What has CULTURE to do with this argument? If aything the UK and Holland are quite close in that respect. Perhaps if you feel the need to protest at some injustice as regards that, you should find one first.

'At this point I'm very tempted to enquire as to whether anyone will be voting locally for the BNP today'

your words golfpro some people may find this offensive thats all i'm saying

I was [very obviously] having a light hearted swipe at Stu, as rgards his pervious post. You are a PhD student as opposed to a GCSE student? I'm just wondering if I was a tad too subtle for you as regards my humour. Somewhat sad that you have to twist an obvious attamept at humour to suit some personal agenda.

Well as i can only read the words you had typed I did not know you were joking.

I dont understand what you mean by personal adgenda, I just felt that the conversation was getting a little bit offensive.

Oh dear we are getting ourselves into a tizz aren't we. Come on now, everyone, I know its a senstive issue, but let's play nicely.

As for citizenship, I don't think that has anything to do with it. At then end of the day, if you and you're family have not been paying taxes in this country, you cannot expect to be eligible to see any of that money payed back to you.

Well I don't strictly agree with that in an ideal world, but yes it makes sense practically. However as Arjen said that in other european countries UK students are eligible for full scholarships then I have to agree that it seems unfair.

I was VERY OBVIOUSLY JOKING. Read the posts again. It isn't hard at all [unless you are a bit thick] to see that I was.

Look there is no need to get personal about this.. Whether you were joking or not people should not make jokes which may offend others AND if I feel offended by something then I have every right to say so.

As a rule I'm not one for getting personal in 14 months of coming on here. I just resent being taken to task over something that is obviously not the case.

Here’s how the exchange worked...as you appear to need an explanation.

Stu said....'So the message to you overseas students wanting funding- if you get it, be very grateful, if you don't, then don't complain, either pay it yourself or stay the hell out of our country'

I said...

'At this point I'm very tempted to enquire as to whether anyone will be voting locally for the BNP today [oh I just did]'

I was implying that Stu was somewhat right-wing as regards his political outlook. UNDERSTAND? If anything it’s the exact opposite to your inference. As I said you appear to have 'jumped on' the word BNP, and have not fully undertood [at all really] the context in which I have used it.

Whether you are indeed 'a bit thick' I will leave other to judge.

"As for citizenship, I don't think that has anything to do with it. At then end of the day, if you and you're family have not been paying taxes in this country, you cannot expect to be eligible to see any of that money payed back to you."

But you forget that you're a member of the EU - I found it by the time (this thread was started quite some time ago) just frustrating that I, as EU citizen, could get a place in nearly every country in the EU, apart from the UK - even though I would have liked to stay there. This is not voluntarily from these country's, its the EU-law, but the BBSRC and NERC use a hole in the law by splitting the research funding and the stipend - this doesn't happen in any other country in the EU I've heard from, and therefore it just seemed a little unfair to me, hence the rant.

The point about taxes and profiting from this is also not completely correct (though there's a bit to say for it as well), as the scientists will mainly produce work at a UK university and publish there as well, therefore 'helping' the university, as the output you generate as a scientist is, at least in my field, mainly publications.
You will also spend most of the stipend in the UK, as it is really not enough to save :P

So obviously also get taught skills and the like, but if there're more people from other country who seem to be better, than maybe you should revise your university system... if you simply generate better students than in the rest of the EU, you wouldn't have this problem.

To finish the story, I've found a PhD position at a Max-Planck Institute in Germany, so ended up at an ok place in the end of the day - but I must say that I miss the UK somehow - Germany is alright, but can imagine myself getting back eventually.

I'm just finding it quite ironic that 'we' [the royal UK 'we' here] are being taken to task by a Dutchman over the state of the UK funding research eligibility. Didn't someone from Holland post on here quite recently that they were excluded from PhD Research funding because at 33 they were too old?

Glad to here that you found something and I agree with with everything you said. The UK is part of the EU and therefore I think any benefits paid for by UK tax payers should extend to all EU member citizens

Do you not agree that this rule is at least a bit odd, compared to other EU states?
I have no clue how things are regarded to age in The Netherlands to be honest, as I'm only 24... (In Germany being 33 would not be an obstacle, thats all I know).

Juno, I work at the MPI for Chemical Ecology, dept. of molecular ecology in Jena (for Ian Baldwin) - where're you and who's your supervisor...? (there are 30-something max planck institutes, its not just one...)