UK will rejoin Erasmus student scheme in 2027 __ An Interview With Ian Williams

The UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme in 2027, a move that signals a notable shift in Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe. To discuss what this decision means for education, soft power, and the wider direction of UK–EU relations, we are joined by Ian Williams, Senior Fellow at Foreign Policy in Focus.

1- From a policy perspective, how significant is Britain’s decision to rejoin Erasmus in 2027, and what does it signal about the broader direction of UK–EU relations under the current government?

Leaving the EU was stupid enough but as leaving Erasmus was just a performative, philistine act of xenophobia, opposed by the academic and scientific community in the UK. It stopped the cross fertilization of research across Europe, whether British students to Europe or vice-versa, and overlooked the important part played by overseas researchers in British science.

2- The UK will contribute £570 million for the 2027/28 academic year—roughly double what it paid as an EU member. How should this cost be evaluated in terms of economic, educational, and diplomatic return on investment?

It is impossible and not fruitful to try to cost an academic programme as if it were a business. Taking into account the real but intangible benefits of cross border intellectual and human exchanges and of the benefits of the resulting reduction in insularity and xenophobia, it is like asking an accountant to do a cost benefit analysis of the Renaissance.

3 – Supporters argue Erasmus delivers long-term “soft power” benefits for the UK. How tangible are these benefits, and how do they compare with more immediate economic gains?

Bean counters have been a major cause the decline of Britain with the attacks on the BBC, or the British Council. The politicians who know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing cannot put a value on the obvious returns Britain gets from being the home of English.

4- During Brexit, Erasmus was criticized as poor value for money. Based on available evidence, was that assessment flawed, or have the program’s costs and benefits changed since the UK left the EU?

The decision to quit was not based on financial calculations, except insofar as the Brexit crowd wanted to demonstrate that Britain was sending money to all those feckless foreigners. It was again, reflexive pandering to the Europhobes.

5- How might rejoining Erasmus affect social mobility and access to international education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK?

The introduction of tuition fees and then increases in them increased the “threshold fear” for many poorer families and their kids, so they even more excluded from gap year placements if they made it to a university. This should ameliorate it to some extent – not enough though.

6- Given shifting public attitudes toward the EU, could the return to Erasmus influence the wider political conversation about Brexit—especially among younger voters—and if so, how?

It can consolidate and expand the cosmopolitan outlook that young people already have. But overall British governments dallied with Europe without making a full commitment, which has reduced the influence they would otherwise have on overall policy. The introduction of tuition fees and then increases in them increased the “threshold fear” of going to university for many poorer families and their kids, so they are even more excluded from gap year placements if they made it to a university. This should ameliorate it to some extent – not enough though.