Universities Urge Swift UK Return to Erasmus Scheme

By Ezra October 13, 2025
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Universities across the United Kingdom and Europe are urging the government to finalise a deal for the UK’s swift return to the Erasmus exchange programme, nearly five years after its withdrawal.

In a joint statement, Universities UK (UUK) and the European University Association (EUA), representing more than 900 higher education institutions, called for rapid progress on rejoining the scheme “subject to mutually agreed financial terms”. The organisations emphasised that time was “of the essence” if new Erasmus partnerships were to be planned and launched in the near future.

The UK has not been part of the Erasmus+ programme, which enables students, staff, and trainees to study or train abroad, since formally leaving the European Union in 2020 following the Brexit vote. Earlier this year, the Labour government announced its intention to rejoin the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen educational and cultural ties with Europe.

“We strongly support the association of the United Kingdom to Erasmus+,” UUK and EUA said in their statement, noting that rejoining would bring “long-term benefits” for both students and institutions. They highlighted how academic exchanges “disseminate knowledge more widely and make higher education both more resilient and more innovative in times of change”.

The UK’s possible return to the scheme was discussed at the first UK-EU summit held in May since Brexit, where ministers agreed that any arrangement must ensure a fair financial balance between the UK’s contributions and benefits.

The Department for Education (DfE) has since issued a tender notice for the administration of the programme, worth up to $24 million and expected to run from July 2026 to December 2027. The contract would be open to small and medium-sized organisations and educational consortia.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said rejoining Erasmus would be “in the best interest of the UK and our partners across Europe”, urging negotiators to “move swiftly” so that students and universities can plan future collaborations with confidence.

Source: THE PIE NEWS

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