Higher education internationalisation agencies support the formal association of Switzerland to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe in a statement published by ACA.
On 11 June, the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) published a statement calling for negotiations on Switzerland’s association to Erasmus+ (2021-2027) and Horizon Europe. Consisting of a group of 15 European national organisations and four associated members, ACA promotes internationalisation of higher education and acts as a European platform for mutual learning and exchanges. As a think tank dealing with internationalisation and innovation in higher education (HE), the association further stimulates cross-border strategic cooperation in HE and actively participates in and shapes policy development in the field. Swiss members include the Swiss National Agency for Exchange and Mobility Movetia as well as swissuniversities, the Rectors’ Conference of Swiss Universities.
In their statement, ACA’s members highlight the importance of including Switzerland – a historical partner of the EU – in the new generation of the EU’s flagship programmes supporting education and research. Part of its mission, ACA regards international academic cooperation as key element to address societal challenges, specifically also in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With its quality, diverse and innovative HE landscape, Switzerland represents a valuable partner for Europe in the fields of education and training, the statement says. Switzerland’s full participation in the new Erasmus+ programme would open up mobility opportunities for HE staff and students and at the same time facilitate cooperation between HE institutions, fostering mutual learning and exchange of expertise. Swiss-EU cooperation in education and training remains impaired by the parallel arrangements that had to be set in place after Switzerland did not get associated to the previous programme period (2014-2020). For more information on the status of Swiss participation in Erasmus+, please consult the SwissCore website or directly the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI.
Referring to the need for enhanced synergies between education, research and innovation, ACA also strongly supports Switzerland’s association to Horizon Europe. A number of research and innovation organisations have already signed an Open Letter calling for the inclusion of Switzerland in the new generation of the EU’s research and innovation funding programme (see SwissCore article). The statement further underlines that excluding Switzerland from Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe would not only lead to a ‘lose-lose situation’, but also weaken the European Knowledge Area, including the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). ACA thus calls on the European Commission and on the Swiss Federal Council to take up negotiations, “prioritising talks in education and research, the areas in which the EU and Switzerland have undeniable common ground and shared objectives.”
With the Regulation for the new Erasmus+ programme formally adopted by the EU co-legislators on 20 May, a budget of €26.2 billion (in current prices) complemented with €2.2 billion from the EU external instruments is expected to enable another 10 million beneficiaries to participate in education and training mobility activities and cooperation projects over the next seven years. The main features of the new programme generation were presented during the official launch event on 18 June: Erasmus+ will be more inclusive, support the green and digital transitions and promote the participation of young people in democratic life. Featuring new opportunities supporting lifelong learning and blended mobility, it will also play a vital role for the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic and serve as key instrument for achieving the European Education Area (EEA) by 2025, as well as for the implementation of the actions set out in the Digital Education Action Plan (DEAP) and the European Skills Agenda.