Contemporary History, Politics and International Relations students discuss Brexit

The University of Chichester welcomed delegates from the European Movement UK last week to discuss and openly reflect on the European idea and the future of the Brexit model. Students were addressed by the UK’s youth leader for the movement, Madeleina Kay, and listened to a series of short talks.  

The event invited students to think about what the idea and geography of Europe meant to them and to consider how the next decade of British relations with its nearest neighbours may develop. The event was open to all opinions and stimulated a serious debate on the future of British-European relations.  

A strong theme that emerged from the session was the historical context of the post-Second World War period leading to nation-states sharing and pooling resources in order to emerge stronger after the catastrophes of the 1930s and 1940s. Looking to the future, different ideas of how Britain can engage with Europe were debated and explored. 

History Professor Hugo Frey said: “It is great for our students to listen to an important side in the European debate and to not only follow its development, but also to see how it is an active part of British politics today. Many ideas came up and we look forward to hosting further discussion events of this kind that engage with political parties and political movements over the next year.”   

For more information about history, politics and international relations degrees at the University of Chichester, go to www.chi.ac.uk/history.