New Scheme Replacing Erasmus to Enable Thousands of Students From Wales to Study Abroad as of Next Year

15,000 students from Wales will be able to study abroad in the next four years through a new international study program created for students at Welsh universities, the ministers have announced.

According to Erudera.com, Cardiff University, in cooperation with the education and youth sector partners, will develop the program named the New International Learning Exchange scheme and launch it in 2022.

In addition to offering the opportunity to 15,000 students from Wales to study abroad, through the New International Learning Exchange scheme, a total of 10,000 participants will be able to study and work in Wales.

Moreover, the program will also cover all expenses so international students, teachers, and youngsters can be able to travel to study and work in Wales.

Despite being able to participate in the Turing Scheme in 2021-2022, the Welsh institutions will continue to benefit from Erasmus + exchanges which last year had to be postponed as a result of COVID-19.

Recently, the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Wales could continue to be part of the Erasmus scheme only if the entire United Kingdom would decide to join again.

The Education Minister Kirsty Williams said that the most important ambassadors abroad are students and staff who convey the message that Wales is a welcoming study destination.

“Their education and cultural awareness are improved in many ways as a result of spending time abroad – just as our education providers are enriched by students and staff visiting Wales to study and teach,” Williams said.

She further said that the next generation of students must have the same opportunities as the latter had in the past years.

 “The Turing scheme will fund UK participants to go abroad, and we anticipate other countries will do the same. The benefits of the exchanges will be kept under review, and the learnings used to build on future schemes,” a spokeswoman said.

Due to the failure to reach a Brexit agreement on the issue, the UK will no longer be part of the EU’s Erasmus scheme. Thus, the British government has decided to replace it with the Turing scheme, named after the pioneer Alan Turing, for which the Department for Education (DfE) said that over £100 million are expected to be spent.

The department pointed out that around 35,000 students will receive funding from the scheme to go on placements across the world. For the first year of the Turing scheme, the Welsh government will be allocating £65m until 2026.

At the end of last year, the European Parliament, along with the Council’s negotiating team, secured a provisional agreement over the Erasmus+ for the 2021-2027 period, which, different from the old program, would include a higher number of participants.