The British ambassador to Italy has welcomed news that the UK will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange scheme in 2027. Ambassador Ed Llewellyn said the move will strengthen ties between Britain and Italy.
In a post on X on Thursday, Llewellyn described the decision as “excellent” news. He said it would open opportunities for Italian students to study in the UK and for British students to study in Italy.
“This programme will strengthen the ties between our young people, our citizens, and the friendship between our countries,” Llewellyn said. He wrote the message in Italian and described the decision as a “Christmas present”.
Erasmus allows students to study at a foreign university for up to one year. Participants do not pay extra tuition fees as part of their degree courses.
The UK left the EU-wide scheme in 2020 following Brexit.
Britain’s return will take effect from 1 January 2027. The decision has been widely welcomed across Europe.
The British government said on Wednesday that rejoining Erasmus was a “huge win” for young people. It said the scheme would ensure that students “from every background” can study and train abroad.
The groundwork for the return was laid at a UK-EU summit in May. Leaders agreed to deepen people-to-people ties, with a focus on younger generations.
Launched in 1987, Erasmus is considered one of the world’s most important educational exchange programmes. Millions of students have taken part across Europe.
The scheme was founded by Italian academic Sofia Corradi, known as “Mamma Erasmus”. She died in Rome two months ago at the age of 91.
