On 22 November 2016, Universities Scotland held their annual reception in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament. To read more about the event, please read our preview of the event. Universities Scotland were delighted to have the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Shirley-Anne Somerville address our guests. Her speech from our reception…
News
November
22
2016
The future depends on what we do in the present
Mahatma Gandhi once said: “The future depends on what you do in the present” and that’s the message that Scottish universities will be delivering to assembled guests, parliamentarians and the Higher Education and Science Minister on Tuesday 22 November at the Scottish Parliament. The future is uncertain: it’s believed that 65% of children who are…
November
10
2016
Refugees Welcome
Ulrike Peter, Senior Policy Officer (International) here at Universities Scotland discusses a brand new publication, Guidance for Universities on Providing Asylum Seekers and Refugees with Access to Higher Education. The guidance is a collaborative effort between the Scottish Refugee Council and heads of admissions from a range of Scottish universities. Forms. They are a universal element of applying to a…
October
26
2016
Enterprise & Skills Review: Response to phase one recommendations
The Scottish Government published the phase 1 report of its Enterprise and Skills review on Tuesday 25 October. The recommendations include the creation of a new enterprise body for the South of Scotland and a new Scotland-wide board to sit above the existing agencies. No change is proposed for the Scottish Funding Council although the…
October
14
2016
University leaders welcome certainty from Scottish Government on funding for EU students applying for entry in 2017
Mr Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education has announced today [Friday 14 October] that EU applicants, applying to start undergraduate degree course in Scotland’s universities in autumn 2017, will be eligible for free higher education for the duration of their degree programmes even where their course continues after the UK has left…
October
11
2016
Scotland’s university staff, students and principals call for certainty for EU university applicants following announcement by UK Government
The bodies representing university staff, students and principals have joined together to call on the Scottish Government to offer certainty to EU students already applying to Scotland’s universities to start degree programmes in autumn 2017. The call follows an announcement today [11th October] from UK universities minister, Jo Johnson MP, which confirms that EU students…
October
07
2016
Our policy on international students
Universities Scotland is proud that our member institutions are host to over 28,000 students from outside the UK. They are an important part of our university community, and the breadth of their contribution to Scotland’s social and cultural life was summarised in Richer for It. Scottish students benefit from learning alongside international peers, and our…
September
22
2016
Officially one of the best higher education sectors in the world
The Times Higher has published the 2017 world university rankings. Five Scottish universities feature in the top 200 and another 7 universities feature in the list which represents the best 5 per cent of universities in the world. Commenting on the rankings, a spokesperson said: “With five universities in the world’s top 200 and 12…
September
09
2016
Scottish Government Capital Stimulus for HE very welcome news
Higher education is to receive £25 million of the Scottish Government’s new £100m Capital Stimulus Package. The details were announced in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government for 2016-17 on Tuesday 6 September. Responding to the announcement Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland, said: “Universities are delighted to be one of the recipients of the…
September
08
2016
Seizing the opportunities presented in the Blueprint for Fairness
Dame Ruth Silver led the work of the Commission on Widening Access over 2015-16 and its final report, A Blueprint for Fairness. The Blueprint, published in March this year, made 32 recommendations focused on widening access to university and reaching the First Minister’s aspiration that a child born in 2015 in the most deprived areas of…