The newly anointed Scottish tertiary education minister has warned of a “very sharp” divide between Westminster and Holyrood on student migration, while urging the UK to participate in the Erasmus+ mobility scheme in the longer term.

Alyn Smith, appointed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) administration as minister for innovation, technology and tertiary education last week, suggested that while the Westminster government may hold the cards in terms of visa and immigration policy, his administration was very much in favour of a more open approach.

“I take much unease about the debate that the UK is having on this stuff presently,” he said. “I’m afraid to say that’s a very sharp disagreement between the Scottish government…and the UK [one].

“I think that’s improving a little bit with the new UK administration, but it’s still fragile.”

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The comments come as a range of UK government measures – affecting individual students and universities also – are perceived as dampening international student interest in enrolling in universities in the country.

Smith also expressed cautious support for rejoining the Erasmus+ exchange programme, suggesting concern about the brevity of the one-year pact.

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In 2027, the UK will reassociate to Erasmus+ after six years of absence following the Brexit vote. But the multimillion-pound deal that Westminster has signed is only for an initial year’s period.

Erasmus+ itself, meanwhile, is subject to evolving discussions on how much money it will receive from the European Union in its next Multiannual Financial Framework for years to come.

“I’m not in charge of the EU negotiations,” said Smith, speaking as part of a panel of European education ministers at the European Association for International Education (EAIE) conference on 9 September.

“The UK Treasury’s attitude to the Multiannual Financial Framework is an ongoing discussion. We’re signed up for one year and then there’s a wider discussion to be had, but certainly from a Scottish perspective, I want to see us in every [year of the] programme to the maximum that we can.”

Smith said it was “dangerous” that the UK, after Brexit, was “arm’s length to the arm’s length” about the discussion over how well funded Erasmus+ will be in future.

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“This is where we’re going to need strong political leadership,” he said, in terms of advocating for the scheme’s worth.

Smith was speaking alongside Mykola Trofymenko, deputy minister for education and science in Ukraine, and Marian Harkin, Ireland’s minister of state for higher education, research, innovation and science.

The event, held in Glasgow, also featured a recorded introduction from Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, director-general for education, youth, sport and culture at the European Commission.

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Hansen said as the multi-annual EU budget approached for 2028-34, she needed the sector to “emphasise the strong European added value of Erasmus+ and its transformative potential”, to “convince policymakers…to support a meaningful budget”.

Trofymenko, meanwhile, discussed the vital contribution international students could make to rebuilding a Ukraine devastated by conflict – and suggested the country’s wartime efforts on research and technological development made it a formidable partner for institutions looking to collaborate.

“We are building up the new facilities, the new power plants, the new laboratories of the universities,” said the minister, a former rector of Mariupol State University.

“Tragedy should be transformed into opportunity,” he added. “We are investing in our universities.”

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georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com