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Study: Brexit was ‘historic debacle’ in which the UK failed to protect its interests
LAWRENCE — Ever since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016’s Brexit referendum, debates have raged on whether it was the right decision. In a new study, a University of Kansas professor of law wrote that the United Kingdom has failed to protect its economic, political, strategic and legal interests. “These four failures were prompted by a fifth fiasco, namely, the U.K. dimming its status as a multicultural beacon for global human capital talent in its effort to control immigration,” Raj Bhala wrote in the study, published in the Manchester Journal of International Economic Law.
12 KU students receive Undergraduate Research Awards for summer
LAWRENCE — This summer, 12 University of Kansas students will receive Undergraduate Research Awards. UGRA recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship as they work on mentored research and creative projects. Award winners include Kansas students from Council Grove, Kansas City, Lawrence, Olathe, Olpe, Overland Park and Topeka as well as two recipients from Kansas City, Missouri.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
Study: Brexit was ‘historic debacle’ in which the UK failed to protect its interests
LAWRENCE — Ever since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016’s Brexit referendum, debates have raged on whether it was the right decision and how the U.K. would separate itself. A new study from a University of Kansas international trade law expert argues that, regardless of what one feels of the decision, its implementation has been “a historic debacle.”
Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, said the United Kingdom has failed to protect its economic, political, strategic and legal interests and that those failures in execution were compounded.
“These four failures were prompted by a fifth fiasco, namely, the U.K. dimming its status as a multicultural beacon for global human capital talent in its effort to control immigration,” Bhala wrote in the study, published in the Manchester Journal of International Economic Law.
In the article, Bhala outlined the nearly five-decade relationship between the U.K. and EU, how the decision to leave was a five-level fiasco, and where it leaves England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In economic terms, the U.K. did not identify or defend its economic interests. Bhala wrote that the two sides maintained free trade on the surface without raising tariffs or taking protective measures. He outlined how the most contentious economic matter in the negotiating led to the U.K. overemphasizing and ultimately selling out its fishing industry. The U.K. also failed to protect other important economic sectors such as electric vehicles, financial services and data flow, he wrote.
Meanwhile, the U.K. set itself up for political partition, especially in relation to the borders of Ireland and Gibraltar.
“The realm is in peril. There could even be a triple partition, a so-called ‘Scexit,’ depending on the outcome of a Scottish referendum, as Scotland voted overwhelmingly against Brexit,” Bhala said.
Brexit was a better deal for the EU than the U.K. strategically as well, Bhala wrote. The U.K. negotiated on the assumption that it shared an equal place on the world stage with other international powers. In reality, it is now operating in a world dominated by the United States, China and European Union and has isolated itself.
That is illustrated by the fact the U.K. had derived about 13% of its gross domestic product from exports to the EU, while conversely only 3% of the EU’s GDP derived from imports from the U.K. That incongruity illustrates the U.K. was bordering on self-delusion in its negotiations, Bhala wrote.
Brexit-induced isolation also weakened the U.K.’s position in terms of national security, as its cooperation and alliance with the rest of the European Union were diminished, Bhala wrote.
In legal terms, Brexit ushered out common regulatory practices between the two parties, diminishing free trade. Bhala, an international trade law expert, said that free trade ended because British merchandise suddenly became subject to EU regulatory measures.
Providers of British goods and services now have to prove they meet EU standards, which was not previously necessary, leading to extra charges, taxes, paperwork and the halt of some exports to the EU. Bhala illustrated how the U.K.’s position has been weakened in negotiations to resolve disputes and how Britain put itself on an uneven playing field with its former partners.
With so many of the results of Brexit working in favor of the EU and to the disadvantage of the U.K., one might ask why they made the deal. That can be traced to a desire to limit immigration, populism and ultimately, racism, Bhala wrote. In an attempt to hold on to culture and national character and stem the tide of immigration, the U.K. ultimately harmed its own citizenry by costing them the ability to have passports granting the freedom to move and work throughout the EU, he added.
While Brexit has become official, it is far from over. Negotiation on numerous points will continue, and discussions have begun on whether the United Kingdom will remain unified or if members such as Northern Ireland or Scotland will leave, possibly to rejoin the EU, Bhala said.
“They also left much that mattered – or should have mattered – to future negotiations,” Bhala wrote. “Redolent of its 1997 deal over Hong Kong with the People’s Republic of China, the U.K. failed to nail down important points. It behaved in Brexit, as then, as thoroughly wet. Consequently, it is folly to think Brexit is over.”
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Contact: Nicole Perry, Center for Undergraduate Research, 785-864-3391, [email protected], @ugresearch
12 KU students receive Undergraduate Research Awards for summer
LAWRENCE — This summer, 12 University of Kansas students will receive Undergraduate Research Awards (UGRAs). UGRA recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship as they work on mentored research and creative projects.
“I am continually impressed by the quality of research and creative projects proposed by undergraduate students at KU,” said Alison Olcott, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and associate professor of geology. “These students have worked closely with their mentors to devise projects that stand to make important contributions to their areas of study.”
Students apply for UGRAs by writing a four-page research proposal under the guidance of a mentor. Faculty reviewers evaluate the applications based on the merit of the applicant’s proposal and a recommendation from the mentor.
The Center for Undergraduate Research will begin taking applications for the spring 2022 UGRA competition during the fall semester. More information can be found on the center’s website.
Students receiving awards for the summer of 2021 are listed below in alphabetical order along with academic level, hometown, project title, mentor and mentor’s department:
1. Emma Cosner, a senior from Lawrence: “Examining the Influence of a Redox-Active Phosphine Ligand on H2 Evolution by Organometallic Cyclopentadienyl-Rhodium Complexes,” mentored by James Blakemore, associate professor of chemistry.
2. Angela Davis, a junior from Olpe: “Language, Gender, and Sexuality with Respect to Elliot Page and Responses to Him Coming Out,” mentored by Renee Perelmutter, associate professor of Jewish studies.
3. Claire Dopp, a sophomore from Olathe: “Modeling Lewis Acid Effects on Metal Oxo Ions with Heterobimetallic Vanadyl Complexes,” mentored by James Blakemore, associate professor of chemistry.
4. Mac Hayes, a junior from Council Grove: “The Programmable Network Switch in a Disaggregated Memory Architecture,” mentored by Mohammad Alian, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science.
5. Olivia Jones, a junior from Kansas City, Kansas: “The Impact Cross-Cultural Code-Switching and Adaptability Have on the Self-Concept of Black Americans,” mentored by Ludwin Molina, associate professor of psychology.
6. Miles Luce, a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri: “Druze Women and Gender in Druze Society: A Systematic Literature Review,” mentored by Rami Zeedan, assistant professor of Jewish studies.
7. Olivia Michka, a senior from Kansas City, Missouri: “Live Concert Painting – Blurring the Line Between Music and Art,” mentored by Michael McCaffrey, visiting assistant professor of visual art.
8. Jessica Pfannenstiel, a senior from Lawrence: “Improving Methods for Coronaviruses Infection Based Drug Screening,” mentored by Anthony Fehr, assistant professor of molecular biosciences.
9. Nicola Santangelo, a junior from Lawrence: “Analyzing the Spoken Language Abilities of Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing,” mentored by Jena McDaniel, postdoctoral researcher, Life Span Institute.
10. Carsten Tabak, a sophomore from Lawrence: “Regression Analysis of a Stock’s Impact on its Options,” mentored by Nestor Rodriguez, assistant teaching professor of business.
11. Kade Townsend, a junior from Topeka: “Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance in the Pathogenic Bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” mentored by Josephine Chandler, associate professor of molecular biosciences.
12. Aditya Vargheese, a senior from Overland Park: “Role of REST in Breast Cancer,” mentored by Roy Jensen, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
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