With the United Kingdom’s leaving of the European Union in January 2020, a shroud of uncertainty was cast over the academic lives of British students abroad and the future of inter-university exchanges between the UK and Europe. With information scarce as policy is negotiated, one international university in Reims, France is preparing for change.
After nearly three years of debate, deliberation, and discord that followed the initial June 2016 referendum on Brexit, the United Kingdom officially separated from the European Union on January 31st, 2020, amid much uncertainty. The country now aims to establish future trade deals, immigration policies, and a redefined relationship with Europe — certain aspects of which may impact the lives of British students that study abroad. The Sciences Po Campus of Reims relies heavily on the exchange of students; full-time Sciences Po students complete their third year of study abroad at the home institutions of incoming exchange students. Here in Reims, questions in the wake of Brexit loom large. What might studying abroad for British students look like under new post-Brexit policy? Are Sciences Po and British students preparing themselves for change?
The new normal: “Wait and see”
Despite the seemingly consistent presence of Brexit in the media, for many British exchange students in Reims the UK-EU separation seems to be more background noise than a pressing concern. Few of those interviewed have noticed tangible changes in their lives since the initial vote in 2016, and most report that they are not actively monitoring the developments around policy negotiations. “I feel like it’s happened now, and we’re through the worst of it,” said Jodie Bispham, an exchange student from the University of Exeter, “There’s not much we can do at this point, so we’ll have to just see what happens next year when we’re past the transition period.” Additionally, while several students have received Brexit-related correspondence from their home universities, these emails have contained little information. “I have a point of contact from my university and have received a few emails,” said Lanie Palmer, currently on exchange from the University of Nottingham, “but they really haven’t been able to tell us much.”
This is not surprising, given that there is very little information available from the British Government or the EU at this time. The UK Parliament continues to release reports on its website as education policy develops, but since no negotiations between the UK and EU have been concluded as of yet, these documents are mainly speculative. It is possible that education opportunities abroad for British students could also be impacted by agreements in other sectors; for example, if the free movement of people is not incorporated into future trade agreements, British students may be required to start obtaining visas to study in Europe. Separation agreements could also result in higher fees for UK students at European universities, or cuts to funding for studying and working abroad. At the same time, it is possible that future agreements could leave British students’ education abroad seemingly unchanged. Today, the only common knowledge seems to be that nothing can yet be counted on.
Sciences Po administration monitering changes
This uncertainty was echoed in an interview with Matthew Baker, academic coordinator for the exchange program at Sciences Po Reims. “We’re actively monitoring, and have been receiving some correspondence from UK universities saying they want to maintain relationships,” he said, “but right now it’s really just wait and see.” When asked about his considerations for the exchange program post-Brexit, Baker cited potential changes to visa regulations that could make the immigration process more time-consuming and costly for British students. He added that, for Sciences Po specifically, any decrease in the number of incoming British exchange students could result in less placement opportunities for full-time students looking to complete their third year in the UK. He went on to discuss potential loss to funding as another area of concern. “The worst thing that could happen is that students aren’t able to come [for an exchange],” Baker said, “The most likely way I could see this happening is if students lost funding from Erasmus.”
The future of Erasmus in question
The EU’s Erasmus Program supports education, training, youth, and sport in Europe. It is through this program that most British exchange students at Sciences Po Reims are able to attain necessary funding for studying abroad — this was also true for the 16,561 UK students that participated in the program in 2017. British MPs recently voted against a measure that would have required the government to negotiate full membership in Erasmus after the Brexit transition period; although this does not necessarily mean the UK will no longer take part in the program, it does allow for the possibility.
The Erasmus Program runs in seven-year cycles, the next of which will take place from 2021 to 2027. Even if the British Government decides it still wants to participate, the program could be unavailable to British students for the next cycle if an agreement is not negotiated in time. Some British lawmakers have proposed government spending for a new British program in an attempt to replicate the benefits of Erasmus. Money isn’t the only issue, though; as the UK’s Minister of State for Universities, Sciences, Research, and Innovation acknowledged, “partnerships built through [Erasmus] over the past 30 years, could not simply be equated with monetary spend.” He was quoted in a February 2019 report from the House of Lords. The same report also cites concerns that a loss of Erasmus funding would disproportionately affect those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those with medical needs or disabilities.
The value of the Erasmus Program was echoed in interviews with exchange students at Sciences Po Reims. Lanie Palmer was quick to cite Erasmus as “the most valuable part of [her] degree.” Jodie Bispham similarly added that, “The program has such great structure, so many funding opportunities, and usually encourages you to learn a new language.” She went on to describe how, “the funding from the program in Europe gives opportunities to so many people that wouldn’t have them otherwise.”
Beyond university: uncertainty for internships and and work experience abroad
One factor influencing British exchange students’ lack of concern for future academics abroad is that their funding has already been secured, and this will not be impacted by any future changes to Erasmus. “I was concerned about Brexit before I began Erasmus,” said Anna Loughran, currently on exchange from the University of Warwick, “but no, I’m not concerned anymore.” Some students did, however, express anxieties about their future ability to complete internships, research, and other work experience in Europe. “Right now I am watching out for changes in internship programs and funding,” added Jodie Bispham, “I think that’s something that could definitely impact students in the future.” Currently, a large portion of funding for these pursuits comes from the Horizon Programme, an EU scheme that has invested over €80 billion in research and innovation between 2014 and 2020. Britain is currently the second best funded country in Europe for Horizon, and third for the number of projects funded. This program is one that depends on the free movement of people, something that has not yet been secured in any UK-EU agreements. If the UK does wish to participate in the programme following 2020, it may have to pay more to do so as a non-EU country (something which is also true for the Erasmus Programme).
While many questions about the future UK-EU relationship loom large, it remains too early to answer most — and when it comes to the future of education abroad, all that students and institutions can do for now is wait and see. It seems many exchange students at Sciences Po Reims have adopted the old British mantra: “Keep calm, and carry on.” For many, there is still optimism and reason to believe that, throughout the negotiations of the next ten months, the programs and opportunities they value so greatly will persevere.
Emily Ross
コメント