Education providers in Wales are learning whether their applications to the first round of Wales’s new reciprocal exchange program have been successful.
The £65 million program, announced in March 2021 and later rebranded Taith, funds both inbound and outbound mobility. The first category of funding will go towards short- and long-term projects delivering physical, virtual and blended outward and inward mobility.
A second funding call for collaborative projects with international organisations will launch in October 2022.
“This pathway one, which is the bread and butter of it, is where most of the funding is allocated and that’s for mobility of learners and staff,” Susana Galván, executive director of Taith, told The PIE.
The number of successful applications will be made public shortly, but altogether the organisation received 71 applications.
“I can tell you that the number of applications was good across all sectors and [we’re] very excited.
“That was really positive and the success rate was high for each of the sectors.”
Taith, which is run as an independent subsidiary of Cardiff University and funded by the Welsh government, is different to Erasmus and Turing, Galván noted. Along side higher education, VET and schools, it also includes funding for the voluntary youth sector and the adult education sector for projects worldwide.
Overall, the government is hoping to see 15,000 participants from Wales join programs, and 10,000 participants to Wales, by the end of August 2026.
It also aims to establish 50 multi-annual partnerships by August 2024, at which point the government wants 40 countries to have been involved.
Unlike the UK-wide Turing program, organisations can apply for funding to cover both outbound mobility from Wales to anywhere in the world, as well as inward mobility into Wales. In Welsh, Taith translates as journey.
“For every 100 mobilities that they apply for, they can on top of that apply for 30 mobility into Wales,” she explained.
Global opportunities manager at Cardiff Metropolitan University Rowena Kidger noted that the institution had secured funding.
I am also delighted to announce that @cardiffmet & @CardiffMetRIS has been successful in securing @TaithWales funding. @CMetGlobalOpps can’t wait to begin mobilising PG Research students around the world in academic year 22/23 via this amazing brand new #Welsh funding programme.
— Rowena Kidger (@RowenaA) July 27, 2022
Funding bids include backing for incoming staff and students, as well as outbound students on school-led trips focusing on widening participation students.
“[We] are looking forward to welcoming [incoming staff and students] from global partners,” she told The PIE.
“The addition of Taith is a superb opportunity”
“We are also looking at… sending longer-term students across the world and also virtual mobility for incoming and outgoing students who are unable to travel,” she added.
A spokesperson from Bangor University said that the university is “thrilled to have received funds to support our ability to provide global mobility opportunities to our current and future students”.
“The university is currently engaged in the final year of Erasmus funding and our second year of the Turing scheme so the addition of Taith is a superb opportunity.
“This will support students from all areas of the institution on both short-term field trips and long-term mobility engagements.”
