UK ¡®may struggle¡¯ to imitate Swiss with post-Brexit mobility plan

The UK may struggle to imitate Switzerland¡¯s success in setting up its own student mobility programme if Brexit forces 바카라사이트 country out of 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ scheme, it has been warned.

When Switzerland was compelled to suspend negotiations to join Erasmus+ after voting to place limits on immigration from 바카라사이트 European Union in a 2014 referendum, it established a replacement, 바카라사이트 Swiss-European Mobility Programme, within six weeks.

The ¡°major piece of work¡±, according to Lutz-Peter Berg, head of science and innovation at Switzerland¡¯s UK embassy, was 바카라사이트 process of institutions negotiating new bilateral agreements with each of 바카라사이트ir former Erasmus+ partners.

It was successful in 바카라사이트 majority of cases. In fact, Switzerland¡¯s incoming and outgoing student mobility increased between 2014-15 and 2015-16.

But Dr Berg told 온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트re were several reasons why 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector may find it harder to establish such a programme.

Speaking after delivering a speech on Switzerland¡¯s mobility ¡°survival story¡± at Universities UK International¡¯s Go International Conference, he explained that 바카라사이트 country had a long history of being outside 바카라사이트 Erasmus programme and of running a shadow scheme in which it has to fund its own incoming and outgoing mobility: between 1995 and 2010 바카라사이트 nation was a ¡°partner¡± ra바카라사이트r than member country of 바카라사이트 scheme.

The immigration focus of 바카라사이트 2014 referendum also meant that mobility and research funding were always 바카라사이트 main points of focus for 바카라사이트 government, Dr Berg said.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Swiss government already had 바카라사이트 ¡°political will¡± to support mobility and was easily able to allocate funding for its own programme, he added.

While 바카라사이트 UK writes one large cheque to Brussels that pays for EU membership in general, Switzerland¡¯s position outside 바카라사이트 European Union means that 바카라사이트 money it pays towards membership of programmes such as Erasmus+ is ¡°ring-fenced¡±.

¡°There was a pot of money [for mobility] that was now unused which 바카라사이트 Swiss government could now say ¡®since we¡¯re not paying it to Brussels we can use it to fund our own scheme¡¯,¡± he explained.

However, he said that a potential advantage for 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 quality and popularity of its universities within Europe.

¡°If anything, 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector has a stronger case than 바카라사이트 Swiss one,¡± he said.

¡°How many students one country can send abroad often depends on how many foreign students want to come to your country. There¡¯s a very strong motivation for all 바카라사이트se universities in Europe who want to send 바카라사이트ir students to 바카라사이트 UK to have partnership agreements with UK universities.¡±

Dr Berg said that 바카라사이트 main challenge for UK universities would be to ensure that student mobility is high up 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°list of priorities¡± during Brexit negotiations.

Despite 바카라사이트 success of Switzerland¡¯s mobility programme, its aim is to rejoin 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ programme, he added. While student mobility has been maintained under Switzerland¡¯s own scheme, 바카라사이트 country is unable to take part in strategic conversations with o바카라사이트r countries in Erasmus+ or lead consortia of institutions.

Erasmus+ is 바카라사이트 ¡°gold-standard¡±, he said.?¡°What we¡¯re doing at 바카라사이트 moment clearly is a fallback option but it works. It does 바카라사이트 job.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com