Brexit doesn’t put CBS students off from going on exchange
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Although the Minister of Higher Education and Science, Tommy Ahlers recommends students think twice before they go on exchange to the UK, 86 CBS students are going anyway. Same as usual. “British universities want to continue collaboration. No matter what,” says Scott Lewis, International Programs Manager at CBS.
News | 26. Feb 2019
This autumn, 86 CBS students – and probably more – will pack their bags and go to the United Kingdom for a semester abroad. This is despite the fact that the outcome of Brexit is still very uncertain, and that the Minister of Higher Education and Science, Tommy Ahlers has recommended students think twice before choosing the UK.
“If you’re planning a semester abroad this coming autumn, it is my request that you think twice before choosing the United Kingdom, as there are several uncertainties related to it,” he said to the newspaper Berlingske on February 4 and explains that the stay could become more expensive than expected, and that students risk losing their study placement at a British university.
Scott Lewis, International Programs Manager at the International Office at CBS, hasn’t experienced a decline in the number of students going to the UK for exchange. And only a couple of the ones going this autumn have called Scott Lewis about their concerns.
“A handful of students have called me and said: Scott, what about Brexit? Am I still going on exchange? And to this I say yes. The only thing that’s a little uncertain at the moment, is whether the students will get the EU-funded Erasmus grant or not,” he says.
The Erasmus grant provides 335 Euros a month during the studies.
Since Brexit was announced in 2016, Scott Lewis has experienced that British partner universities have felt the urge to confirm that collaboration will continue, whatever the outcome of Brexit.
“At a recent conference, I was approached by one of our British partner universities, who said to me: Scott, let’s just do business as usual. We want to continue the collaboration, no matter what. And we still want your students to come to us,” says Scott Lewis and explains that a page about Brexit has been set up at my.cbs.dk. Here students can read about the latest news related to their forthcoming stay.
A premature statement
Scott Lewis explains that it’s seldom that exchange study placements are cancelled. It’s only in the event of terror or natural disasters that placements are at risk of being cancelled.
“The British universities don’t see any reason to cancel study placements for exchange students at the moment, and I don’t think it’ll happen. The universities are eager to show that they want the collaboration to continue,” he says.
Because of the positive tone from the UK, Scott Lewis finds the statement from the minister a little out of context.
“It’s a very premature statement to make, as we haven’t heard anything from the British partner universities that we need to be concerned about,” he says.
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