excellent universities , Abertay and Dundee, as well as being in close proximity to the University of St Andrews, another local world leader.

Our universities are also crucial to the economy. Any job losses at Dundee would have a potentially disastrous impact on the wider local economy. It has been estimated that one in 12 jobs in the city are supported by the university, which brings in £449 million in gross added value to Dundee. That is a huge impact which is why the support announced by the Scottish Government is so important. It is important that this is kept in mind over the coming weeks and months as the university and government look towards rebuilding.

However, we must go further. At Westminster, ministers far too often underplay the importance of being seen as an internationally attractive destination for staff and students. Our universities thrive on being seen as welcoming internationally and that makes the universities more competitive in attracting the best academics and researchers, as well as enrichening the learning environment by bringing in students from across the world.

Yet too often the government seems determined to put them off with a visa and migration system that can be all too damaging to the sector. The harmful rhetoric around migrants is also picked up by potential staff and students who follow our political discourse closely.

Recognise value of overseas staff and students

This approach, coupled with self-inflicted wounds such as a damaging Brexit and stopping students from bringing dependents, for instance, have done nothing to help institutions that are international and outward-looking to their core. That must change, and the UK Government must recognise the value of international staff and students both economically and to our society. From purely a financial perspective, it has been estimated that international students generate £329m annually for Tayside and Fife alone.

In my own constituency of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (stretching from Dundee up through Angus), there is a net impact of £49m equating to about £490 per resident even though neither Dundee nor Abertay sits within the constituency.

Dundee’s success and reputation has always been built internationally from its days as a whaling port and destination for jute production making it known throughout the world. That now goes for the international reach and reputations of its education and research institutions including the University of Dundee.

That is crucial for an environment in which our higher education institutions can develop teaching and research that brings economic, health and societal benefits to us all. They deserve an environment that will allow them to thrive. This should also mean that, with Dundee bringing in staff and students from across 140 different countries, it remains international in outlook and truly a global City of Discovery.

Stephen Gethins is the MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry