By Liam McLaughlin
The European Union’s former foreign policy chief has criticised the Scottish Government’s decision to end postgraduate scholarship funding for Scots to attend a prestigious European college, branding the move “regrettable”. Federica Mogherini, former vice-president of the European Commission, agreed the decision to end the scholarships with the College of Europe amounted to a “Scottish Brexit”. The college is a leading EU affairs institution that Ms Mogherini described as the “education institution of the European Union”. Ms Mogherini, now rector of the College of Europe, said the decision by SNP ministers went “against the trend”. She said: “It is as if you were working on enlargement, and at the same time you have Brexit”. The Bruges-based college – often described as the EU’s equivalent of Oxbridge and founded with the support of Sir Winston Churchill – is just a stone’s throw from the Brussels institutions. For the best news from home, subscribe to the Scotsman daily newsletter The college is widely regarded as a fast-track into EU and national policymaking. Among UK alumni are UK health minister Stephen Kinnock, former SNP MEP Alyn Smith, and former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg. Ms Mogherini’s rare intervention follows the quiet cancellation of a long-standing Scottish Government scholarship scheme that funds up to three Scottish students. Although the college receives substantial EU funding, the Scottish Government’s contribution covers tuition, accommodation and totals roughly ÂŁ85,000 annually. While insiders cite budgetary pressures, the cuts follow a broader decline in UK government funding for EU affairs training that began in the David Cameron years, when UK-wide scholarships peaked at more than two dozen. Today, only the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office funds a handful of places for its civil servants. Ms Mogherini said this latest cut caused “regret – I wish that this decision can be reviewed, changed … even partially”. The rector said: “It’s not only because we value enormously Scottish students being part of the college, but also because since I started as rector, we’ve invested enormously in expanding the scholarship schemes.” “[The Scottish Government scholarship], it’s one that has always been there … supporting students that are very good and who contribute, I believe, in a crucial manner to keeping Scotland and the European Union connected.” Over the past ten months, students at the college have met top EU figures, including the European Commission president, multiple current and former commissioners, and leaders such as the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Luxembourg, the Spanish King, and Catalonia’s regional president. Ms Mogherini said the scholarship scheme’s main advantage was giving graduates “access to the [Brussels] network”. She said: “Being connected with a network of alumni and professors that are into EU affairs, I wouldn’t say it can ever substitute for being a member state. but at least it gives you a glimpse and a hook to what is happening inside the European institutions. So institutionally, it’s important. “Our students focus on the European integration process. But obviously also Brexit – the one element of disintegration that happened recently – is a matter of not only studies, but also discussion, and the Scottish perspective on that is particularly important to have in the college community. “I think it’s also important from a societal point of view, because it keeps the Scottish students, and through them Scottish society. connected with the EU environment. It preserves the memory … the institutional memory and maybe prepares for the future.” The latest cuts form part of a broader set of budget-tightening measures in October last year affecting both the Scottish Government’s education and skills portfolio, as well as its international footprint. This included withdrawing funding for Scotland Europa, a Brussels-based network that for 33 years has supported Scottish businesses and public agencies by promoting their interests within the EU’s institutions. Despite an increase of ÂŁ1,126.6 million to the Scottish Government budget in the autumn, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are facing the most challenging fiscal climate since devolution and it is vital that we ensure all available funding is used to maximum effect. “The historical arrangement between the Scottish Government and the College of Europe provided support via SAAS for a maximum of three students per year at a cost of around €33,000 [ÂŁ28,495] per student.” The spokesperson added that “financial support will continue to be available for students who require to spend time abroad as part of their course requirements with a UK institution and [that] scholarships are available for Scottish students to the College of Europe through the Brunat Scholarships Fund” – a small private initiative not funded by the Government. The priorities of these recent cuts appear to contradict the First Minister’s recent remarks at Edinburgh’s Scotland 2050 conference. Mr Swinney had described a future Scotland as “a nation state in our own right, as a member state of … the world’s biggest single social and economic community, the European Union”. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “The UK Government ended austerity, with the budget last October delivering over ÂŁ5 billion extra for Scottish public services in this year alone. “That is more funding than ever before … many students and academics will rightly expect the Scottish Government to invest that extra cash in devolved policy areas, such as higher education.” Paul Anderson, the sole Scottish graduate at the college’s new Albanian campus, said: “The EU and the countries of the Western Balkans are taking the accession process seriously and the opportunities provided by the Tirana campus demonstrate their commitment. “It was a privilege to be part of the first cohort and share my insights as a Scottish islander with the group, which included many students’ first Burns Supper. “Without the scholarship, it would have been difficult for me take up my place at the college. Post-Brexit, it is more important than ever that we maintain as many ties as possible with our European friends.” Labour MP Chris Murray also stressed the need to “engage with our European friends and neighbours”, adding: “I want to see more engagement, not less”. Ms Mogherini urged the Scottish Government to explore options, saying: “We can adjust to whatever can be done. If something can, then brilliant.”