The Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee will hear evidence from the Auditor General on the Audit Scotland report on higher education in Scottish universities on Thursday 6 October 2016. Universities Scotland shared a briefing with the Committee ahead of this session. Read our brief here.
Briefings & Evidence
Get in touch for more information on these, or any other, areas of activity
Briefing for Scottish Government debate on Brexit impact on HE & FE, 4 October 2016
Tuesday, 4 October will see a Scottish Government debate in Holyrood on the Implications of the EU Referendum on Higher and Further Education. Universities Scotland has prepared a short briefing for MSPs on the issues as they affect higher education institutions. It also sets out our priorities as Scotland and the UK considers its negotiating position….
Response to The Science and Technology Committee inquiry into Managing intellectual property and technology transfer
Universities work to commercialise research in order to produce beneficial economic impact and as a part of their broader missions to deliver benefit to society. This work, which includes licensing and spin-outs, is part of a much wider approach to economic impact delivered through higher education institutions (HEIs). Following a call for evidence from the…
EU Referendum result & its Impact on Scottish HE: Evidence to European and External Relations Committee Enquiry
We have submitted written evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee’s enquiry into the EU Referendum and its Implications for Scotland. Download our full response here. Our evidence makes it clear that the EU referendum result has created great uncertainty in higher education. However, our members have strong working relationships with Europe, European…
HE & Research Bill at Committee stage
Universities’ Scotland’s primary concern with the HE and Research Bill is to ensure that the new UK-wide structured proposed for research and innovation are required to act in the interests of the whole UK; have regard to the relevant policies of the devolved administrations; and have governance structures that reflect the interests of the whole UK. We…
Written evidence to Education & Skills Committee session 7 September 2016
Our Convener, Professor Andrea Nolan, is giving evidence to the Education and Skills Committee of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 7 September as part of a session themed on further and higher education . We have submitted a short brief on the opportunities and challenges facing Scottish higher education in advance of this session. You…
Response to Apprenticeship Levy consultation by Scottish Government
We were pleased to submit views to the Scottish Government’s consultation on how it should use its share of the UK Apprencticeship Levy as transferred to Scotland from the UK Government. As employers, Scotland’s universities support the use of apprenticeships. We think the volume of apprenticeships available should be demand-led and we are keen to…
Universities Scotland responds to the Scottish Government’s Enterprise and Skills Review
We have been pleased to respond to a call for evidence from Economy Secretary Keith Brown MSP, as part of the end-to-end review of enterprise and skills support in Scotland that he is leading. Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions are committed to delivering impact in Scotland and the wider world and want to work as…
Briefing for Second Reading of the HE and Research Bill, Westminster, 19 July 2016
The 2nd reading of the Higher Education and Research Bill takes place from 11.30 on Tuesday, 19 July led by Rt Hon Sajid Javid. You can find Universities Scotland’s brief for MPs here. The Bill directly affects Scottish HEIs in both their teaching and their research. We ask for the support of Scottish MPs throughout the passage of…
Response to Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): year 2 – technical consultation
We have responded to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): year 2 – technical consultation, which seeks views on the operation of the TEF in year 2, including the assessment framework and process. Read our full consultation response. Summary of our response: Scotland’s universities welcome the…