As talk turns to leadership races, possible elections and the coronation of a new Taoiseach, one peripheral issue is becoming linked to another, more central issue. Higher education funding – a debate that was around long before the word “Brexit” even existed – is now inextricably linked to what Ireland will look like once the UK leaves the EU.
Universities are already lobbying to get the best deal they can for the sector, while students might be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of more graduate employers, like JP Morgan, coming to the country.
But students might be wary. These businesses and corporations are unlikely to be charmed by the idea of a country toying with employer contributions to help pay for free education – Ibec’s response to the funding crisis is not atypical. What is the benefit to students of a few extra employers when the loans’ lobby is swelled by new businesses and interest groups?
Ireland’s Brexit success, university heads will be telling politicians, depends on the strength of the workforce and the skills of graduates. This is how the Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University, Paddy Nixon, sold the idea of an all-Ireland visa for international students, by focusing on the “massive shortage of graduates” in Dublin.
And while the idea is to be welcomed, the underlying message is clear – it is Ireland’s economy, first and foremost, that will benefit from a deal that retains EU benefits for the North. As true as this may be, we must be wary about discussing higher education policy in the shadow of corporations. The temptation is already there – lowering the corporate tax rate changed the face of our economy. The growing consensus around employer contributions to higher education might fade from the policy agenda if there is even a whiff it might jeopardise the benefits of Brexit.
Universities in the UK are already shedding staff, citing Brexit, and Irish universities have reason to be cheerful that many professors and researchers might choose Ireland as a potential substitute post-Brexit. Certainly, this would benefit both students and universities. But we need students’ unions and colleges to keep pushing the idea that Brexit and higher education funding are linked. One cannot be solved without the other and employers, no matter where they migrate from, must pay their way for the privilege.
