UK Will not Be Part Anymore Of Erasmus Exchanges

British students will no longer be able to participate in the Erasmus exchange programme under the Brexit deal agreed by Boris Johnson.

Speaking at a press conference after the deal was agreed, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said: “The British government decided not to participate in the Erasmus exchange programme.”

At the press conference on the new deal, Boris Johnson "it was a tough decision" to leave the scheme. 

Eve Alcock, former President of the University of Bath Students’ Union, spoke to The Independent and described the government’s choice as a “backwards and nonsensical decision.

“It is a well-established scheme," she said, "with crucial funding to support strong existing relationships with lots of European universities. Opting out robs students of opportunities that are central to academic, personal and professional development. Not to mention it also giving EU students the opportunity to study in the UK, greatly enriching our own higher education system.”

As a replacement to the Erasmus scheme, Mr Johnson has cited the “Turing Scheme”, named after Alan Turing, Mr Johnson says this will give students the opportunities to travel to “the best universities in the world” and not solely universities based in Europe.  

Kim Mannion, a student at Glasgow University currently on Erasmus in Nice, France, told The Independent that "it is hard to understand why they would deliberately opt-out of something which only brings good to young people

“It is important to note that one of the best parts about the scheme is that it facilitates opportunities for young people for whom it otherwise would not be financially viable.”

The Erasmus scheme gives financial support to students within the programme to study abroad for a set amount of time - either a semester or a year - in a participating country.