£200,000 set aside by the Scottish Government to boost number of students studying abroad.

The Scottish Government is setting aside £200,000 in order to encourage students to study abroad.

The fund will be given to NUS Scotland, who will invest it in various schemes in order to improve and establish links and contacts between universities all over the world.

It is hoped that this will encourage Scottish student mobility, after criticisms that fewer students from the UK and especially Scotland were studying abroad, compared to the rest of Europe.

According to data compiled by the British Council, in 2009/10 the number of UK Erasmus students rose slightly to 11,723. This places the UK sixth in the overall number of students who have gone abroad to study or take part in work placements. However, the Scottish Government is worried that Scottish students are not taking full advantage of the service. In 2010/11, 2,131 students from Scotland studied abroad as part of the Erasmus scheme.

According to data compiled by the British Council, in 2009/10 the number of UK Erasmus students rose slightly to 11,723. This places the UK sixth in the overall number of students who have gone abroad to study or take part in work placements. However, the Scottish Government is worried that Scottish students are not taking full advantage of the service. In 2010/11, 2,131 students from Scotland studied abroad as part of the Erasmus scheme.

According to the NUS Student Experience Report, studying abroad is beneficial for students as it gives them greater confidence and improved employment prospects. It is hoped that this money will encourage more students to spend time studying in other countries.

Max Johnson, a fourth year student at the University of Edinburgh, spent his third year in U.C. Berkley. “It was a fantastic experience”, he told The Student, “I’ve made valuable contacts all over the world”.

The Education Secretary Michael Russell has said that the scheme may include bursaries for students wanting to travel abroad, and added that “more Scottish students studying abroad can only help benefit our university and promote Scotland as a modern, dynamic and creative country”.

The Education Secretary Michael Russell has said that the scheme may include bursaries for students wanting to travel abroad, and added that “more Scottish students studying abroad can only help benefit our university and promote Scotland as a modern, dynamic and creative country”.

It is hoped that this will help the European Higher Education Area meet its target that 20per cent of students graduating in 2020 should have studied or trained abroad.