BY KERRI STEVENSON
‘A surprising number’ of students, staff and members of the public came together yesterday to share their opinions on the significance of the upcoming EU referendum, the implications of a potential Brexit and the future of European integration.
The Great British European Debate yesterday was organised by De Montfort University’s Jean Monnet Centre and the DMU Policy Commission.
The event was held as a part of the Festival of Ideas, which was set up to engage students, members of staff and the general public and to act as a showcase for work completed across the whole university campus.
Head of the department of politics Alasdair Blair, who chaired the event said: “The fact that so many people from the local area attended is in my opinion, a sign of significance of the issues the country is currently facing.
“I was also surprised to discover that the general trend was that the majority of people present were very much pro-European.”
The session was also attended by a range of DMU academics and important figures in the local area, including mayors of Leicester and the surrounding counties and allowed everyone present to air their frustrations and to gain further understanding on the upcoming referendum.
Mr Blair continued: “The event was highly successful in the sense that over 100 people, including students and members of the public attended and this was very rewarding for everyone involved in it’s organisation.”
The event was also a part of 100 ideas for Europe, which was set up last year by staff on the university’s Policy Commission and was created to set out 100 ideas to change Leicester and make a difference to both local and wider communities across the country.
If you have any questions regarding this event or would like any further information, please contact Alasdair Blair on 0116 257 7209 or send an email to ablair@dmu.ac.uk.
