The Home Affairs Committee is undertaking an inquiry into what the post-Brexit migration policy for the UK should be. Universities Scotland responded highlighting the importance of migration for the higher education sector in Scotland. In our submission we highlighted: The UK’s decision to leave the EU offers an unparalleled opportunity to review the whole migration…
Tag: Common good
Reflections on researchers mental health
Following a recent Researcher Training Sub-Committee Policy Forum, Dr Sara Shinton, Head of Researcher Development / IAD Assistant Director and Ruth Meyer, Senior Policy Officer at Universities Scotland reflect on the event. Scotland’s higher education institutions change lives through world-leading research. The researchers who do this, from PhD students to professors are highly driven and gain…
Follow up letter to the Education and Skills Committee on Widening Access
On Wednesday 16 March 2018, Alastair Sim, the Director of Universities Scotland gave evidence to the Education and Skills Committee about widening access alongside four university Principals. As part of the evidence session, Alastair Sim said he would clarify some issues such as details of what universities, specifically ‘the ancients’ were doing to widen access…
Universities Scotland responds to Funding Council report on widening access
The Scottish Funding Council has today (Wednesday 30 May 2018) published its annual report on widening access. The report provides data for academic year 2016/17 and tracks student entrants, progression and qualifiers in university and college according to metrics of socio-economic disadvantage and protected characteristics. Responding to today’s report and the higher education sector’s work…
Briefing for Erasmus+ debate in the Scottish Parliament
On Wednesday 16 May 2018, the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee hosted a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the future of the Erasmus+ programme. Universities Scotland submitted a briefing to MSPs ahead of the debate, highlighting the numerous benefits of the programme and highlighting the need for continued participation after the UK leaves the EU. You…
Progress on Widening Access: written evidence to the Education and Skills Committee
On Monday 16 May 2018, Universities Scotland will give evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee. We will focus on our progress with widening access to higher education and on the goal that 20 per cent of entrants to university should be from the poorest 20 per cent of neighbourhoods by 2030. Ahead…
Tapping All Our Talents Review 2018: Women in STEM
Universities Scotland has responded to an open consultation by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, who are reviewing progress towards gender equality in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). You can read our full response here. In 2012, the RSE published its report Tapping All Our Talents, a comprehensive set of recommendations for Scotland aimed at increasing both the proportion of…
Tapping All Our Talents Review 2018
Our latest blog is a guest post from Professor Lesley Yellowlees, the Chair of the Tapping All Our Talents Review 2018: Women in STEM Review Group. In 2012, the Royal Society of Edinburgh published Tapping All Our Talents, highlighting the stark finding that only 27% of women STEM graduates were going on to STEM careers….
Response to consultation on the attainment and achievement of school-aged children experiencing poverty
Universities Scotland has responded to an inquiry on the impact of experiencing poverty on young people at school. The inquiry, by the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, will examine how poverty can affect the attainment and achievement of school-aged children. Given Scotland’s goal of widening access to university to those from all socio-economic backgrounds, we welcome the opportunity…
Response to Ministerial Statement on Widening Access
In response to the Ministerial Statement on Widening Access in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 6 March 2018, Alastair Sim, the Director of Universities Scotland said: Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions, the length and breadth of Scotland, large and specialist, are committed to widening access. Today’s statement from the Minister reiterated a lot of the…