After vigorous and partially successful attempts to save modern languages degrees at Cardiff University and the University of Aberdeen in the past two years, linguists are now called upon to point out the equally obvious folly of cutting modern languages at the universities of Nottingham and Leicester. That bombshell came hot on the heels of news from the University of Leicester of the proposed closure of modern languages and the withdrawal of all courses from next year. Expertise in languages and cultures is also essential for security in a world of collapsing multilateralism and heightening global tension. Charles Burdett is professor of Italian and director of the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. Emma Cayley is professor of Medieval French at the University of Leeds and chair of the University Council For Languages (UCFL).

Source: The Times November 14, 2025 20:12 UTC