We are welcoming new figures that show more people from disadvantaged areas in Scotland are applying and being accepted into university. The figures come from UK’s shared admissions service for higher education, UCAS, who have released its data resources for the end of the 2022 application cycle. The figures show that the number of applications…
Tag: Common good
The economic impact of Scotland’s university research activity
We commissioned London Economics in 2022 to assess the economic and social impact of research
activities delivered by Scottish higher education institutions on the United Kingdom economy,
focusing on the 2019-20 academic year.
Christmas donation to Who Cares? Scotland
This festive period, Universities Scotland has made a donation to the Who Cares? Scotland’s Christmas appeal #ShareTheLove. This is in place of sending out Christmas cards to our members and stakeholders. Who Cares? Scotland’s work, to ensure care experienced people feel loved, respected and equal, is more important than ever this winter. The #ShareTheLove campaign…
Scotland’s universities lead the way in widening access to students with care experience
A new report into the educational experience of students with a care background has hailed the progressive approach taken by Scotland’s universities in committing to a care experience guarantee in 2019, highlighting the positive impact it has already had on this group of students. The report, Next Steps: What is the Experience of Students from…
Cuts to international student numbers should be resisted
Commenting on speculation that the UK Government may look to cut international student numbers, Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland said: “Any attempts to cut international student numbers at Scottish universities would be damaging to universities and the Scottish economy. Every year more than 65,000 students from more than 180 countries study in Scotland. This…
Actions required to maintain momentum towards the 2030 access targets for Scotland
Dr Kirsty Conlon, our Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access Policy shares her thoughts on what steps the soon to be announced Commissioner for Fair Access should be prioritising. A shorter version of this blog appeared on Wonkhe. Universities in Scotland are expecting an announcement on who will be the next Commissioner for…
Government must ensure universities receive research funding
Universities Scotland have welcomed a UK Government announcement for additional funding to support the international collaborations and competitiveness of UK research, as a result of delays to the UK’s association to the Horizon Europe programme. This funding can directly support research and wider economic growth in Scotland if the extra funding is ring-fenced for research…
Sir Ian Wood: Major risk to the Scottish economy if funding for our university students continues to be reduced
We are delighted to have Sir Ian Wood, businessman, philanthropist and Chairman of JW Holdings Limited write for Universities Scotland about the importance of universities to the Scottish economy. This is a longer-version of a column Sir Ian wrote for The Times. As it is, our universities funding has followed real term decline since 2014/25 leaving…
A student-centred approach to tackling contract cheating in higher education
Universities Scotland would like to see legislation to make the operation and advertisement of essay writing and other contract cheating services in Scotland illegal. These include essay mills and similar, as well as services aiming to sell university applications/personal statements, and even PhD theses.
Congratulating Scottish Universities on Research Excellence Framework 2021 Results
University research is an area in which Scotland is “world-leading” in terms of quality and excellence. Research is a significant asset for Scotland propelling innovation, economic growth, the emergence and acceleration of new industries, creating jobs and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).