Academy Presidents highlight the risks to academic research if Scotland were to leave the UK

In a letter today, the Presidents of the British Academy, the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences have called for a wider debate on the risks facing academic research if Scotland becomes an independent country. 
  
They said: "We believe that if separation were to occur, research not only in Scotland but also in the rest of the UK would suffer. However, research in Scotland would be more vulnerable and there could be significant reductions in range, capability and critical mass. We have all gained much from integration and interaction in academic and research life, in which Scotland plays such a strong role."

The full letter can be read here.

The British Academy seeks to contribute to informed debate around the critical areas that will shape the future of Scotland and the United Kingdom.  The Academy has been working closely with the Royal Society of Edinburgh and other organisations, publishing a series of reports and videos as a contribution to wider discussions about possible outcomes.  It is planned that these will continue after the independence referendum in September 2014, whatever the result.