Why are we so embarrassed about Erasmus?

Although you do get the impression there’s a difference of… priorities between the two.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen’s speech was quite effusive:

Millions of families and friendships are on both sides of the Channel. I am thinking back of my times as a student here in London. And from that experience, I know that the first place when you go abroad as a young person leaves an impression for life. You fall in love with the city and the country. And for the rest of your life, you are the best ambassador for that country.

Therefore, I am so glad that we have agreed that we will have Erasmus+ for young people and that we will work towards a youth experience scheme, just about this experience. This will allow the next generation to once again live and study in each other’s countries, and this will build friendships that will last a lifetime.

Keir Starmer, not so much:

Finally – we have agreed today to cooperate on a youth experience scheme to allow our young people to travel and work freely in Europe. And I’m clear – this will come with all the appropriate time-limits, caps and visa requirements.

Two components of interest are in the “common understanding” (ie we haven’t hammered out the detail yet) basket.

The first has been branded a “youth experience scheme” that should:

…facilitate the participation of young people from the European Union and the United Kingdom in various activities, such as work, studies, au-pairing, volunteering, or simply travelling.

There is to be a dedicated visa path, steps will be taken to ensure that the overall number of participants is “acceptable” to both sides, and will only apply for a limited period of time.

In other words, arguments about the fees that European students would pay to study in the UK were not resolved in time – and while our negotiators wanted a hard cap, the closest they could get to agreement by Sunday night was the “acceptable” line.

Separately, there’s an in-principle deal on Erasmus:

…the United Kingdom and the European Commission should work towards the association of the United Kingdom to the European Union Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association, including mutually agreed financial terms, should be determined as part of that process in order to ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the United Kingdom.

You can’t really cap Erasmus exchanges, and one government source was keen to stress that the aim is for association to the scheme by the end of the decade.

Arguably the most frustrating aspect of this part is the commentary that surrounds it in the UK media – which still sees Erasmus as a middle class “jolly” and assumes that far more students will come in than go out.

I suspect that would change in the future – but even if you set aside the “imbalance” issues, what much of the commentary misses is what Erasmus is these days. Note that it’s now called Erasmus+.

I took a look in detail last week on the site, but as a reminder, it’s very much about a range of initiatives that equip individuals, institutions, and societies with the skills, values, and resilience needed to navigate a fast-changing world.

The activities span digital innovation, inclusion, environmental action, democratic engagement, and professional development across almost every age group and educational sector.

The programme is structured into three “Key Actions”:

• Key Action 1: Learning mobility for individuals – students, staff, youth workers, and sport professionals.
• Key Action 2: Cooperation between organisations and institutions – supporting innovation, excellence, and best-practice sharing.
• Key Action 3: Support to policy development and collaboration – aimed at building systems-level capacity and long-term reform.

Alongside these is the Jean Monnet strand, which supports excellence in teaching and research on EU-related topics.

The core “mobility” bit enables students in higher education to study or undertake internships abroad for a period of 2 to 12 months per cycle of study (Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD). They receive a monthly grant – topped up for those with fewer financial means or facing other barriers. Importantly, they don’t pay tuition fees at the host institution. Staff – academic and administrative – can also go abroad for training or teaching, with full financial support.

Students develop academic knowledge, language skills, and intercultural competences. Staff gain exposure to alternative pedagogies, build partnerships, and bring fresh insights back to their home institution. And universities strengthen their international profile, research links, and student satisfaction.

Mobility isn’t confined to universities. Learners in vocational education and training (VET) – including apprentices – can also undertake short or long-term placements abroad. Adult learners, too, are supported, particularly where they face barriers to participation.

That broadens horizons for learners often excluded from traditional academic pathways. Practical experience abroad also boosts employability and confidence, and allows VET providers to benchmark and improve their provision.

Erasmus+ also supports youth exchanges, volunteering, and informal learning through initiatives such as DiscoverEU and Youth Participation Activities. The former offers 18-year-old EU citizens the opportunity to travel across Europe for free, primarily by train, allowing them to explore up to 30 European countries over a period of up to 30 days.

The latter sees organisations funded to put on workshops, debates, simulations, and awareness campaigns organised by youth organisations or informal groups. They provide opportunities for young people to express their views, learn about EU values, and influence decision-making processes – and covers local, national, or international participation and promoting dialogue with decision-makers.

These build civic engagement, resilience, and soft skills – particularly for those not in education or employment. And the emphasis is on inclusion, giving marginalised youth a platform to lead and learn.

Erasmus+ also now funds Virtual Exchanges – moderated, intercultural online dialogue between young people across countries. There are also projects and funding for digital transformation.

As well as that, there are partnerships that build capacity in higher education, vocational training, and youth work which include alliances for innovation, centres of vocational (teaching) excellence, and teacher academies.

There’s also a sort of pan-European version of TASO that supports quality, equity, and access across education systems. Dedicated funding supports inclusion strategies for people with fewer opportunities – due to poverty, disability, rural isolation, or discrimination.

Any sensible higher education reform programme would look at all of that and conclude that it’s crucial that the UK plays a full part, and reaps the benefits of what’s on offer given that so much of the above speaks to Bridget Phillipson’s supposed agenda.

But for the time being at least, our approach to Europe remains more Terrry Wogan than Graham Norton, when it really needs to be more Mills and Rylan.