Go global with Essex via Turing Scheme funding

We've secured Turing Scheme Funding for global opportunities

We are delighted to announce that the University of Essex has been awarded the distinguished Turing Scheme funding, opening a world of opportunities for our students to study and work abroad. This landmark achievement underscores our commitment to providing a global education experience, equipping students with the skills and perspectives necessary to thrive in an interconnected world.

Named after the pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing, the Turing Scheme is the UK government's global program aimed at supporting students to gain international experience. This funding will enable Essex students to engage in transformative educational and professional experiences across the globe. With the university's emphasis on diversity and inclusion, the Turing Scheme will play a pivotal role in ensuring that students from all backgrounds have access to these invaluable opportunities.

Essex students will be able to apply for funding for study or work opportunities for the 2024-2025 academic year. The programmes, which can last from four weeks to one year, could include study abroad programmes, international work placements and summer abroad programmes such as volunteering, summer schools and internships.

Take your pick from over 150 global study destinations

As part of the exciting global scheme, Canada, Indonesia, Spain and Japan are among more than 150 international destinations where UK students will be funded to take up opportunities – with a high percentage of places going to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year we’ve again secured extra funding for students with additional needs to give them support as needed to access these life changing opportunities.

At Essex we offer our students a growing portfolio of short-term international programmes for summer 2025 and the Turing Scheme funding can be used to support student cost of living expenses whilst they are abroad.

Turing Scheme has supported nearly 350 Essex students so far

Essex Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education, Professor Larra Anderson, said: “We are thrilled to have secured Turing Scheme funding for the fourth year running. This prestigious funding underscores our commitment to providing a transformative global learning experience for our students. Over the past three years, the University of Essex has supported nearly 350 students via Turing Scheme funding to study, work, volunteer and intern abroad. This has enabled our students to gain invaluable cultural and professional insights from around the world and develop both personally and academically. At Essex, we believe in the power of education to change lives, and this funding will help us to support more students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to participate in an international experience. These opportunities not only enhance academic and career prospects but also foster a broader understanding of the global community. We are excited to see the positive impact this funding will have on our students and the wider university community”.

"International experiences are crucial"

Essex Abroad Manager, Kristi Connell added “For the last three years we have successfully supported Essex students by awarding them Turing Scheme funding to support their international experience. This has enhanced their experience abroad and opened many more opportunities to them whilst they are abroad. We are thrilled to be in position to continue to do so for a fourth year running through the Turing Scheme funding. International experiences are crucial and provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves into different cultures, situations, and academic environments, building on important transferable key life skills to help them stand out from the crowd in future employability. The Turing Scheme funding provides us with the opportunity to support a wide range of international programmes and different study opportunities, including our European Alliance Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE), and encourage more students to take part in a short-term international programme.”

What happens next?

Essex Abroad has already contacted eligible students who are studying abroad in 2024-2025 regarding Turing funding.

Other students who are interested in accessing this funding should visit the summer funding webpages at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

How did Turing Scheme funding support students last year?

During 2023-2024 we were able to fund around 140 students via Turing Scheme funding to support their international experience. Below is some feedback from some of these students...

A summer school in Hong Kong

Lexi, who studies History within the School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies is currently taking part in a six-week summer school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Lexi explains “I am the first person in my family to go to university and I come from a single parent household in a low-income area where there wasn't many chances to get to explore new cultures and learn new languages in such an immersive environment. I am doing an international summer school at CUHK with nearly 700 other students from around the world and throughout the month and a half here the school had put on a range of cultural events from traditional dinners to going to see the big Buddha a major tourist attraction.

"Getting to participate in such an incredible opportunity was greatly supported by the Turing scheme. I work while at university so I had been saving up for cost of the program for a while, but the funding allowed me to have money to take part in a wider range of activities and to be able to eat out and try local foods. I have also been greatly supported by the Essex Abroad team from them sending me regular updates, to keeping my application on track, to being available when needed while I am in Hong Kong. Overall, I would say the Turing scheme gave me the extra support I needed to have a fully immersive experience.”

Prague Shakespeare Company’s summer intensive

Lucrezia studies MFA Acting (International) within the East15 Department at our Loughton campus. Lucrezia says “Over the course of six weeks, I have undergone Shakespeare-focused training in voice, text, and physical theatre including clown, Commedia dell Arte, and Bouffon. I am also acting in two shows: Measure for Measure, in which I am playing the provost, and All’s Well that Ends Well, in which I am playing Helena, at two different local theatres. My Turing Scheme funding has contributed to my tuition expenses as well as incidentals incurred during my time in Prague. The program is helping me to reinforce the skills I gained during my first year at East 15 as well as exposing me to new and wonderful practices taught by seasoned professionals from all over the world.”

Five study abroad experiences!

Daniel, who recently graduated from the Department of Government, studied abroad in Finland in Autumn 2023 but also completed four other study abroad programmes during his time at Essex and received Turing Scheme funding for most of these! In 2022-2023, Daniel completed his study abroad year in Hong Kong at the University of Hong Kong. He then travelled to ITESO in Mexico to take part in a summer school programme focussing on gender-based violence across borders before completing a research programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong! In his final year Daniel completed a term abroad in Finland as part of our YUFE programme before squeezing in a final summer school during summer 2024 at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China. You can read more about Daniel’s travels in his blog from January 2024.

• To find out more about Essex Abroad and our range of programmes, visit our dedicated webpages.