Erasmus Plus Programme

Thangam Debbonaire Excerpts

Thursday 21st June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lloyd Russell-Moyle]

Fantastic. Many universities are doing their bit and it is really good to hear what Queen’s is doing. In the past three years alone, £230 million has been invested in the higher education sector part of the Erasmus scheme for the UK.

Amy Walker graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in geography and international development. She says:

“I spent six months living and studying in Amsterdam, and I believe they were among the most formative, productive and happiest months of my life.”

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech and I am glad that he has brought this matter to the House’s attention. Does he agree that, in addition to all the many benefits that Members have already mentioned, there is the benefit of increasing this country’s soft power? As we are leaving the European Union, it is particularly important that we have as many good relationships with other countries as possible. Erasmus is one way to create that soft power.

[Lloyd Russell-Moyle]

That soft power is so vital, as is the provision of diverse, international campuses that then encourage other students from other parts of the world to come to study at them. They breed a virtuous circle.

Amy said that her time in Amsterdam gave her the motivation to study. Beforehand, she was perhaps not so motivated, but now understands the importance of learning, in a deeper way than before. Another student, Ifat Shaltiel, studied for a BA in English language teaching, plus Italian and Spanish—my goodness, what an incredible list of things to study—at Sussex. She said:

“Every person I have met…in the Erasmus programme cannot praise the experience enough,”

and she considers it enormously valuable, particularly for language teaching.