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As UK universities look forward to renewed opportunities to work with partners across Europe on shared challenges around skills, innovation, inclusion and global competitiveness, Jamie Arrowsmith highlights the importance of a long-term certainty on the UK’s association for the next Erasmus+ programme from 2028.
The agreement confirming the UK’s association to Erasmus+ is welcome news for universities, students and international higher education partnerships across Europe.
The return of the UK to the programme provides an important platform for universities to deepen collaboration across Europe. UK universities look forward to working closely with partners across the continent through the wide range of cooperation opportunities Erasmus+ offers and to contributing to discussions on an ambitious future programme.
At a time when international cooperation is increasingly important to the future of education, research and innovation, this is a welcome and significant step for our universities. But how do we make the most of this fresh start?
For universities, the value of Erasmus+ extends far beyond mobility. The programme supports long-term partnerships between institutions, collaborative projects, European Universities alliances, joint teaching initiatives and wider connections between education, skills and research.
For many institutions, European Universities alliances have become an increasingly important vehicle for long-term collaboration, supporting joint teaching, curriculum development, mobility innovation and deeper strategic partnerships across borders. As one of the world’s most recognised and established international education programmes, Erasmus+ provides a strong framework for universities to build sustainable partnerships, share expertise and create opportunities for students and staff across Europe and beyond.
UK universities are therefore pleased to join the programme in 2027 and to once again contribute fully to the opportunities and partnerships it supports. Throughout the period leading to association, the continued support from the European University Association (EUA) has been greatly appreciated by UK universities. This has helped maintain strong institutional supporting relationships and dialogue between universities across Europe during a period of significant change.
As universities across Europe respond to shared challenges around skills, innovation, inclusion and global competitiveness, frameworks that support long-term international cooperation are becoming increasingly important.
Representing 142 UK universities internationally, Universities UK International (UUKi) has consistently heard from our member institutions about the importance of reliable international frameworks that support long-term planning, partnership development and institutional collaboration.
The UK’s renewed association is currently agreed for 2027 only, the final year of the current programme, making it important that discussions on the future 2028–2034 programme provide greater long-term certainty for institutions and participants. Long-term certainty would enable universities to invest more deeply in partnerships, develop collaborative activity and engage strategically with the programme over multiple years. Our universities strongly support continued association to the next Erasmus+ programme and recognise the value of a scheme that delivers effectively for students, beneficiaries and wider UK-European partnerships.
As discussions begin on the future shape of Erasmus+, there is also an important opportunity to strengthen the programme further in areas that are increasingly important across European higher education
Universities across Europe are placing growing emphasis on inclusion and ensuring that international opportunities are accessible to a broader range of learners. The programme’s inclusion ambitions will therefore remain critical to its long-term success.
Greater flexibility around short-term mobility and credit recognition could help support the participation of students with different personal, financial and academic circumstances. Experience across the UK through the Turing Scheme and Taith has demonstrated that more flexible mobility models can help broaden access and create opportunities for students who may otherwise be unable to participate.
There is also scope for greater mechanisms to support the global dimension of Erasmus+: to enable increased cooperation with partners beyond Europe. UK universities strongly support an ambitious and outward-looking Erasmus+ programme that continues to deepen collaboration and mobility both across Europe and beyond.As higher education becomes ever more internationally connected, maintaining openness to global collaboration alongside strong European cooperation will remain important to the long-term success and relevance of Erasmus+.
The return of UK association therefore provides an important platform for universities to deepen collaboration, expand opportunities and support a more connected higher education environment across Europe. UK universities look forward to working closely with partners across Europe through the wide range of cooperation opportunities Erasmus+ offers, and to contribute to discussions on an ambitious future programme for 2028-34. At a time when international cooperation is increasingly important to the future of education, research and innovation, this is a welcome and significant step for our universities.
