Universities are Scotland’s Universal Partner
Today, Monday 1 June, sees the launch of a new campaign called Universal Partners. This campaign celebrates the contribution universities make to Scotland’s four national priorities, thanks to the strength of their partnerships across the public, private and third sector.
Universal Partners features over 50 partnerships involving 120 highly diverse organisations. The examples showcased in the campaign only start to skim the surface of the extent of university collaboration, working in pursuit of shared goals and to Scotland’s benefit.
From training the frontline NHS staff and partnering with the NHS on innovative healthcare interventions, to re-developing brownfield sites, and working together to tackle poverty-related stigma, Scotland’s universities are embedded in the everyday fabric of the nation.
Over fifty stories of partnership, from Scotland’s 19 universities, are grouped into four themes, reflecting Scotland’s national priorities of:
- Support for public services
- Driving economic growth
- The pursuit of net zero
- Tackling child poverty
The highly-skilled students and staff in our institutions, their research capability and enthusiasm to collaborate on shared goals, make universities an ideal partner in delivering practical solutions to complex problems, and maximising opportunities for all of Scotland.
The four themes of this campaign, reflecting Scotland’s national priorities is deliberate as universities are essential in working in partnership across the country to meet these priorities.
Commenting on the campaign, Universities Scotland Convener Professor James Miller said;
“Universities are proud to work side-by-side with organisations across Scotland’s public, private and third sectors to improve lives, strengthen the economy and drive innovation to address some of the most significant challenges facing Scotland and the wider world.
“This campaign highlights four national priorities: tackling child poverty, supporting public services, driving economic growth and advancing the transition to net zero.
“Universal Partners offers just a glimpse of some of the powerful collaborations universities are leading and supporting in pursuit of these shared ambitions. Partnership is intrinsic to the university sector, as is our commitment to translating the skills, knowledge and research within our institutions into meaningful impact for communities locally, nationally and internationally.”
To read more about the campaign and the fantastic partnerships that Scotland’s universities have, visit the Universal Partners site here.