London, May 31 – Professor Paul Boyle is President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester in the East Midlands city known for its textile industry, its large and diverse immigrant population, for being the burial place of the recently discovered remains of King Richard III, for the recent football ‘miracle’, but also for its university tradition. He was interviewed by ANSA ahead of the G7 university event in Udine on June 29-30.

Question: Professor Boyle, what is the significance of a G7 of university vice-chancellors?

Answer: It is vital that university leaders are involved in global cooperation activities such as this because academic institutions today form the leaders of tomorrow. Great ideas grow out of the meeting of minds. Our students will be the world leaders in the 21st century, and they need to leave our institutions as global citizens, equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to tackle the key issues and challenges of the future.

Q: How can cultural exchange and the sharing of research activities be promoted between the most industrialised countries during these meetings? And how can they be extended to include less fortunate countries as well?

A: The University of Leicester is based on the idea of global multidisciplinary research in various fields and aims to connect its students with the greatest minds on a global level. The G7 University is particularly useful because it provides a good stage for calling on political leaders to support our programmes in favour of a ‘university for all’. And all means all, not just rich countries, given that our research and teaching transcend borders. After all, technological advancements mean thatwe live increasingly in a global village. And we need to mobilise the brains of an entire global generation to meet the challenges facing us and find the appropriate answers on the political, social, scientific and economic level.

Q: Can a balance be struck between the need to encourageinternational experience for young researchers in order for them to grow and the need to contain the ‘brain drain’ that risks impoverishing certain countries?

A: In the interconnected world of today the risks associated with so-called brain drain are widely surpassed by the benefits of an open exchange between researchers and students. It is not possible to confine curious minds in a single place. And moving from one country to another to study does not deplete knowledge; on the contrary, it becomes more accessible to all and allows reciprocal understanding to be advanced.

Q: Does the issue of fake news and uncontrolled information circulating particularly on internet also have an impact on the scientific culture and education in general of the young generations? How can the problem be addressed while avoiding repressive measures or a merely dogmatic attitude?

A: Universities need to be places where ‘received truths’ can all be challenged. True academia always encourages questions and challenges, and at Leicester as in other places we set great store by it. Science in particular has nothing to fear and much to teach, and if universities have survived for a thousand years it is because societies recognise their value as places for training intellects to ask questions. As regards fake news, it is not a new phenomenon: the only novelty concerns the speed and scope of circulation thanks to new technologies.

Q: To what extent will Brexit impact on the future of science, formation and academic wealth in Great Britain?

A: In the first place it must be said that universities such as Leicester already have a global reach, beyond the European borders. Think only for example of the newdetached scientific campus that we have just inaugurated in China. At the same time, the UUK, the body representing universities in the UK, has stressed how important it is, within the context of negotiations for Brexit, for our country to also maintain access to the European interaction networks in research, without forgetting that our academic cooperation with Germany and France is greater than that with any other country. While on the one hand, therefore, it is vital that the UK takes every opportunity to have a truly global outlook, on the other the importance of working with EU partners cannot be underestimated. Also when Brexit becomes a reality.

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