SNP ministers could finally launch Erasmus+ replacement pilot project within the next few months

Graeme Dey told MSPs he hoped to put some “momentum” into stalled scheme

The Scottish Government could finally launch a pilot project for its long-awaited scheme to replace the Erasmus+ exchange programme within the next few months.

Higher education minister Graeme Dey told MSPs on Wednesday he anticipated the initiative could get under way during this financial year. The SNP-Green administration had been under pressure to provide an update on the stalled policy, which was promised in 2021.

Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s education committee, Mr Dey said he had discussed the plans in meetings with university representatives this week.

A university graduation. A pilot to replace the Erasmus scheme will be launched in the next few months, Scotland's higher education minister has said

"What I would anticipate us doing in the next while is to launch a pilot project, in conjunction with the sectors I have mentioned, and then take it from there,” he said. “I would anticipate it would be in this financial year.”

Asked about how the new exchange programme would fit with post-Brexit immigration rules, Mr Dey added: "There has been extensive engagement on that. We believe that the scheme would be covered by a six-month study visa, so that would take account of a term, although we still await final confirmation on that.”

Mr Dey also told the committee he would “anticipate that the Government would be at the forefront of funding” the initiative.

The EU’s Erasmus+ scheme provides funding for education, training and sport, with a particular focus on youth work. The funding streams existed since 2007, but the current incarnation dates to 2014.

Higher Education Minister Graeme Dey

In 2018, a total of 10,133 higher education students in the UK participated in study placements abroad through the scheme, while a further 8,172 students participated in work placements.

Between 2014 and 2020, it awarded €141 million to 1,000 projects in Scotland, enabling more than 2,200 university students and 200 higher education staff from Scotland to participate in Erasmus+ annually.

After Brexit, the UK Government turned down an opportunity to stay in the programme, opting instead to create its own “Turing” scheme, which launched in 2021. However, the Scottish Government criticised the Turing programme as “a lesser imitation of the real thing”, and pledged to explore how it could stay in Erasmus+.

In the meantime, the SNP’s 2021 election manifesto pledged to “create a Scottish programme of exchange to provide mobility and cooperation opportunities”.

The Welsh government has moved more quickly, unveiling and launching its own replacement scheme for Erasmus+ last year, leading to claims Scotland was falling behind Wales. Ongoing delays to the Scottish programme were criticised by the European Movement in Scotland earlier this year.

Quizzed on the delays, Mr Dey said: “One of the significant challenges for the Government, currently and previously, has been budget. We have faced enormous budget challenges, and that has been a factor in, as [committee member] Willie Rennie would put it, holding up the development of this, there’s no doubt about that.

"But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to fulfil this commitment.”

The minister said the Government had also been taking time to fully understand the “gaps” in the Turing scheme.

Meanwhile, Mr Dey told the committee he had discussed with universities the "regrettable" situation that has left many Scottish students being told they will be awarded unclassified degrees at their graduation ceremonies amid an ongoing marking and assessment boycott by the UCU trade union.

He said he had "urged" management to get UCEA (the University and Colleges Employers Association) back around the negotiating table to try and make progress resolving the situation.