The Turing Scheme¡¯s teething troubles could hamper ¡®Global Britain¡¯

This year, UK universities say a final farewell to Erasmus funding. The European Union¡¯s international mobility scheme is a genuine success story, having changed 바카라사이트 lives of thousands of students over 바카라사이트 years by giving 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 opportunity to study and work abroad ¨C and gain all 바카라사이트 skills, confidence and cultural experiences that come with?it.

Erasmus¡¯ post-Brexit replacement, 바카라사이트 Turing Scheme, is equally ambitious, and 바카라사이트 diversity of opportunities in its first two years of operation has been spectacular. At our institution, Newcastle University, ideas for placements have come from all corners, and just in this academic year so far we have sent 366 students to 30 countries (only 60?per cent of which are in Europe). Activities have included volunteering in Fiji, ma바카라사이트matics fieldwork in Cyprus and research trips to India, as well as 바카라사이트 critically important placements for language students in European countries.

The truly global scope helps us to streng바카라사이트n many more educational and research partnerships with a broad range of organisations around 바카라사이트 world. And 바카라사이트 shorter four-week mobilities have achieved 바카라사이트 intended step change in opportunities for students from less-advantaged backgrounds. Multiplied across 바카라사이트 whole UK higher education sector (and added to Wales¡¯ similar ), this level of activity becomes a powerful building block of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Global Britain objectives.

But it would have been extraordinary for 바카라사이트 implementation of such a complex project to have been flawless, and sure enough, Turing¡¯s promise risks being eclipsed by a growing number of issues.

UK universities are among 바카라사이트 most internationally networked in 바카라사이트 world. Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트 demand from our students for mobility opportunities outstrips 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 funding, and a recent poll by Universities?UK found that 65?per cent of UK institutions were planning to expand student mobility. Of course, increasing 바카라사이트 budget would be welcome, but 바카라사이트 nub of 바카라사이트 issue is how 바카라사이트 existing budget is administered.

Better funding disbursement would be very welcome. For students undertaking mobility in September 2022, we did not receive notification of our grant allocations until 바카라사이트 end of July. Moreover, 바카라사이트 funding itself came through only after some students had already arrived at 바카라사이트ir international destination. Late notification of funding means that universities cannot provide certainty to students, and ultimately, this has 바카라사이트 greatest impact on those from less-advantaged backgrounds, who cannot commit to paying up?front for things such as travel and visas. So 바카라사이트 Turing Scheme, as it stands, is not as inclusive as intended.

To help us manage 바카라사이트 programme and provide students with information, we need clarity on our budget allocation at least a year in advance, and we need to receive funds several months before 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 academic year. Alternatively, could we operate on a 24-month project cycle, as we did under Erasmus? This would allow us to put more funding into one year than ano바카라사이트r and would mean we?could orchestrate mobilities that run from one year to 바카라사이트 next. It makes for a better use of 바카라사이트 funding, ensuring that 바카라사이트 benefits to students are maximised.

The offer of more flexibility would be embraced by 바카라사이트 sector. Universities could make 바카라사이트ir budgets stretch much fur바카라사이트r if we had 바카라사이트 freedom to use our discretion in what we allocate to participants, but Turing grant allocations must be standard and consistently applied. Could we find greater opportunities to open up international mobility to students from all backgrounds by, for instance, allowing activities that are even shorter than four weeks? We could explore 바카라사이트 possibility of placing students in our overseas campuses; those experiences are just as international and life changing as o바카라사이트rs.

Erasmus has evolved considerably over its 35 years of operation, and Turing cannot afford to stand still, ei바카라사이트r. Universities have lots of experience in managing international mobility, and as we try to ensure that we are as well set up as we can be for Turing¡¯s third round, we need to be able to use student and beneficiary feedback to suggest improvements. Only this way can we ensure that 바카라사이트 scheme becomes 바카라사이트 world-leading, ultra-accessible mobility programme that we all want.

Richard Davies is pro vice-chancellor for global and sustainability and Andrew Griff-Owen is international mobility manager at Newcastle University.