The UK has recently launched the Turing Scheme after its exit from the EU’s Erasmus scholarship programme post-Brexit. Named after Alan Turing, the renowned English mathematician, the scheme will offer funds to support international education and training opportunities across the world. Under this scheme, the schools, colleges, and universities in the country will be able to help their students’ access opportunities to study and work overseas. Students can explore placements in countries across the globe, including in India.
THE INS & OUTS OF TURING SCHEME
The Turing Scheme starts in 2021/22, with an allocation of a whopping sum of 110 million pounds by the British government for the first year. It will help 35,000 students to explore global study or work opportunities from September this year. Schools and universities can apply for funding under the programme to facilitate student exchanges, university education, and work placements. Once they do it, the students enrolled here can apply for individual funding.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson describes it as a global programme that will enable the collaboration of UK institutions with every country in the world, giving it a much wider reach than the Erasmus+ programme, which covers only European countries.
The scheme aims to drive social mobility by offering benefits to students hailing from disadvantaged areas and backgrounds, who were deprived under the Erasmus+ scheme. Such beneficiaries can expect help in different forms as the scheme provides for living costs (up to 490 pounds per month), travel funding, and funds to cover the passports, visas, and insurance costs.
The Turing Scheme is a part of the UK government initiative to increase the revenues from the study abroad and education exports segment. The aim is to get 6 lakh international students and generate massive revenue of 35 billion pounds per year by 2030.
A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIAN UNIVERSITIES
A large chunk of international students in the UK already hail from India and the Turing Scheme bodes well for the Indian universities. The Department for Education (DfE) has hinted that India could be one of the top choices for student exchange projects with UK universities under the new programme.
As hopes shine bright, the Turing Scheme could just be the harbinger of the good news that study abroad aspirants have been waiting for.
