We are delighted to submit to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee on their inquiry into the sustainability of Scotland’s finances. This is ahead of our Director, Alastair Sim’s appearance at the Committee. Our submission highlights the ways in which universities are a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity in Scotland. We have…
Tag: Common good
84% of Scottish graduates say going to university got them the job they wanted
Research from Universities Scotland highlights the value of going to university, including that: 84.5% of Scottish graduates credit their university with helping them gain employment 74% of Scottish graduates found a job reflective of their ambitions in under a year thanks to their degree 75% of business leaders believe going to university enables graduates to…
Widening access success as record number of students enter university
Interim targets on widening access met Increased numbers of widening access, care experienced and disabled students entering university An increase in the proportion of students coming to university from college Universities Scotland has welcomed the release of the Report on Widening Access 2021-22 by the Scottish Funding Council. Commenting on the report, Alastair Sim, Director…
Scotland and Europe still have a shared desire for student exchanges
Last week, Universities Scotland’s international team met with MEPs and universities in Edinburgh to discuss mobility options and other links in a post-Brexit world. Our colleagues, David Donaldson and Ela Kossakowska reflect on the visit. “Getting 27 nations to agree on anything can be difficult, so the fact they all agree on the importance of…
Universities Scotland responds to the Withers review of skills landscape
Responding to Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation, published by the Scottish Government on 7 June 2023, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland said: “This is a bold report that seeks to tackle long-term challenges in the skills landscape head-on and proposes a major shake-up of Scotland’s structural…
Scottish universities delivery to UN goals highlighted in new world rankings
Universities Scotland has welcomed global rankings that demonstrate Scottish universities are at the forefront of the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. A record ten universities from Scotland participated with four Scottish institutions featuring in the top 100. Four of Scotland’s universities: Glasgow (13), Strathclyde…
Erasmus+ and the replacement schemes in place across the UK
We were given the opportunity to provide evidence to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on their inquiry into Erasmus+ and the replacement schemes in place across the UK. In our evidence we highlight: Scotland’s students, staff and universities would benefit significantly from the introduction of a two-way mobility scheme in Scotland, that would complement…
Response to the statement from the Home Secretary on graduate visas
In response to the written ministerial statement issued a short time ago by the Home Office, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland said: “After months of speculation, we have clarity from the UK Government. We welcome the commitment to retaining the post-study work visa which benefits both students and employers. It also helps retain talent…
International students boost Scottish economy by £4.75bn
New figures show economic benefit of international students in Scotland is £4.75 billion. Aside from London, international students in Scotland are among those to deliver the greatest financial contributions across the UK On average, each of the 59 UK Parliamentary constituencies in the Scotland is £71m (per constituency) better off because of international students –…
£20m cut “extremely disappointing”
This afternoon (Tuesday 2 May), Principals of Scotland’s universities were informed by the Scottish Funding Council that the £20 million of additional resource funding allocated to the sector in December’s budget by the Scottish Government is now “not available for distribution and has been identified as a necessary saving”. Universities were told that Scottish Government…