Scotland could join EU scheme ‘unilaterally’
Scotland’s higher education minister has said the government will “unilaterally” attempt to join the EU’S higher education scheme, if the UK government refuses to participate in the Erasmus+ student exchange programme.
Richard Lochhead told students and staff at Aberdeen University – which has one of the largest European campus populations in Scotland – the government was “stepping up efforts” to ensure Scottish universities remain open to EU students after Brexit.
The Erasmus+ scheme, the EU’S flagship cultural and educational project which has run for 30 years, will end when the transition period comes to a close at the end of this year. An amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, which would have mandated the government to continue to seek full membership of the programme after Brexit, was defeated last month, throwing the future of the educational partnership into doubt. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he will look at “successor schemes” and non-eu members can “partner” with the scheme subject to criteria.
Proportionally more Scots take part in Erasmus+ than from any other part of the UK, with more than 2,000 students enrolling each year.
Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland is open and inclusive. EU students will always be welcome here and today we are stepping up our efforts to ensure our universities are seen across Europe as open for business. In the event the UK government decides to abandon the programme, we will be looking at the possibility of Scotland associating unilaterally.”