Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg | Children, Young People and Education Committee

Ymchwiliad i Effaith Brexit ar Addysg Uwch ac Addysg Bellach: Cylch Gorchwyl | Inquiry on the Impact of Brexit on Higher and Further Education

IB-08

Ymateb gan: Coleg Brenhinol yr Ymarferwyr Cyffredinol Cymru
Response from: Royal College of General Practitioners Wales

Learner Outcomes and Employability

Question 1: What are the potential challenges to learner success and employability post-Brexit, and what is and could be done to meet these?

Brexit has the potential to reduce the movement of students and doctors across Europe. This would mean a reduction in the numbers of EU students coming to Wales to study medicine, with implications for lecturers and trainers as well, thus reducing the widening of exposure of students to different cultures. There would be reduced opportunities for the exchange of ideas between EU countries at undergraduate level, and of the employability of Welsh doctors in EU countries to enhance their experiences before returning to Wales. There is the potential that Universities may suffer a loss of income from reduced numbers of EU students. We are experiencing a shortage of GPs and any barriers that reduce numbers would be detrimental.

Question 2: To what extent would any loss of the EU ERASMUS+ mobility scheme impact on the sector and what are the opportunities for alternative mobility schemes which currently exist or could conceivably be developed?

Erasmus enables students to experience learning in other EU countries, broadening their learning about other methods of working and learning. A small number of GP trainees have benefitted from this programme and it enables the spread of good practice.

Financial Sustainability and Investment Opportunities

Question 4: How dependent are Further and Higher Education institutions investment plans on European funding and what are the opportunities for alternative sources of investment funding?

This is outside of our remit.

Research and Innovation Funding and Collaboration

Question 5: To what extent do Further and Higher Education institutions rely on future EU research and innovation funding?

Wales receives significant EU research funding and this may not be accessible. There is a strong primary care research focus in Wales, and much research is collaborative across different nations. If it is more difficult to participate in this it would threaten the high-quality research in Wales.

If Universities lose funding it may affect numbers of academic staff, with a potential impact on access to teaching.

Question 6: What is currently being done, and what might be done to safeguard EU research collaborations and networks in preparation for and after Brexit?  

There are concerns that Welsh medical and scientific (with medical implication) research will be curtailed. Funding and research collaboration meeting across the EU has been increasing. This has implications for medicine in general but also general practice. We may lose researchers to the EU which could prevent Welsh innovation and development.