Hundreds of thousands of students have benefited from participation in Erasmus programs. However, with participation in this exchange scheme for students from the UK now uncertain due to Brexit, Erasmus leader are urging the government to take steps to keep the program available. Let’s take a closer look at the impact of Erasmus, along with how Brexit is potentially threatening its future.
Understanding Erasmus
Launched in 1987, Erasmus — now Erasmus Plus — has changed the face of mobility in Europe. Through the program, EU students can choose to study in one of 30-plus European countries completely free for up to a year.
Many of the Erasmus’s beneficiaries have included students and faculty from the UK. In fact, just last year approximately 15,500 UK students and 7,000 UK staff studied abroad thanks to EU funding from Erasmus. But will their continued participation be part of the Brexit negotiations, or will they be shut out?
Why Erasmus Matters
According to Erasmus director Ruth Sinclair-Jones as reported by The Guardian, “We do really want there to be prioritisation on the Erasmus Plus because it is important – it has a direct impact on the students and the economy….It is hugely popular in the UK and the results of surveys demonstrate the benefits. Students really shine through, their maturity and self-confidence is stronger. Their academic results are higher, there is lower unemployment and higher wages five years on.”
Also on board with safeguarding Erasmus? Alumni Jo Johnson, UK Minister for Universities and Science, who implored students to consider the benefits of EU membership — with continued participation in Erasmus as a featured point — before the vote took place.
“As a student in Belgium and France,” Johnson penned in a missive published in The Guardian, “I was able to brush up on my language skills and experience life in another country. I want everyone to have that chance.”
[Source:- masterstudies]
