We continue to update you on relevant issues from the world of international education and the latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on our provision of courses.

Post-Brexit news: Turing Scheme replaces Erasmus
The UK Government has officially launched its new Turing Scheme to replace the EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme.
The new scheme, named after the pioneering mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, will provide funding for around 35,000 students and, unlike Erasmus, students will be able to go on placements all over the world and not just in Europe.
Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, said the scheme would “open up the globe to our young people”. Under the scheme, UK universities, colleges and schools will be able to apply for funding for projects which give their students the opportunity to study or work abroad from September 2021.
A new international education strategy published by the Government says UK universities will “build reciprocal relationships on a truly global basis with incoming students’ costs covered by their own governments or institutions”.

Redefining Higher Education
COVID-19 has been immensely challenging for universities and students, and in the space of 12 months, students and teachers have had to redefine their roles with imagination and determination. Some of the changes made to Higher Education are likely to continue long after the vaccination has been rolled out:

1. Technology for learning – there is enormous potential for using technology to deepen and support learning outside the classroom. The pandemic has shown what can be done in the online space: it can be engaging, enriching and accessible; not just a store of course materials. Videos, interactive media and discussion boards are now part of how students learn.
2. Redefining engagement – before the pandemic, engagement and attendance were often synonymous: but when no one can be physically present we are forced to redefine what engagement truly means, and how we can be sure when it is happening. The interactions and discussions that students take part in online say much more about engagement than simply showing up at a lecture.
3. Creative assessment – written examinations are impossible during a pandemic and they don’t recreate the real-world settings students will be entering after university. Open-book assessment, such as producing case studies, putting together policy briefing papers and recording podcasts, are better was to reward curiosity and academic inquiry.
4. Students as partners – online learning requires significant commitment from students and lecturers who have had to work together to achieve success. This has led universities to increasingly regard students as partners in their education, co-designing activities and assessments, making them active participants in their learning.
5. Changing the formula – the traditional combination of lectures and tutorials has been recognised as not always fit for purpose. Incorporating online teaching will allow lecturers to focus on what activities best suit the subject they are covering and design them to fit.