Background

Erasmus + is the European Union’s exchange program, since 1987 it has helped 16.5 million students, interns or education professionals travel and live in a different country to learn and engage with a new culture (European Commission, 2025). When the UK left the European Union it declined an offer to remain part of the program, and turned its back on an institution that has provided countless young people with life changing opportunities.

 

The UK government has offered its own replacement for Erasmus+, the Turing Scheme, however there are countless issues with the scheme. Most notable of which is the lack of provisions for reciprocal exchanges which causes the UK to , “appear insular, unwelcoming and uninterested in fostering two-way and meaningful international relationships,” (UCL, 2024).

 

The Campaign

Following-on from last year's Embrace Erasmus campaign, and as part of an ongoing commitment to 'more mobility, better mobility', ESN UK fundamentally believes that rejoining Erasmus + will be hugely beneficial for the next generation of students and for universities across the country. ESN’s own research has found that 72% of participants  feel that their Erasmus + experience was vital in them securing their first job and over half report that they developed important soft skills. 

 

Statistics aside, exchanges foster a sense of solidarity and friendship across borders and have enriched the lives of generations of students. The opportunity to explore a new place and experience life in a different culture is a better learning experience than any lecture, and the memories last a lifetime. 

 

Erasmus+ Stories is a campaign by ESN UK that is aiming to highlight these incredible, less quantifiable, benefits of participation in the Erasmus program. We have gathered testimony from former participants who talk about how it has enriched their lives in a number of ways. We hope to be part of a wider push to rejoin Erasmus + and once again allow UK students the opportunity to undergo this life changing experience.