Top EU official condemns planned cuts at Aberdeen University

He is the latest senior European diplomat to express disapproval at the proposal after EU consuls in Edinburgh wrote to the university earlier this week with their concerns.

READ MORE: Diplomats urge Aberdeen University to halt proposed cuts

Their intervention followed the German ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger raising with First Minister Humza Yousaf a dramatic fall in pupils taking languages at Higher level.

"If it is the case that the University of Aberdeen is set to stop offering degrees in languages, it really is a sad day for the ancient, distinguished University of Aberdeen with its long proud record of scholarship and learning," Mr Blythe, a graduate of Aberdeen University, told The Herald.

Aberdeen University is planning cuts to its language degrees courses.

"It is a retrograde step. Denying not only linguists but also other talented, men and women from right across the university the chance to enhance their studies by adding an additional key language component that can but not only enrich themselves but their chosen future careers and intentions too. 

"One of the mottos of the European Union is “languages take you further” and it is so true. The government of the United Kingdom took the decision to withdraw from the European Union, in some senses it now feels that one of the UK’s northernmost reaches is drawing away even further from our continent and the world. 

READ MORE: Ambassador raises alarm with FM over fall in pupils taking German

"This is a sad day for North-East Scotland and its eminent university that in its own words says that it is the ‘global university of the north’ that 'has consistently sent pioneers and ideas outwards to every part of the world.'"

He added: "How the university’s admirable mission sits with its intended policy to withdraw language degree courses is the key question that the University of Aberdeen must answer not only for its staff and students of today but for its future generations." 

Aberdeen University, established in 1495 and is the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world, announced major cuts to its languages programme, including potentially axing full degrees on Thursday. 

READ MORE: SNP grassroots demand more language teaching provision in schools

Facing falling student enrolments and a funding issues, the institution outlined options to staff for cutting courses in French, German, Spanish and Gaelic. If it scraps full language degrees, Aberdeen will become the first ancient Scottish university to do so.

In a statement Professor Karl Leydecker, the university’s senior vice-principal, said: “It is deeply regrettable that the provision of modern languages at the university is unsustainable in its current form, with low and falling numbers of students. It is clearly a very difficult time for staff in modern languages. A range of support is being provided.”

Mr Leydecker, who studied languages at Oxford, Passau and Hamburg, is chairing a steering group on modern languages at the university, and has set out three options. The first is to scrap single honours in French, German, Gaelic and Spanish and to “rationalise” teaching of joint honours, potentially reducing the number of languages offered to two or three.

READ MORE: Scotland way behind Ireland in pupils learning languages

The second is to withdraw single and joint honours but keep some with courses in which students could study a degree in, for instance, business with French. The third — and, officials said, default — option is to discontinue all language programmes except electives, usually on for first years.

In a multimedia presentation on Thursday afternoon, staff were told about the options and that a voluntary severance scheme had opened. 

The general secretary of the University and College Union, Jo Grady, said that staff had been “shocked, angry and disappointed at the news that their jobs are at risk and that language provision could be drastically reduced”.

She added: “The provision of modern language degrees is a critical part of enabling an open and outward-facing culture that engages with communities across the globe.”

Citing the closure of departments at Staffordshire and Oxford Brookes, Ms Grady said that the Aberdeen cuts were part of a pattern across the UK, adding: “We will not allow members to be picked off, we will fight for them and beat this academic vandalism.”

Some of Scotland’s modern universities have already pared back language teaching. Dundee — which, as a former college of St Andrews, grants MAs as first degrees — made cuts to its languages three years ago.

Aberdeen University said it was attracting less interest from prospective students.

This year it enrolled the equivalent of 27 full-time students, down from 46 in 2022 and 62 in 2021. It now has 37 language staff (nearly 29 full-time equivalent), leading to a deficit of £1.64 million in the subject area this financial year.

The Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said the cuts meant Aberdeen University could no longer call itself a “comprehensive” university. “It won’t fulfil its civic or regional mission,” she wrote on Twitter/X.

Last month the Herald on Sunday revealed that the German Ambassador to the UK raised concerns with Mr Yousaf over a drop in language learning in schools.

In Scotland 505 pupils sat German Higher in 2022 and in 2023 the number rose to 520 - down from 1051 in 2013. A total of 4,239 pupils sat French Higher in 2013 with the number falling to 2280 this year, according to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's statistics.

A University of Aberdeen spokesperson: “The University is committed to continuing to provide opportunities for all students at the University of Aberdeen to learn languages, but we are unfortunately not in a position to make a commitment to the continuation of our current provision given the long term and accelerating reduction in enrolments for degrees in modern languages.”