Europe partnerships aim as Erasmus membership ends

The University is collaborating with European partner institutes so that student mobility opportunities can continue long after our Erasmus membership ends.

Erasmus is a European Union (EU) student exchange programme which allows students in EU member countries to study or train at other EU universities for a period of time. Following Brexit, the participation of UK universities in the programme ended on Wednesday 31 May.

Reading has participated in the scheme for more than 30 years, benefitting from the framework and significant external funding which have been provided.

Ongoing global mindset

Our partnership with European universities does not end here. We have maintained links with existing Erasmus partners and our ambition is to continue to enable student mobility as part of the University’s commitment to academic excellence and global engagement.

Whilst the mechanisms which enable cooperation may change, the University of Reading remains a European institution with a global mindset, which looks forward to building on the decades of collaboration with our European partners.

Funding and close collaboration during the University’s Erasmus participation allowed us to support thousands of student study and work placements across hundreds of universities and employers in Europe, with students gaining skills, experiences and opportunities as a result.

In return we have received thousands of students from participating countries who have contributed to our learning community, helping to internationalise our campus and outlook. Many ex-Erasmus students now work at the University.

Testimony

To aid our partnership-building with European universities, the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office would welcome testimony from colleagues who have participated on the Erasmus programme – as a student or member of staff.

This will be used to create an online record to celebrate what our collaboration through Erasmus has achieved.

For more information please contact studyabroad@reading.ac.uk or m.a.dowse@reading.ac.uk.