The Voices of Erasmus

Ned

Before selecting a Modern Languages degree – every student is sold the idea of the ‘Year Abroad’. Perhaps that is why they chose the degree in the first place, as at the age of 18, the idea of spending a year in Europe with complete freedom is enough to drive people into studying a language.

Unfortunately, this cultural enlightenment that students are promised no longer exists. What is supposed to be the best year of your life has ultimately become a burden: a bureaucratic obstacle of visas, forms and endless paperwork, to the extent that, upon completion, it is a relief to return to the safety and shelter of university life.

I study German and Italian, and what only a few years ago would have been a straightforward year abroad became very challenging due to the UK’s distant relationship with the EU. After the last year, I, and many other languages students, feel that there is no future in the Year Abroad, unless we can bring back Erasmus+ because within years, the opportunities that so many seek at university will slip away due to our self-inflicted divorce from the European community, over which we had no say...

Cyndi

I was the Chair of an Education Trust in the North-East of England from 2013-2020, and over the years I proudly oversaw many successful Erasmus+ projects. In my town, we regularly welcomed students from Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Bulgaria and children from our school regularly travelled to these European countries (including my own children who went on exchanges to Spain and Germany).

Erasmus+ was unlike anything else, it created a safe space for children to focus on promoting school improvements and governmental improvements. It gave some children the chance to create friendships with students from European countries that they may never have travelled to with their families. It gave young people the chance to learn lessons about different European languages and cultures.

Annabelle

My semester abroad at Sciences Po during my master’s degree at King's College London proved to be an invaluable yet challenging experience in the wake of Brexit. I was eager to take advantage of the rare opportunity to immerse myself in the culture, language, and academia of another European city and institution. However, it was clear the realisation of this dream had become increasingly difficult due to the changing landscape for British students wanting to study in Europe.

A major factor was the requirement of a long-stay student visa to study in France for just six months, presenting several financial, logistical, and administrative barriers. Applying for the student visa was a lengthy and complex process with considerable red tape to meet requirements.

Studying abroad in Europe is an opportunity that every student should be able to experience regardless of financial circumstances. However, since Brexit, it feels as though this opportunity has narrowed and been made a lot more difficult. That is why we need to rejoin Erasmus+ now!

Alexandra

I am a French Student from Sciences Po Paris and I was very strongly motivated to choose London as my Study Abroad destination due to my appreciation of British culture since childhood. I have personally been strongly impacted by my experiences of everyday life in London. I feel very lucky to have daily access to museums, cultural activities, and active student associations on campus.

I believe that such initiatives create better informed and more open-minded citizens, as the students are led to discover new environments with their unique socio-economic contexts, and better understand the existing interconnectedness between countries.  This opportunity is also highly relevant in the context of professional development, as this experience helps students develop technical, linguistic and adaptability skills, which in the long run create better equipped professionals.

Though I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in this exchange, I feel that there is a fundamental financial barrier that prevents some highly motivated students from having access to this opportunity. For many students, without regional or Erasmus + grants, studying and living in London would be financially impossible.