Universities: Erasmus Programme

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Tuesday 12th July 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

What I can say is that EU and international students and academics play an important role in our universities, and our European neighbours are among some of our closest research partners. We want these relationships to continue, and we are doing what we can to give them the confidence we can in the short term. Everything else, I am afraid, is up for negotiation but I certainly reassure the House that we take these issues seriously and want our university sector to remain the world-class, leading international sector that it is.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the four English-speaking countries of the United Kingdom are extremely popular for student exchanges from other parts of Europe? This could be an opportunity for a quick win in negotiations. As she has pointed out, extra students are studying A-level modern languages, yet at the moment if they are going to university in 2019 they are not certain whether they will be able to have such an exchange.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

Certainly, I accept the value of foreign exchanges, and students on study years abroad—whether under Erasmus or not—pay only 15% of the tuition fee they would otherwise pay, and are eligible for an additional loan to cover this.