I will outline some of those concerns.
One of the main concerns is the Erasmus programme, which benefits many students. People can learn languages and social skills through an Erasmus programme. For example, Scottish students can go abroad and learn another language, while European students can come here and experience Scottish culture. We fear that, if the Erasmus programme is stopped for UK nationals, that cultural exchange will be lost. The Erasmus programme also represents an opportunity for Scottish students who could otherwise not afford to do so, to go abroad. The Erasmus fund provides around €400 a month for people to study abroad. The scrapping of the Erasmus programme is a major concern for people in our group and students in general.
Another issue is EU funding for research at universities. There are many world-class Scottish universities but, apparently, there are already fewer people who are willing to come and do research in UK universities because of the uncertainty about funding. Research funding might be stopped, which is a concern especially for smaller universities that might have less funding. A lot of research might not be able to be carried out.
There is also EU funding for education programmes in regions such as the Highlands and Islands—there is one called outward bound. There is a question whether that funding will be replaced by UK or Scottish funding but, until that happens, there is a question whether and how such programmes will survive after Brexit.
For EU students coming to Scottish universities after Brexit, the questions are whether they will have to pay tuition fees and whether their degrees will be recognised outside the UK. Currently, the Bologna process means that all EU degrees have the same standing, but nobody knows how that will develop in the future.
Lastly, EU students who are studying in Scotland or the UK are concerned about whether they will be allowed to stay after Brexit, whether they will need a visa in future and whether they will be able to get a job here.
Now we have some recommendations.