Leicester receives record Turing Scheme funding

Having secured its largest-ever single grant for overseas mobility in 2023, Leicester has once more successfully bid for Turing funding to support outbound student mobility. 

This year's awarded grant is over 40% higher, totalling more than £1.4 million. The funding will allow more than 540 University of Leicester students to access a wide variety of overseas experiences in 2024/25; from taking Law classes in Hong Kong, to participating in space science research in Turin, Italy, to learning about US culture during a summer school in Virginia, USA. 

The funding bid was led by Dr Fiona Ashmore, a Senior Study Abroad Officer based in the Study Abroad Unit, in the Centre for International Training and Education.

Dr Ashmore said: “The Turing Scheme is a wonderful opportunity for us as a University to support more students getting an international experience whilst studying for a degree, and the benefits they gain through these placements are numerous. From greater insight into their degree subject, to personal growth, to solidifying their career direction, our engagement with the Scheme truly creates Global Citizens of Change."

 The Turing Scheme, which launched in 2021 following the UK’s departure from the EU (and the Erasmus+ programme), aims to widen access to global opportunities. It has a particular focus on inclusivity, supporting social mobility and widening participation to ensure access to all participants regardless of their background. 

The global nature of the scheme, and the flexibility it offers in terms of duration of mobility, has enabled universities to offer a broader range of overseas activities to their students. As well as the traditional year abroad, Leicester now provides funding for overseas electives in Diagnostic Radiography, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, Physiotherapy; for PGT and PGR research placements, and for a variety of short-term, extra-curricular overseas experiences, including:  

• Global Work Experience placements, in Tanzania, China and the UAE 

• Volunteering placements in Bali and Fiji 

• Summer schools in at least 15 countries across the world. 

Weronika, an undergraduate Law student, participated in a summer school at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan this year. She said: “The placement has allowed me to travel to a country I have dreamed of going to since I was a child, so it has been a wonderful experience so far. It also helped me improve my Japanese language skills, gave me the confidence to communicate and resolve problems using Japanese, connect with the culture, make friends and visit many interesting places. Without the Turing scheme, it would not have been possible for me to go to Japan and certainly not for so long and I think this summer school has had a tremendously positive impact on me as a person.”  

Phil Horspool, Director of the Centre for International Training and Education, said: “It’s fantastic that we are able to offer a wide range of programmes and opportunities for our students to have an international study abroad experience. Such experiences are highly valued by future employers and most importantly by our students.”

The Study Abroad Unit delivers all outbound year abroad programmes, as well as overseas extra-curricular short-term experiences and mobility funding schemes. They also manage the incoming Study Abroad programme, ensuring ongoing opportunities for Leicester students to study abroad through reciprocal exchange agreements with over 150 universities worldwide.