Swiss students want more action on European exchanges

Swiss and European Union flags, as seen at Zurich airport Keystone / Michael Buholzer

The Swiss Student Union has stepped up pressure both at home and internationally for a return to Erasmus+, the European student exchange programme from which Switzerland is currently barred.

Along with 36 organisations, it has sent an open letter to the Swiss Senate calling for its support. It has also targeted the European Commission, with the support of the European Students’ Union.

“Progress is needed from both sides, because the current situation is damaging to the Swiss and European education, research, culture and business sectors in the long term,” said a Swiss Student Union statement released on MondayExternal link.

Switzerland has been excluded from the Erasmus+ programme since 2014, but there had been hopes that the country would re-join the scheme for the period 2021-2027. But this possibility has stalled.

The reason: Switzerland breaking off talks on an overarching Swiss-EU framework agreement in May, which has severely shaken relations between the two sides. This has also led to Switzerland being locked out of the key Horizon Europe research funding programme, a move which has caused much concern among the Swiss higher education sector.

“After Switzerland’s last exclusion from the European education programmes in 2014, Switzerland subsequently negotiated for reassociation with Horizon, but not with Erasmus,” explained Elischa Link, co-president of the Swiss Student Union.

“This must not happen this time, which is why it is important that the Federal Council [Swiss government] has a clear negotiating mandate for Erasmus+ as well. But in order to get this, the funding message [on Swiss participation in Erasmus+] needs to be passed. On December 9, the Senate will have the opportunity to demand this,” he told SWI swissinfo.ch via email.

Europe level

At the same time, the union has joined in with a call – aimed at both the Swiss government and the European Commission – from the European Students’ Union for Switzerland to rejoin the scheme.

“One country alone, regardless of its diversity, cannot offer their students the same experiences… as an immersion in the European higher education context can,” the accompanying statement said.External link

Every country that takes part in @EUErasmusPlusExternal link contributes something unique to the learner's experience. Unfortunately, despite its #diversityExternal link, #SwitzerlandExternal linkcannot provide the same opportunity to its students.

Check out and retweet our resolution: https://t.co/3v0NedXrl3External link pic.twitter.com/ADBThYXF24External link

— European Students' Union (ESU) (@ESUtwt) December 6, 2021External link

Currently there is a Swiss interim solution in place for European mobility, but it does not offer the broad access that Erasmus+ would (Horizon is also subject to an interim funding solution).

According to the Swiss official fact sheet on Erasmus+, dated September 30 2021External link, “the government “is committed to securing Switzerland’s full-fledged association to the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 and intends to start negotiations on this as soon as the state of general relations between Switzerland and the EU permits this”.

The Swiss Student Union’s Link says that so far there is no prospect of progress. “It must not be the case that the political blockade between the EU and Switzerland has to be shouldered by students and researchers. It is in everyone’s interest that mobility and thus mutual understanding within Europe is promoted,” he said.