Oxford University Rejects Plans for Having a French Campus

Oxford University has negated the claims that it is considering breaking its century-old tradition and open its first foreign campus in response to the UK leaving the European Union.

The British university told CNBC last Monday that they have received a number of "constructive and helpful proposals" from their colleagues but decided not to pursue the model of having a campus overseas. They were told that in the prospect of having Oxford in Paris, the campus will automatically obtain French legal status and will continue to receive the security EU funding after the Brexit, according to Independent. However, the university has finally come to a decision and they are not pushing for the French campus.

British universities are currently receiving about $1.5 billion a year from the EU research funding. Jean-Michel Blanquer, the former director-general of the French ministry for education and incumbent President of ESSEC Business School, part of the Universite of Paris Seine network, explained that the British universities today are focused on preserving the relationships they have established with their partners in Europe and this is the reason why they have chosen this action so as to give them the opportunity for growth and development together with them.

Oxford University currently joins and participates in a number of international alliances together with the other leading universities but it does not have any school overseas, and they said that it is not going to change despite the new proposals.

Meanwhile, other UK universities have welcomed the plans and the University of Warwick is currently in discussion with the French officials. In fact, the university said that they were interested about the proposals and are looking forward to hear how those plans will evolve and how they might involve more partner universities in Europe.