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Scotland’s Universities Welcome India

A delegation of 21 senior leaders from Scotland’s higher education sector are accompanying Deputy First Minister John Swinney on an official visit to India today, December 1 2017. The mission, a joint venture between the Scottish Government, British Council, Scottish Development International and Universities Scotland, will meet with key Indian government officials, education policymakers and business…

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Response to Sutton Trust report: Admissions in Context

Universities Scotland has responded to the publication of the Sutton Trust’s report, Admissions in Context. The report provides new evidence on the use of ‘contextualised’ admissions and offers some insights into the difference that greater use of contextual data might make to the numbers of disadvantaged students at these universities. Commenting on the report, Universities Scotland Director,…

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Committee of Scottish Chairs publish a new code of governance

Universities Scotland welcomes the publication of the 2017 edition of the Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance. The code, which sets out principles and practices to ensure the effective governance of universities, represents a significant step forward in university transparency, inclusion and accountability. The safeguarding of good governance in HEIs is the responsibility of the…

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No complacency in higher education as world rankings put Scotland amongst the very best

Scotland’s university sector has held its place in the world rankings with five universities listed in the world’s top two-hundred for 2018, according to new data published today. Another seven Scottish universities are listed in the complete set of 1,000 ranked institutions which represent the top 5 per cent of universities in the world. The…

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Success for Scottish students as UCAS figures revealed

New figures released today by UCAS, the admissions body, have been welcomed by Universities Scotland. Higher results day has seen a large increase in number of people from most deprived areas going to university in 2017. There has been a 13% increase in the number of placed applicants from Scotland’s 20% most deprived neighbourhoods compared…

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Graduates of Scottish institutions continue to outperform peers in rest of UK

New statistics published today (29 June 2017) continues the trend that graduates from Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions have better prospects within six months of graduation than their peers in the rest of the UK. Statistics released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on Destination of Leavers from Higher Education in the United Kingdom…

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Strong performance for Scotland’s universities in the TEF

Today (Thursday, 22nd June) marks the first publication of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) results for universities across the UK and participating universities in Scotland. Five Scottish universities decided to take part in the TEF. The TEF was introduced by the UK Government in 2016 with the aim of recognising and rewarding excellence in teaching…

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Staff, students and university principals launch a Manifesto for the Mobility of Talent

Students, staff and principals have called on political parties contesting the General Election to support a Manifesto for Mobility of Talent which focuses on three clear immigration and mobility policies for Scotland. Political parties’ manifestos for the General Election on the 8 June are expected to be published in the coming days. The Manifesto for the…

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83% of Scots say it’s better for international students to work in the UK when they graduate rather than return to their home country

New polling published today finds that Scots are overwhelming in favour of international students staying in the UK once they graduate rather than returning to their home country. 83% of Scots asked in a ComRes poll commissioned by Universities UK[1] agreed that when international students graduate from universities, it is better if they use their…

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Statement on the day that Britain triggers Article 50 to leave the EU

Wednesday, 29 March 2017 will see the Prime Minister, Theresa May MP, trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This will signify the formal start of the two-year negotiation for the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Responding to the official start of Brexit negotiations, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, said: “On…

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