Universities Scotland has welcomed the publication of Coherence and Sustainability: A review of Tertiary Education and Research by the sector’s funding body, the Scottish Funding Council. The report makes a number of recommendations for the Scottish Government to consider.
The report was commissioned by the Scottish Government in June 2020 with Universities Scotland responding to the call for evidence with their submission published in August 2020.
Reacting to the review’s publication, Director of Universities Scotland, Alastair Sim said:
“We welcome the Review’s recognition of Scottish universities as an international asset for Scotland, and the crucial contribution that higher education makes to the wellbeing of our nation and its communities. We support the Review’s affirmation of the central role that higher education’s teaching and research will make to building an inclusive recovery, and the need to support that.
“The Funding Council’s Review recognises the need for stability in funding models while universities continue to deal with the emergency years caused by COVID-19 and other intense pressures brought about by Brexit, and the need for multi-year budgets for universities. That’s important, since each year we enter into multi-year commitments to tens of thousands of students.
“We also welcome the SFC’s desire to take the best of what universities and colleges have done differently due to the pandemic and put that on a firmer footing, for instance so that universities can make the strongest possible contribution to upskilling and reskilling people at various stages of their careers.
“There’s a lot in the Review, and a major emphasis on collaboration. So we hope Scottish Government and SFC will take a deeply collaborative approach to considering the Review’s recommendations and working with universities to chart the way forward.”