Northumbria University receives generous funding to support students participating in the Turing Scheme in the academic year 2024-25

Northumbria University has once again received generous funding from the Turing Scheme to help students work, volunteer, research and study abroad in the academic year 2024-25. 

This is the fourth year of the government-funded Turing Scheme to support international student mobility, which will see more than 40,000 UK students travel overseas in the next year on work and study placements. The £100-million-per-year programme focuses on supporting students from widening participation backgrounds, fostering partnerships globally, developing key employability skills and providing value for UK taxpayers.  Northumbria has secured more than £1.2M to support 635 students, of which 60% are from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes undergraduate semester and yearlong study abroad, summer short-term work, study and research opportunities and PhD student visits to partners in over 50 countries.  

The numbers of students on full semester and yearlong exchanges as part of their degree have been increasing rapidly in the last three years. Northumbria has 120 partners in 55 countries and 13 options for dual awards with some of the best business schools in Europe, South Korea and Canada. Yearlong work placements and graduate participation are other areas of significant growth for our Turing Programme.  

The International Short Programmes are a great opportunity to allow students who cannot travel for long periods of time to have this life-changing experience. They cover activities such as volunteering in Fiji, Europe, and Asia; work placements in Colombia and Vietnam; and studying at partner universities in Mexico, Spain, France and Chile. After successful three years of the programme, and more than 300 participants in 20 countries, we are pleased to be offering new, exciting opportunities, and growing our offer in line with our University Education Strategy and Access and Participation Plan. Impact if very important at Northumbria and we measure it via a CareersOnline module where students can reflect on how the opportunity has impacted vital employability skills. 

Alejandra Vicencio, Northumbria’s Head of International Mobility, said: “The Turing Scheme has given us an incredibly valuable opportunity to work with students from disadvantaged backgrounds who would never have considered traveling while in university. We are very proud of the support we offer to our students, especially those from our region, and how this programme can help them develop resilience and confidence to achieve their dreams. The Turing Scheme funding has certainly facilitated this for our students”. 

Thalia Agoglossakis Foley, a fourth year law student who volunteered in Sri Lanka through Travelteer as part of the Turing scheme, said: “This has felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity for me! I have made several close friends and met many interesting people who have encouraged me to think creatively about my future career. Working closely with a team of volunteers has developed my team working and problem-solving skills and has importantly supported me to consider the values and culture I will seek in the workplace.” 

Graham Wynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education), said: “At Northumbria we believe in the benefits of experiential learning to help our students broaden their horizons and achieve positive career outcomes post graduation. Turing allows students to explore opportunities across the globe, with some building connections and developing collaborations that will continue into further studies and beyond." 

“We look forward to continuing this fantastic programme and can't wait to see what this year's students achieve during their time away." 

For further information please contact the Study Abroad Team.