LONDON. Wales is not there. After the veto placed by Boris Johnson on the continuation of the Erasmus program in the United Kingdom after Brexit, Cardiff launches its “Erasmus”, in order to continue the exchange of local students with those of the European Union. “It is essential to broaden our horizons, to ensure that our children can improve their skills more and more – said local Prime Minister Mark Drakeford – which benefits the communities of Wales and the future of the new generations, so that they maintain their bond. with Europe “.
A real exchange
For this, Drakeford has allocated up to 65 million pounds (about 73 million euros) to finance a program that does not yet have an official name but which from 2022 and at least until 2026 will replace Erasmus in Wales, which has not been renewed by the British government in the Brexit agreement last December. A program, that of Cardiff, which also involves students and young European workers, and this is the big difference with the “Turing Program” announced by Boris Johnson to replace Erasmus: because the scholarships provided by Wales will be a real exchange program aimed at both Welsh children (about 15 thousand, according to Cardiff estimates) and European ones (over 10 thousand). While the new Turing program only allows British students and young trainees to gain experience abroad, it does not involve their European peers in any way. This, according to Drakeford, is a “capital gap”.
Not just in Wales
And so, if Erasmus was blocked by Boris Johnson in the post-Brexit UK because it was “too expensive”, much of the country will continue it, one way or another. Not just in Wales. The Northern Irish students, for example, will continue to do Erasmus, thanks to the “neighbors” of Ireland, whose government at the end of 2020 decided to finance the European exchange program for university students in Belfast and its surroundings, despite the “niet” Johnson. “It is important that Northern Irish children continue to do Erasmus like their Irish peers – the Irish Undersecretary of Higher Education Simon Harris said at the time – the island must remain united also from this point of view. The cost to the Irish government will be around two million euros per year. But it’s not a question of money. For us it is a real investment. An investment for peace, for cooperation between the two Irish and for our future generations ”.
England excluded
Scotland also tried to keep the Erasmus program alive for its children and asked the European Union to continue the collaboration, but Brussels declined the offer because it would not be legal, according to the Brexit agreement (unlike the Northern Ireland, which has a special status). Edinburgh is therefore likely to emulate Wales with a parallel program that also involves young Europeans. In the end, only England could remain without Erasmus and off limits for exchanges with students from the EU.
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