From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minster for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has allocated €2 million to support higher education students in Northern Ireland to avail of mobilities and internships across Europe.
This is delivering on an Irish Government commitment to ensure students in Northern Ireland can avail of mobilities after Brexit.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said:
“I am delighted to allocate funding of €2 million to higher education institutions in Northern Ireland, which will help support student mobilities across Europe.
“We know that students’ higher education experiences are enriched by undertaking a mobility in another country. It is not just about learning in a partner university – it is also about building relationships with other students, and increasing cultural awareness and understanding.
“During my many engagements in Northern Ireland, including with the universities’ Vice-Chancellors, the loss of access to Erasmus+ Programme was constantly being raised. I understand that.
“However, it is more than that. Many students in Northern Ireland choose to pursue internships in Ireland in key employment sectors such as financial services and technology. This experience is vital, and aligns skills development with the island economy.”
Minister Harris added:
“Fulfilling this promise will deliver on the Irish Government’s commitment made during the UK withdrawal from the EU. This funding will bolster the financial capacity of the institutions to meet the mobility needs of their students.
"This is a permanent commitment, and will be in place for as long as students in Northern Ireland wish to avail of this option or an alternative mobility model emerges.
“It is a cost of around €2 million a year based on the current numbers of students in Northern Ireland, accessing Erasmus. This is an investment. It is an investment in relationships between institutions North and South. It is an investment in our island’s next generation, and I think it's a really practical sensible way of continuing to cooperate post-Brexit.”
Officials of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will finalise arrangements with the Northern Ireland higher education institutions in the coming weeks to ensure supports are in place for their students for the forthcoming academic year.
This follows confirmation earlier this week of a new agreement between Queens University Belfast and Ulster University and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Departments of Health, both North and South.
200 places in nursing will be made available to students from the Republic of Ireland to be funded by the Department of Health. It is proposed that the students would avail of these places on the same terms and conditions as other students on the programmes.
A further 50 places will be available in therapy disciplines in Ulster University – 20 places in occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and 10 places in speech and language therapy.
During the course of the UK withdrawal from the EU, the loss of access to the EU’s Erasmus+ education programme was highlighted by civic society as a major concern for current and potential students and staff of higher education institutions in Northern Ireland.
In October 2020, the government agreed to put arrangements in place to maintain access for Northen Irish higher education students to mobilities across Europe. This funding fulfils that commitment.
While the funding will be directed to mobilities across Europe, there is a major North-South dimension to more than 20% of these take place in Ireland, with many internships taking place in key locations including the Financial Services sector in the IFSC in Dublin.