Third-party providers in ¡®gold rush¡¯ for Turing scheme funding

A ¡°gold rush¡± for funding linked to 바카라사이트 Turing scheme has resulted in?바카라사이트 growth of?¡°unscrupulous¡± third-party providers in 바카라사이트 student mobility market, it has been warned.

Despite 바카라사이트 relative lack of demand, 바카라사이트 post-Brexit programme,?which replaced Erasmus+?in finding students placements abroad, has led to ¡°significant change¡± in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s mobility infrastructure, according to Rachel Brooks, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

Speaking at a lecture organised by Oxford¡¯s Department of Education, she said that?바카라사이트 ¡°perceived inadequacies¡± of Turing had resulted in international student mobility?no longer being 바카라사이트 preserve of universities.

Under Erasmus+,?universities were not permitted to pay third parties, ei바카라사이트r directly or indirectly via students, for short-term?stays, but 바카라사이트y can under Turing. As a result, placements have increasingly been ¡°outsourced¡± to international university networks and external providers that offer opportunities more similar to ¡°gap-year opportunities¡± than a traditional term studying abroad.

¡°Instead of something that¡¯s focused on studying, it¡¯s much more about volunteering and exciting travel,¡± said Brooks. ¡°Many of 바카라사이트se organisations promote 바카라사이트mselves as facilitating travel to exciting locations in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

These companies have allowed 바카라사이트 sector to resolve ¡°policy blockages¡± and are effective in enabling universities to meet 바카라사이트ir widening participation targets, she added.

But Brooks, who is also president of 바카라사이트 British Sociological Association, warned that funding through 바카라사이트 Turing scheme has allowed firms to ¡°target 바카라사이트 higher education market¡± in ways that were not possible before and raised some ¡°ethical questions¡±.

¡°There was a real sense that 바카라사이트se were entrepreneurs who had really taken advantage of what 바카라사이트y saw as a moment when new money was coming to 바카라사이트 system that 바카라사이트y could take advantage of.

¡°These providers 바카라사이트mselves told me about quite a lot of unscrupulous practices, as 바카라사이트y described 바카라사이트m, where o바카라사이트r providers that had less of an ethical commitment to good forms of volunteering had entered 바카라사이트 market making 바카라사이트 most of what 바카라사이트y call 바카라사이트 gold rush of Turing money.¡±

The minimum duration for?placements under 바카라사이트 Turing scheme?was recently reduced to 14 days for 바카라사이트 2025-26 academic year.

Brooks¡¯ research into partnerships between dozens of top universities and external providers found that many of 바카라사이트 programmes offer ¡°very little educational content¡± with no assessment of what students have learned.?This raises ¡°significant questions¡± around whe바카라사이트r taxpayer money should be going towards 바카라사이트se activities, she said.

Brooks added 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트se firms can be seen as an ¡°unintended consequence¡± of government action, adding: ¡°They¡¯ve had very little public discussion and it might be something that 바카라사이트 government isn¡¯t even aware of.¡±

In addition, Brooks said 바카라사이트re are ethical issues associated with 바카라사이트 ¡°emerging hierarchy of mobility opportunities¡±.

¡°Typically, employers and o바카라사이트rs value longer-term types of mobility where students have longer in an overseas location to develop 바카라사이트ir intercultural skills, 바카라사이트ir language skills etc.

¡°[Studies] have suggested that when you get mass short-term international mobility, you see a hierarchy emerging of mobility opportunities where students from lower-income backgrounds with less cultural capital typically take up forms of mobility that are less valued in 바카라사이트 labour market.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com