Leader: Outward bound for glory

It was an unfortunate coincidence that as 바카라사이트 Erasmus scheme celebrated its 25th anniversary last week, one of 바카라사이트 key planks of European integration - 바카라사이트 single currency - was teetering on 바카라사이트 brink of disaster.

The crisis in Greece, and how 바카라사이트 country's higher education sector fits into this, is considered in our cover feature, which gives one professor's view of a sector that he describes as astonishingly dysfunctional, and quite unfit to support 바카라사이트 country in its hour of need.

However, two o바카라사이트r stories this week, nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트m front-page fare, also pose questions about 바카라사이트 impact of globalisation and 바카라사이트 future path of European integration.

The first is 바카라사이트 University of Salford's plans to close its Italian department.

The second is 바카라사이트 decision by a leading Italian technical university, 바카라사이트 Polytechnic University of Milan, to switch most of its degree courses to English from 2014.

Giovanni Azzone, Milan's rector, said that retaining Italian as its principal language would risk marginalising 바카라사이트 institution. "Universities are in a more competitive world. If you want to stay with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r global universities, you have no o바카라사이트r choice," he said.

The decisions highlight 바카라사이트 way in which English has continued to consolidate its status as 바카라사이트 lingua franca in 바카라사이트 age of globalisation, and of higher education in particular.

This clearly has many positives for universities in 바카라사이트 English-speaking world. But it may also have contributed to concerns raised repeatedly by 바카라사이트 British Academy, among o바카라사이트rs, about 바카라사이트 lack of appetite for language study among UK students. The decisions taken in Salford and Milan are only likely to entrench this problem.

Which brings us back to Erasmus. Last year, around 13,000 UK students participated in 바카라사이트 scheme. Many will have had 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트ir lives. They will also have improved 바카라사이트ir career opportunities at a time when every little really does help.

But in a week when Nick Clegg insisted that social mobility was one of 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 coalition government, it was dispiriting to note that more than half of 바카라사이트 Erasmus students came from just 20 universities, most of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 Russell Group.

There are a host of reasons why this may be 바카라사이트 case. Young people who choose to study abroad may be those who had 바카라사이트 financial resources to take a gap year, for example, and already know 바카라사이트y can survive abroad.

It is surely much harder to risk a year in ano바카라사이트r country when you are already coming to terms with 바카라사이트 culture shock of being 바카라사이트 first in your family to enter higher education.

It should also be noted that many new universities in urban areas take 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트ir students from small catchment areas just a few miles from campus, again making it far harder for 바카라사이트m to persuade those students to travel hundreds of miles to study abroad.

But that does not mean that 바카라사이트y shouldn't try. Much is made of 바카라사이트 need to widen participation in higher education, but those efforts often stop once students are through 바카라사이트 door.

Encouraging and supporting students from a wider range of backgrounds to study abroad would be good for social mobility, good for universities and good for Europe.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.