The topic of Artifical Intelligence has been of huge interest in the early months of 2023. Our latest blog sees Abertay University Principal, Professor Liz Bacon, discuss the role AI could have in higher education reflecting on her decades of work in this area. With the disruption navigated by our universities during Covid-19 thankfully beginning to…
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Horizon membership: a deal that works for Scotland, the UK and EU
Professor Iain Gillespie is the Convener of our Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and Principal at the University of Dundee. In an opinion piece for The Herald which ran in its Monday 17 April 2023 edition, he outlines why it’s imperative a deal to secure Horizon membership for the UK is vital. Last month week…
Students and skills: Doing Things Different and Better
Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland has shared his thoughts on the skills landscape and the importance of the skills students learn while at university. Let’s re-set the skills policy agenda by appreciating students’ diversity and ambitions, and the breadth of universities’ contribution to that. I get huge inspiration from meeting students as I visit…
Time to lose the labels
Words are so important: they can motivate, inspire and explain. Yet words can also build barriers. In our latest blog, Claudia Cavalluzzo, Executive Director of Converge, argues that the label ‘entrepreneur’ is one such barrier and that it’s time for an update. Every government – including Scotland – wants more entrepreneurs in their economy. They…
What next for research in post-Sturgeon Scotland?
Professor Iain Gillespie, Principal of the University of Dundee and our Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee Convener penned some thoughts for Research Professional about what should happen in research under a new First Minister following Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to resign as First Minister. Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister is one of those points in…
Susana Galván Hernández on Taith
Susana Galván Hernández, Executive Director of Taith has written about Taith, Wales’ new international learning exchange programme. Susana has shared her thoughts on the importance of a student mobility scheme like Taith and the journey it has taken so far. Universities Scotland want to see the Scottish Government introduce a two-way student mobility scheme very…
New US lead for mental health
Professor Lynn Kilbride, Vice Principal for Academic Development and Student Experience takes on the role as US lead for mental health following the retirement of Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University. Professor Kilbride has outlined what her priorities during this role will be and the importance of supporting mental health services at university….
Connected Scotland is in Singapore!
Connected Scotland’s Project Officer, Ela Kossakowska, spent three days in Singapore, with the Connected Scotland partnership, to attend the Going Global Asia Pacific conference and build connections across the region. She shares her reflections from the Conference. Just over half of Scotland’s universities, along with the British Council Scotland and Scottish Development International (SDI), hosted…
Actions required to maintain momentum towards the 2030 access targets for Scotland
Dr Kirsty Conlon, our Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access Policy shares her thoughts on what steps the soon to be announced Commissioner for Fair Access should be prioritising. A shorter version of this blog appeared on Wonkhe. Universities in Scotland are expecting an announcement on who will be the next Commissioner for…
Sir Ian Wood: Major risk to the Scottish economy if funding for our university students continues to be reduced
We are delighted to have Sir Ian Wood, businessman, philanthropist and Chairman of JW Holdings Limited write for Universities Scotland about the importance of universities to the Scottish economy. This is a longer-version of a column Sir Ian wrote for The Times. As it is, our universities funding has followed real term decline since 2014/25 leaving…