This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Future for Scottish universities
10/12/2001
The agenda for the future of Scotland's universities is set out today with the publication of the annual guidance letter to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC).
In an important week for the sector, Minister for Enterprise, Transport, and Lifelong Learning Wendy Alexander emphasises three priorities:
- improving access
- rolling out the commercialisation of research
- modernising the sector
Ms Alexander also announced an additional £500,000 to strengthen human resource management in the universities.
Tuesday sees a new equal opportunities initiative when Universities UK launch The Equality Challenge Unit in Scotland. The unit is the first full-time body promoting equal opportunities in Higher Education employment.
The results of the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise will be announced on Friday when Scottish Universities are expected to show a significant improvement in performance.
Ms Alexander said:
"Scots are well aware that our higher education tradition is one of the jewels in our crown. The future success of the nation rests on our investment in skills and science. Our universities lie at the heart of this success.
"I am determined that Scottish higher education rises up the political agenda. This week we take significant steps forward with our annual guidance letter to universities. New ideas, and their wider uptake, not only strengthen our culture and society but have a critical role in the new knowledge economy.
"The Executive's funding for Higher Education in Scotland will rise to £703m over the coming year, more than the cash amount required to sustain the real value of last years 8% rise. Across the priority areas of 'wider access', 'excellent, relevant research' and 'modernisation' this resource will both sustain successes and support change in Scottish Higher Education.
"There is a growing interest in how, our universities are performing as engines of human and intellectual capital.
"Our research and learning institutions attract new talents to Scotland, strengthen the skills we already have and generate flows of discoveries with potential to raise the wellbeing of Scots. They create change and shape our capacities to respond to change. The sector boasts both successes to celebrate as well as challenges to meet.
Access
"On access, Scotland has achieved internationally significant participation rates in both higher and further education. We look to SHEFC to continue to promote access to HE for poorer Scots, both older and younger, and for those who live in rural areas.
Important priorities include strengthening our track record in attracting non-Scottish students. Higher education, is an increasingly global enterprise. So, looking to the future, we expect SHEFC to encourage 'e-learning' approaches in our institutions, for wider access at home, and for wider export of Scottish learning overseas.
Research
"The scale of research funding won competitively, from research councils, industry and national and international bodies is an incontrovertible measure of Scottish research excellence.
"There is still much to be done to strengthen the research base and to ensure better careers and opportunities for contract research staff, our emerging future stars.
"The knowledge transfer grant introduced this year is particularly important for commercial activity. We need to continue to build on that success. The RAE results later this week will show a strong Scottish performance.
Modernisation
"The long-term success of Scotland's universities will require SHEFC to promote new partnership and management styles as well as new activities.
"The strength of any university is its staff and I am making £500,000 available immediately to catalyse new thinking and support better human resource management within the Universities.
"Good people management will enhance the image as well as the performance of the Universities.
"At the end of the 18 th century, Adam Smith wrote of the Scottish Universities that they were the best of their kind in Europe but that "they are capable of amendment, even considerable amendment".
"Our Universities, through SHEFC's guidance are beginning to restore a prestigious, if different and modern image for the sector, but there is no doubt that they remain capable of improvement, even considerable improvement."
The Minister's guidance letter for Higher Education in 2002-03 highlights key actions for the SHEFC to focus on.
Management for the Long-Term
- creating a better lifelong learning culture in Scotland by tackling relative under-performance in terms of Scottish adult participation in lifelong learning
- continue to encourage the development of the highest calibre of management and leadership in its higher education institutions
- use £0.5 million of additional funding to improve the management of human resources in higher education, including the promotion of equal opportunities to support, in preparation for introducing a new condition of grant related to human resource management in 2002-03
- ensure that institutions place particular emphasis on developing the ICT literacy of all graduates
Access for All
- ensure 800 additional places from SR2000 are filled by 2003-04 and that they lead to an increase in the participation of under-represented groups
- develop a better understanding of the factors affecting the variation in retention rates between institutions
- ensure widening access initiatives effectively reach young people with no family tradition of post-compulsory participation
- ensure that institutions are acting on their obligations and responsibilities in relation to diversity
- HE institutions in Southern Scotland to work particularly closely with local employers to support CPD for the motivation of the workforce and repositioning of the local economy
- stimulate more innovative models of support for part-time students and report to the Executive on this during the year
- provide advice on the future of the careers services in higher education, and how to build strong links with Careers Scotland to avoid overlap and share expertise
Improving Research, Taking Opportunities
- provide further advice on research funding in January, when the RAE results have been published and their implications evaluated
- support the work of the new Scottish Science Advisory Committee which is being established under the auspices of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- establish reliable information on the numbers and distribution of contract research staff and report annually on the position
- continue to promote a commercialisation culture and support key change opportunities