Imperial College London, whose research has played a key role in the government’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, has warned of widespread cuts to mitigate the damaging impact of the pandemic on the institution. In an email to staff last week, Prof Alice Gast, the college president, said she was taking a voluntary 20% pay cut as she announced a raft of cost-cutting measures, including the suspension of capital projects, a freeze on recruitment and plans to furlough staff members. Imperial is one one of the jewels in the crown of the UK’s higher education sector. Prof Neil Ferguson, of its faculty of medicine and school of public health, is one of the epidemiologists advising the government on Covid-19, and his team provided the modelling that led to the lockdown. It is not, however, immune to the effects of the pandemic. Analysis suggests UK universities are likely to be one of the hardest hit sectors, with fears that international students will not return and the possible loss of tens of thousands of Chinese students next year resulting in gaping holes in budgets. Gast told staff she was proud of the significant impact of Imperial’s research, clinical care and public outreach on the pandemic, but warned: “The immediate need, as we face threats to enrolments and the financial burden of the shutdown, is to look for ways to conserve cash in the coming year. “We have already taken important decisions to suspend starting or approving new capital projects, limiting ongoing staff recruitment and identifying roles eligible for the furloughing scheme … We need to consider further measures.” Gast said Imperial’s provost, Prof Ian Walmsley, would also be taking a 20% pay cut and that the board had volunteered for a pay reduction of 10% over the next six months. “Our intention is to share some of the many sacrifices our community is making by volunteering, working on the front line or having their laboratory or workplace closed. This money will be used to help our students and staff in hardship.” Imperial is the latest of a number of higher education institutions to announce cuts or restructuring. Last week the University and College Union (UCU) condemned plans by Durham University to provide online-only degrees and significantly reduce face-to-face lecturing in response to the pandemic. Earlier this month it emerged that hundreds of university staff on precarious contracts had been dismissed in an effort to cut costs. Staff on fixed-term contracts, including visiting lecturers, researchers and student support workers, at Bristol, Newcastle and Sussex universities were made redundant or told their employment would or may end prematurely. Imperial has benefited from large numbers of international students in recent years, with 64% of the student body coming from outside the UK in 2017/18, of which Chinese students were the biggest non-UK nationality. The UCU’s general secretary, Jo Grady, said: “It is extremely concerning that any universities are using the current pandemic to look at changes to jobs and staffing levels. Staff are working extremely hard in difficult circumstances and university job losses will be disastrous for the individuals concerned and their families, as well as for the future of higher education.”