Students, staff, associations, and local MPs have reacted strongly. Τhere have been protests on campus, petitions signed by thousands, and public letters urging the university to pause the suspensions and engage more meaningfully before making final decisions.
In a December 1, 2025 update, Professor Paul Smith, Head of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, reported that the University Council met on November 24 and 25, 2025, and approved the plan to suspend — and ultimately close — Modern Languages, subject to a formal consultation period.
“An entire generation of aspiring linguists, translators, and cultural mediators will find themselves geographically excluded from higher education in their chosen field.” — Prof Cecilia Goria, Director of the Language Centre, University of Nottingham
While the university maintains that no programmes have been “formally” closed, Professor Smith states that formal closure is anticipated by June 2026, unless alternative proposals succeed. The university must outline its implementation plan by the end of Q1 2026, while any counterproposals must meet strict financial criteria set out in the restructuring plan.
Professor Smith also noted that on the evening of November 24, 2025, a meeting with students, the Vice-Chancellor, and other members of the University Executive Board took place.
Max Reuvers, PhD student in English Linguistics, described widespread frustration with what happened. Students reported heavy security, bag checks, and restricted access to university buildings during the Council meetings, as well as repeated evasions of questions concerning academic continuity, institutional values, and compliance with internal quality procedures. The exchanges further fuelled concerns about transparency and governance.
‘A Linguistic Desert’
The proposed closure of Modern Languages doesn’t just take out language degrees — it takes out translation too. Nottingham’s undergraduate translation modules and its Centre for Translation and Comparative Cultural Studies both sit within the department, meaning the translation training is now at risk.
Yet the university still lists several postgraduate translation programmes, including the Translation and Localisation Studies MA (2025 entry), the Applied Translation Studies MA (2026 entry), and the Translation Studies PhD.
“The closure leaves the East Midlands as a linguistic desert,” Prof Cecilia Goria, Director of the Language Centre at the University, said, noting that Nottingham is not the only University taking such decision — the University of Leicester appears to also be moving ahead with job cuts and closures, including its Department of Modern Languages and the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies (LeCTIS).
“An entire generation of aspiring linguists, translators, and cultural mediators will find themselves geographically excluded from higher education in their chosen field,” Prof Goria added.
