The Conservative government’s Turing exchange scheme has destroyed the ‘level playing field’ that Erasmus+ had spent decades creating for all EU citizens.
In line with the UK’s post-Brexit mentality, the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, decided in 2020 that the UK would no longer participate in the Erasmus+ programme. The government’s replacement, the Turing scheme, is a part-substitute only, in that it excludes international professional training, youth exchanges, and sporting and volunteering opportunities, focusing solely on study abroad options at universities. As a result, many young British people – trainees, workers, apprentices – have lost the access offered by Erasmus+ to life-changing cultural exchanges.
Johnson promised the UK would not leave Erasmus but his government later backtracked on this, citing financial reasons, though decisions to leave EU programmes such as Erasmus and Horizon were clearly part of the Brexit ‘sovereignty’ brand. Now, however, many people have come round to the view that organisations such as these should not be seen as controversial or politically charged. Rejoining Erasmus+ would not only improve the UK’s relationships with other European countries but would also be to the cultural and economic benefit of the UK itself and be a popular move by Sir Keir Starmer’s new Labour government.
‘Embrace Erasmus’ campaign
The Young European Movement (YEM), the British Youth Council and European Movement UK have joined forces to campaign and petition for the UK to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme. It has received over 50,000 signatures and been endorsed by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London.
The campaign lists economic benefits as one reason to rejoin Erasmus+, as the European Union provided the UK with over £500mn more in funding than we contributed from 2007 to 2013 for education, training, and academic collaboration. Leaving this organisation has led to a deep hole in the financial support for the country’s education sector.
The campaign also emphasises the strength of ‘soft power’ that derives from being part of Erasmus+. Soft power – the ability to influence another country through positive cultural attraction rather than coercion – is invaluable in the multicultural world of politics today. Without access to networks built up through Erasmus+ exchanges, there is the possibility that the UK’s future foreign ministers and politicians will be unable to establish crucial mutual cultural understandings with European counterparts.
Erasmus+: life-changing for individuals
Despite popular belief, Erasmus+ is not solely for university students. In fact, it specifically targets underprivileged young people who are unlikely to be able to afford higher education. The PLUS in Erasmus+ means that people with physical and mental disabilities, social and economic disadvantages, and those who struggled in school are not forgotten, removing the exclusivity from cultural and educational exchanges.
On 8 November Cecilia Jastrzembska, president and director of YEM, contributed to an Erasmus+ webinar hosted by the Centre of International Learning & Leadership (CILL). Here, Jastrzembska said: “Erasmus+ really levelled the playing field for a lot of groups.” Underprivileged youth groups were offered experiences with Erasmus+ that they would not have encountered or been able to afford … All of the funding, the cultural exchange and the kind of connections and friendships that could have been made is an incalculable loss.”
Decades of British Erasmus participants rave about how it positively changed their lives. Speaking of the cultural impact of the scheme, Julian Baggini, a philosopher, writer, and one of the first Erasmus students said: “By becoming embedded in foreign universities, we see not only what is valuable in cultures we are often quicker to parody than to understand, but what is strange in ourselves.”
Life-long friendships have been made and even romantic relationships. Ironically, the ‘grandchildren of Erasmus love’ are now unable to follow in their families’ footsteps. Their protests against leaving the scheme fell on deaf ears and now, without Erasmus+, the chance to ‘fix’ the shallow and rigid relationship between the UK and European citizens will seemingly only be offered to university students through the Turing scheme.
The benefits of Erasmus+ membership to the UK
Whilst some British universities are imploring the government to rejoin Erasmus and restart its ‘European flow’ of students, many people still oppose the costly burden of being a member of the programme. Erasmus costs the UK €160mn each year, and with fewer UK students involved in the scheme in comparison to EU students, the benefits simply did not outweigh the losses for Boris Jonhson. In the 2018/19 only 9,908 British citizens participated in the Erasmus programme, compared to 17,795 young Europeans.
However, the ‘Embrace Erasmus’ campaign says: “This cultural exchange is vital in fostering mutual understanding, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly interconnected world.” So, despite its costly downside, there are many people who would argue that the soft power benefits of Erasmus are too important to discard because of monetary concerns.
The 2021-2027 budget plan for Erasmus is €26.2bn, double the budget of its previous six-year plan. 70% of this funding will support mobility offering long and short-term mobility for its member countries. With this new dedicated funding, will the UK’s apprehension in rejoining Erasmus be lessened?
The government promised that Erasmus+ would not be affected by the Brexit turmoil. But, in 2021, it was abruptly taken away from us, replaced with a scheme that prevents people from the widest range of backgrounds and with the widest range of skills from participating in cross-cultural exchange – a loss not only to themselves but also to our country. Please consider signing the petition to support rejoining the scheme.
For more information about the Embrace Erasmus campaign, including detail about the financial tangible benefits, please visit their website.
More articles on Erasmus:
- Erasmus versus Turing: how less wealthy students are losing out by Josephine Ingram
- Erasmus Plus was open to everyone: have these opportunities gone for good? by Professor Juliet Lodge
- Leaving Erasmus: a missed opportunity for the young people of the UK by Dr Hywel Ceri Jones
