It would be a real turning point in an almost 8-century long history. The University of Oxford, the flagship and spearhead of English culture, could open a branch in France.
Even the oldest university in the world, on the other hand, needs to raise cash and Brexit could put a strain on the budget of one of the most famous universities in the world. For this reason, counter-moves are already being studied which would allow Oxford to continue to receive the funds and facilities provided by the European Union. We are not talking about pennies, but about programs such as Horizon 2020, which provides funding for about 2 billion pounds.
Among the various options in the field, as reported by the Daily Telegraph newspaper, one would be thinking of build a campus in the heart of Paris, a real setback for the hard-core British who, when they voted for the "leave", certainly would not have expected to have to give up part of their "university sovereignty".
According to what was reported by the English newspaper, there would have already been contacts with some members of the French government. The idea would be to build a campus in Paris to move some degree courses to the transalpine capital, creating joint research programmes. Work could begin in 2018. "Oxford has always been an international university and the intention is to remain open whatever the political landscape of the future," said a spokesman for the British university.
But Oxford University may not be the only one to "emigrate" in the event of a Hard Brexit. The contacts between London and Paris would also concern other important universities, among which he would figure Warwick. Jean-Michel Blanquer, former director general of the French ministry for schools who currently holds the role of rector of the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales, confirmed the negotiations which would also involve the European Commission. According to what he has declared, the new campus could be born together with the Université de Paris Seine, which already brings together several higher research centres. “It is a concrete offer – underlined Blanquer -. We want to tell British universities that we can continue to build bridges between our cultures and nations and that Brexit can be good for them too."
