Turing Scheme funding to boost international work and study opportunities
Birkbeck’s successful application for funding from the new global programme will support BA Japanese students to explore life in Japan.
Up to 18 students on Birkbeck’s BA Japanese with International Experience programmes will benefit from an £84,930 funding grant to study in Japan, supported by a new national programme to drive both social mobility and opportunities abroad.
The Turing Scheme, introduced by the government this year, replaces the UK’s participation in Erasmus+, which had previously focused on exchanges with the EU. The new £110 million scheme extends the programme to include over 150 international destinations where UK students will be funded to take up work and study placements.
Birkbeck has one of the largest Japanese language undergraduate cohorts of any UK university, with 177 undergraduates alone taking Japanese language and culture modules. The College’s provision ensures that Japanese language students develop a deep understanding of Japanese history, society and culture as well as establish links that may endure and flourish in future years.
Professor Kevin Ibeh, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), said: “The application to the Turing Scheme demonstrates Birkbeck’s international focus and the partnerships that we have with institutions across the world. International students bring diversity and energy to the Birkbeck community, and I look forward to welcoming students from our Japanese partners as well as supporting our students travelling to Japan to gain invaluable experiences. I am pleased that our application for the Turing Scheme was recognised as a valuable contribution to the scheme’s goals, including providing high-quality placements and forging new relationships across the world.”
Professor Anthony Bale, Executive Dean of Arts, said “I am delighted that we were successful in our application to the Turing Scheme. Birkbeck’s Japanese language and cultural provision is increasingly popular and the partnerships developed with Japanese partner institutions provide excellent opportunities to our students. I’m very pleased that the Turing scheme will support our students as they undertake this exciting part of their studies. As the Erasmus+ scheme funding comes to an end, our European languages students will also be included in our future Turing Scheme applications”.
Over 120 universities, including more than 40,000 students, were awarded grants to study and work abroad under Turing Scheme funding, with the first placements set to start in September 2021. Under the scheme, 48% of participants are to come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with those students eligible for funding to cover extra expenses such as visas and passports.
Further Information
Read more about the Turing Scheme.