Everybody is welcome at the University of Suffolk, regardless of where you come from.

That is the message to students and tutors across the world amid fears that Brexit is driving away interest from overseas.

Since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June, universities in the UK have seen a drop in foreign applicants, with some students withdrawing their place to study from September.

Today the University of Suffolk is launching a social media campaign called ‘Suffolk Supports’ to ensure the same does not happen in Ipswich.

Chris Garrett, EU and international recruitment manager at the University of Suffolk, said: “We felt the need to launch this campaign because of perceptions that the UK is somehow no longer interested in Europe and anecdotally there are concerns from some students they won’t be safe and won’t be welcomed if they choose to study here.

“There is a worry that staff will be deterred from working here too. Everyone regardless of where they are from will be welcomed at the university. We are proud of our international links at the University of Suffolk and have students from across the world. This diversity brings an extra something to the learning environment as well as creating a global community for our UK students.”

At the beginning of this month the university became a fully-fledged, independent higher education institution, dropping its former name of University Campus Suffolk.

Chris Filip, a computer games design graduate from Romania, began his career at Ubisoft in Bucharest after finishing his degree at the University of Suffolk and has returned to Suffolk to work.

He had this message for prospective students: “I now work for a small start-up company here in Ipswich and I feel more welcome than ever. I felt safe and welcomed while I was at the University of Suffolk and I think you will as well. The community here is very inclusive and I’ve never felt as an outsider even though I am not a UK citizen.”

The Mayor of Ipswich Roger Fern has also lent his backing to ‘Suffolk Supports’, saying that the town is a “naturally friendly and welcoming place”.

He added: “We have a richness in terms of diversity and we seek to give everybody the opportunity to flourish.”

Vice chancellor at the university Richard Lister said all applicants would be “most welcome” in Ipswich and Suffolk.