GGI Commentary January 2021
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
GGI Commentary
January 2021
Why jettison Erasmus?
The negative consequences for the UK of walking away
by Dr. Nicholas Startin*
*Dr. Nicholas Startin is the Chair of the University Association of Contemporary European
Studies (UACES) & Non-Resident Senior Fellow of the Global Governance Institute, Brussels.
There was certainly a sense of the UK would no longer continue to
resigned relief across the UK that a participate in the Erasmus Plus
‘no deal’ Brexit was avoided at the scheme, the European Union
last minute with the announcement programme for education, training,
of a Trade Deal by the Prime Minister youth and sport. In 2019 almost a
Boris Johnson on Christmas Eve. A million people across Europe,
‘no deal’ would have imposed tariffs trained or volunteered abroad in
and quotas on imports and exports over 100,000 organisations ranging
that would have undoubtedly been from universities to businesses.
crippling for many businesses. It
From a UK perspective, since 1987,
would also have surely eroded the
more than 200,000 UK students have
UK’s future relationship with the EU
benefitted from the scheme
as the UK looks to re-position itself
studying or working in EU countries.
globally over the next decade. While
Make no mistake, the omission of
academics and journalists waited to
Erasmus from the last-minute deal
scrutinise the detail of the deal, one
will have major consequences for
thing immediately apparent was that
the UK.
1At the EU press conference on 2021. Beyond the obvious, logistical
Christmas Eve, the EU’s Brexit problem of trying to sort out new
negotiator Michel Barnier passed the partnerships with global universities
blame for this to the UK, stating that outside of Europe within such a tight
‘the British government decided not timeframe, the UK’s decision to
to participate in the Erasmus jettison participation in Erasmus
exchange programme.’ When seems imprudent for a number of
pushed on this an hour later at the major reasons.
Prime-Minister’s press conference,
First and foremost, contrary to the
Boris Johnson stated that ‘it was a
Prime Minister’s talk of a lack of
tough decision’ to leave the Erasmus
value, not remaining part of the
scheme and justified it in economic
Erasmus scheme only serves to
terms, arguing that the ‘UK
weaken further the UK’s position as
exchequer lost out’ and that the
the country faces the economic
scheme was ‘extremely expensive.’
challenges posed by withdrawing
This in spite of the fact that in
from the EU. It will worsen the
January 2020 Johnson clearly stated
shortage of UK linguists studying
at Prime Minister’s Question Time
European languages, with negative
(PMQs) that ‘there is no threat to the
effects for UK businesses and
Erasmus scheme!’
universities.
At his press conference on Christmas
Data from the Confederation for
Eve, the Prime Minister asserted that
British Industry’s (CBI) Education and
Erasmus would be replaced by the
Annual Skill’s report published in
‘Turing Scheme’ (named after Alan
November 2018 concluded that ‘the
Turing the British Mathematician
need for languages has been
and Computer Scientist), which
heightened by the UK’s departure
would give students the chance to
from the European Union’ and that
travel to universities globally
‘if there is a lack of wider provision of
including in Europe. This was
foreign languages for children, UK
followed up after Christmas by an
business will suffer and will be
announcement that the £100 Million
unable to seize global opportunities
scheme will offer funding for 35,000
effectively.’ The report included a
students in Universities, colleges and
major survey of UK businesses,
schools to go on placements and
which revealed that it was still the
exchanges abroad as of September
2major European languages that were experience of spending a year in a
in demand – with French mentioned different European country. Erasmus
by 54% of respondents, German 51% has helped to break down national
and Spanish 50%. When compared barriers and to build links and
with data compiled by the European networks which is surely a good
Commission in 2019, which shows thing, particularly if you consider the
that only 32% of 15–30-year-olds in UK’s history of empire and its island
the UK stated they were able to read status. Why take this opportunity
or write in more than one language, away from the next generation in
the decision to abandon Erasmus this country at a time when their
seems even more short-sighted for future job prospects have been hit
the UK. With the same survey hard by the ongoing COVID
illustrating that the percentage of pandemic? As the Green MP for
respondents was between 71% and Brighton Caroline Lucas pointed out
99% in all other EU countries, this this ‘is an especially spiteful move,
decision will only serve to polarise given that young people who are the
these statistics further with a knock- main beneficiaries of the scheme
on economic effect for UK voted overwhelmingly to stay in the
businesses. The Westminster EU.’
government has clearly overlooked
Contrary to what certain
the economic arguments in favour of
commentators have asserted,
Erasmus, ignoring data like that
Erasmus has always been a great
compiled by Universities UK
leveller when it comes to social
International, which estimates
mobility. Students from the UK
that leaving Erasmus+ would cost
wanting to study within Europe will
Britain as much as £243 million a
not be eligible to the 420 Euros per
year in terms of its overall economic
month from the scheme currently
value.
offered. I know from nearly two
If the economic argument in favour decades of experience working in
of Erasmus is clear-cut, the cultural Languages and Politics departments
argument is equally as compelling. in the South West of England what a
So many UK educators, lawyers, lifeline this has been to many
business leaders, civil servants and students. To put it simply they would
politicians have had their horizons not have been able to undertake a
broadened through this unique
3year abroad as part of their degree will strip away the linguistic
without this funding! dimension of the Year Abroad and
will have consequences for UK
Perhaps what is even more
universities, in particularly those still
important than all the arguments
offering Modern Language degrees.
posited above is that the
Since its inception in 1987, Erasmus
government has overlooked what
has developed into a major selling
Erasmus offers to the UK in terms of
point for university modern
its ‘soft power’ benefits. Currently
language departments across the UK
over 30,000 European students
as they seek to enrol students for
come to the UK every year through
language programmes in an
the Erasmus scheme to learn English
increasingly challenging recruitment
and to experience UK culture. How
environment. Not remaining part of
can closing off these opportunities to
the scheme will undoubtedly have a
French, German, Spanish, Italian,
considerable impact on the state of
Belgian and other EU nationals eager
language learning in UK universities
to sample the UK’s unique culture be
with inevitable consequences for the
conceived as anything other than
number of students enrolling for
retrograde and insular? Does the
language undergraduate
Westminster government really
programmes. In a recent report by
want to deny these chances to all but
the British Academy, Erasmus was
the most affluent European
described as providing ‘a critical
students?
pathway for language degrees and
The Turing Scheme proposed by the the promotion of languages, in a
government says it will target context of continuing decline in the
students from disadvantaged number of students studying
backgrounds, thus ticking the boxes languages at secondary school and
in terms of Social Mobility, but in consequently at university.’ Exiting
reality, its stated global reach feels the EU, and at the same time
more like a nostalgic return to the withdrawing from the Erasmus
safe monolingual ground of the programme, is arguably another nail
Anglosphere. Looking to send in the coffin in terms of the
students on placements to countries reinforcement of the UK (and more
such as the USA and Anglophone specifically England) as a nation of
Canada rather than France and Spain monolinguists!
4The UK government’s decision not to committed to subsidise the Erasmus
participate in the Erasmus scheme is Year for Northern Irish students at
short-sighted and will undoubtedly an expense of more than 2 Million
have negative economic, political, Euros. You cannot put a price on
cultural and linguistic consequences what this offers in terms of ‘soft
for a country trying to reposition power’ influence. The Conservative
itself globally. On the plus side, it is government in Westminster could
great news for the students of learn a lot from their Irish
Northern Ireland that the Irish neighbours.
government in Dublin has
References
LSE BREXIT – “The Erasmus student programme is about to become another
casualty of Brexit” https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2020/12/18/the-erasmus-
student-programme-is-about-to-become-another-casualty-of-brexit/
The Independent – “Erasmus: What is the exchange scheme and why is the UK
leaving?” | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/erasmus-brexit-
student-exchange-b1778722.html
Times Higher Education (THE) – “PM says UK ‘will continue to participate’ in
Erasmus+” https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pm-says-uk-will-
continue-participate-erasmus
The Guardian – “UK to pay more than £100m a year to fund study abroad after
Brexit” - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/26/dfe-pledges-
100m-for-international-turing-student-exchange-scheme
The Association of Translation Companies – “CBI report gives focus to ATC call
for action on UK language learning” - https://atc.org.uk/cbi-report-gives-focus-
to-atc/
The UACES Blog Ideas on Europe – “Is this the end of the Year Abroad for UK
Modern Languages students? Time is running out for Erasmus”
https://uacesoneurope.ideasoneurope.eu/2020/08/10/is-this-the-end-of-the-
5year-abroad-for-uk-modern-languages-students-time-is-running-out-for-
erasmus/
POLITICO – “Britain preps global alternative to EU’s Erasmus scheme”
https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-preps-global-alternative-to-eus-
erasmus-scheme/
The Independent – “Why I’m voting against the Brexit deal with the EU”
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-deal-vote-boris-johnson-eu-
trade-b1779874.html
The New York Times – “U.K. Mourns the End of Erasmus Program in Wake of
Brexit” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/world/europe/brexit-erasmus-
uk-eu.html
The British Academy – “UK students gain clear benefits from study in other
European countries” https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/uk-students-
gain-clear-benefits-study-other-european-countries-says-british-academy/
RTE – “Govt to fund Erasmus+ scheme for NI students”
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/1226/1186524-erasmus-northern-
ireland/
6You can also read
