University of Glasgow
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-01223, in the name of Sandra White, on the University of Glasgow being ranked first in the United Kingdom. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament warmly congratulates the University of Glasgow on ranking first in the United Kingdom for international student satisfaction in a recent survey of international students in which it considers there are a number of stand-out points for the university, which, once again, has performed very well against other UK institutions; notes that this survey is the largest of its kind, with over 65 international universities, 44 UK institutions and six Scottish institutions, canvassing international students’ views on the teaching, services and overall experience of their chosen university; welcomes the fact that Glasgow has ranked first in the whole survey for social activities, as well as having both the best online library and the best sports facilities in the UK; notes that international students also report an impressive 94% satisfaction with the university’s expert lecturers and 91% of final year students are satisfied with their learning experience, and considers that international students have a vital and beneficial role in Scottish educational institutions and society.
17:06
I have just noticed that the number of the motion is 1223. I think that I have a record in the Parliament because in each of the past two to three weeks I have secured a members’ business debate. I am grateful to the business team for giving me the opportunity. I think that this is the third motion that I have had debated in the same number of weeks.
To be ranked number 1 in any shape or form is always of great satisfaction, but to be ranked number 1 in the UK by students from around the world is a truly great result. Indeed, when it comes to numbers, the University of Glasgow, in my Kelvin constituency, is hard to beat. It is the fourth-oldest university, having been established in 1451, and is currently ranked among the top 100 in the world.
The University of Glasgow is also a member of Universitas 21, which is an international network of universities that was established as an international reference point and resource for strategic thinking on issues of global significance. The vision of Universitas 21 is indeed an ambitious one as it seeks to be the leading international network of research-intensive universities, working together to foster global citizenship and institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting students and staff and advocating internationalisation.
It is only fitting that the University of Glasgow should be a member of such a forward-looking and influential group, because the university was at the forefront of social change in the past as a major centre of the Scottish enlightenment in the 18th century and a pioneer in the 19th century in extending education to those outwith the upper classes. Not only should we be proud of that tradition, we should not lose sight of it and should ensure that it is at the core of not just the University of Glasgow’s values but those of other universities as they strive to grow in the 21st century.
Being part of the Universitas 21 group gives the university worldwide reach and appeal, as evidenced by the results of the international student barometer. Indeed, 96 per cent of international students agree that Glasgow is a good place to be, which is something that I, as someone who comes from Glasgow, could not agree with more. The university was also voted as having the number 1 online library in the UK and the number 1 sports facility. The University of Glasgow is also a member of the Russell group, which is a collaboration of 20 UK universities, of which 18 are in the top 20 in terms of research funding. In addition, in the international student barometer the university was voted as having the best learning experience in the group and was ranked first in terms of quality of lectures.
Taking all those figures together, we see that the University of Glasgow is number 1 in the United Kingdom and third across the globe. That is something of which we should be proud—and something which, of course, brings clear economic benefit not only to the city of Glasgow but to the whole of Scotland and the UK.
Such success not only brings economic benefit but adds to Glasgow’s diversity and cultural richness. The west end of the city has always been viewed as a diverse area, playing host to events such as the west end festival—which, with 600 events, is Glasgow’s largest—and the largest mardi gras outside London. Byres Road was shortlisted as a finalist in the greatest street in Britain awards—and I am sure that we will win that award next year. That success is partly due to the role that students and, indeed, international students play in making the area so vibrant, so rich and so cosmopolitan and we must do everything we can to ensure that it remains so.
I now wish to raise a few issues to which I hope the minister will respond in summing up. Although I believe that the future of Glasgow’s—and indeed Scotland’s—universities remains bright, I am concerned about the actions of the UK Border Agency and the effect of its changes to tier 4 visas on international students and, in turn, Scottish universities’ hard-won reputation as centres of excellence. It has been estimated that the placing of restrictions on foreign students could be costing universities £1 billion in fee income alone. To make matters worse, the UKBA, which advises the Home Office on how to impose the restrictions and cap such immigration, is itself deeply critical of the figures on which it relies, estimating that net immigration is probably more like half the figure stated in the international passenger survey. We need to look at that issue because those ill-thought-out and ultimately erroneous plans are harming Scottish universities’ ability to attract and retain international students and Scotland’s economy, and I ask the minister to address that issue in summing up.
Higher education in Scotland is worth £1.9 billion, employs 35,000 people and exports more than £400 million-worth of services. It is, therefore, one of Scotland’s biggest service sector exporters. People do not realise that fact; we talk about universities as places of excellence and learning, which they are, but we should also be proud of the fact that they are one of our biggest service sector exporters—and exporters of knowledge, at that.
Given their rich history and contribution to Scottish society throughout the centuries, Scottish universities must be protected and enhanced to ensure that they continue to deliver for Scotland and help to shape future learning throughout the world. That is what Scotland—and the University of Glasgow in particular—is renowned for and I am very pleased to have secured this debate in Parliament.
17:13
I am grateful to be called in the debate and congratulate not only Sandra White on securing it but the Presiding Officer on having the wisdom to choose Ms White again. First of all, Presiding Officer, I must apologise to you, Sandra White, other members and particularly the minister because, depending on the length of the debate, I might not be able to stay to the end due to a prior engagement in my region.
Sandra White will be aware that I, too, lodged a motion to mark the University of Glasgow’s achievement in being ranked first in the UK in a survey of international student satisfaction. As a former postgraduate student at the university, I know well that it offers excellent teaching, research facilities and student support and I congratulate the principal, Professor Muscatelli, and all those at the university for the hard work that no doubt preceded this recognition.
I must also recognise the achievements of Glasgow Caledonian University, which has achieved the overall ranking three times in the past and might have expected to keep the crown. In fact, this year it was ranked first by postgraduate students for managing research, learning support and accommodation services. In this debate secured by Sandra White, we pay tribute not only to Glasgow’s universities but to all Scotland’s universities for their work in ensuring that Scotland maintains and improves its position as a first-class destination for higher education.
Of course, international students are an important source of revenue for our universities, particularly in postgraduate courses and especially at a time when institutions are seeking to balance their budgets in straitened financial circumstances. However, in acknowledging that economic factor, we should also be clear in our aspiration to make the student experience, student learning and student support the best they can be for international students as well as our own and rest-of-UK students.
Sandra White’s motion highlights that 94 per cent of international students who studied at Glasgow said that they were satisfied with their expert lecturers and 91 per cent of final-year students expressed satisfaction with their learning experience. The motion that I lodged notes that 96 per cent of students agreed that Glasgow is a good place to be, as Sandra White said—I am sure that she and I are in complete agreement with that sentiment, particularly on a Thursday evening, when we are both keen to return to the best city in Scotland.
The University of Glasgow currently has about 4,500 international students. It is estimated that, on average, each one contributes some £10,000 to the city’s economy. Glasgow gives a warm welcome to all who choose to visit or stay in the city, and I want to express the value that we place on international students as part of Glasgow’s unique cosmopolitan mix. Many international students choose to stay in Glasgow or the UK, but we thank even those whose stay with us is short for everything that they add to our diversity as a city and for the role that they play in our community and our politics.
I pay particular tribute to the academic and other staff at the university for achieving the accolade that we are celebrating at a time that I am sure the university management would acknowledge has been difficult for the whole of the university community. I welcome the senior management’s recent acknowledgement that their reform plans went too far, too quickly, as The Herald reported recently. The staff have maintained the quality of education and student experience in what has often been a turbulent time.
17:16
I am a graduate of the University of Glasgow, so it is tempting to use the debate for a bit of self-indulgent comment about the best days of my life, when I rubbed shoulders with such luminaries as Wendy Alexander and Fiona Hyslop, who were my contemporaries. However, that is all ancient history; I want to talk about the university today.
I endorse everything that has been said about the university’s activities in the west end of Glasgow, where I still live, and about its magnificent Gothic sandstone buildings, but I want to talk about some equally magnificent sandstone buildings elsewhere in Scotland, which also belong to the university. The Crichton campus, in Dumfries, is set in 85 acres of parkland, with views over the Solway Firth. Its beautiful setting belies a somewhat turbulent academic history in recent years. In 2007, it was threatened with closure but was saved by a £1.5 million grant from the Scottish National Party Government, through the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council.
Earlier this year, the campus appeared to be under threat again, when the university authorities decided to end the liberal arts programme at the campus when the current crop of students have completed their degrees. There was fear among members of all parties in the Parliament that the decision threatened the long-term future of the Crichton campus. I am pleased that the reassurance that the university authorities gave us has been borne out and that their intention to reorganise courses in Dumfries to secure the campus’s future appears to be bearing fruit. In particular, the university has been extremely successful in attracting international students.
I will talk a little about what international students can expect when they come to study at the Crichton campus in Dumfries. Two thirds of the postgraduate taught degrees have international students, who come from Malawi, India, Azerbaijan, Taiwan, Kazakhstan and China, as well as the European Union. Dumfries campus has a long tradition of welcoming students on the Erasmus exchange programme, particularly from Spain and Germany.
Why do those students come to that corner of Scotland? There is the great outdoors and the easy access to the Galloway hills, the southern uplands and the English Lake District. The scenery is important, but it is the outdoor activities that are particularly attractive to young people. We have the Seven Stanes, which is a series of world-class mountain biking centres, which are operated by Forestry Commission Scotland. There are 400km of trails for cyclists of all abilities. The long coastline offers great opportunities for water sports, such as kayaking, sailing and canoeing.
Of course, it is the quality of the education that is on offer at the Crichton campus, as much as it is the environment, that draws students from across the world. There is an emphasis on environmental studies. The Crichton carbon centre conducts research into carbon management and offers the UK’s first MSc in the subject, which is a 12-month full-time and 24-month part-time course. It is an ideal part of the world to study that subject. Extensive fieldwork is undertaken along with environmental charities that work in the area. Graduates of the course come out with the tools to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, which can be applied in work throughout the world. That underlines Scotland’s reputation in the area.
As well as environmental studies, the interdisciplinary school at the Crichton campus offers health and social studies. There is an excellent primary teaching course over four years that attracts students from throughout Europe and a heritage and tourism course, which is particularly appropriate in that part of the world, which is the home of Burns and Robert the Bruce. Students can mix all those courses together in an interdisciplinary degree, which is in line with the thinking on cross-curriculum education.
I congratulate the University of Glasgow and the Government on ensuring the future of the Crichton campus. The campus contributes £311 million to the Dumfries and Galloway economy, so that is money well spent. I look forward to the future for the Crichton campus in Dumfries.
17:21
I, too, congratulate Sandra White on securing the debate. I start with the terrible admission that I am not a graduate of the University of Glasgow. Unfortunately, I did my degree 40 miles away in Edinburgh although, as a redeeming feature, I did half of a masters at Glasgow before politics got in the way. I did development studies with a focus on international development of the poorest countries in the world, so a high proportion of my classmates were international students. Joan McAlpine might be interested to hear that several of our lectures were conducted on two sites and by videolink between the Crichton campus and the west end campus in Glasgow. I therefore recognise that the university’s reach goes beyond Glasgow’s city boundaries. However, I will talk about the contribution that the university makes to Glasgow.
As a resident of the west end, I know that the 4,500 foreign students from 130 countries who come to the city are a huge bonus to the life of not only Byres Road but the greater west end. Although those students might not be Scottish when they arrive, they are most certainly Glaswegian by the time they leave, because Glasgow is a city with which it is easy to fall in love. Those students bring a lot to the life of the city. Glasgow used to revel in the title of the second city of the empire. In the post-colonial age, although we might not use such outdated and outmoded terms, we can say that Glasgow truly is a global gathering of people. Institutions such as the University of Glasgow, the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University are some of the great draws that bring people from throughout the world to Glasgow.
It is worth talking about the contribution that the University of Glasgow has made to the life of Scotland down the ages. Alumni of the university, including Adam Smith, James Watt, Lord Kelvin and John Logie Baird, used their ideas, discoveries and inventions to change not just Scotland, but the world. In the political context, people such as John Smith, Donald Dewar and Charles Kennedy came out of that famous institution. I would have liked to have seen a few more Conservatives, but I believe that the university holds the distinction of having the largest number of graduates in the Scottish Parliament. The university has a Conservative association that I must big up at this point. It is one of the oldest such associations in the country and is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1836 and continues to go from strength to strength.
The 4,500 people who come to Glasgow would not come if they did not get a good educational experience. Sandra White and Drew Smith took us through the figures on the success that the university has had in many areas. That success comes from not just teaching quality, although that is imperative, but the quality of social life, extracurricular activities and research. Those figures do Anton Muscatelli and his team great credit.
Drew Smith has drawn our attention to Glasgow Caledonian University’s proud record in the survey, and we have noted the University of Glasgow’s success this year. I hope that that will foster greater competition among all Scotland’s universities, including my alma mater in Edinburgh, and encourage them to step up to the plate and offer students from every country in the world the best possible experience when they come to Scotland.
17:25
I, too, congratulate my colleague Sandra White on securing tonight’s debate. Too often, we hear doom-and-gloom stories about further and higher education, so it is pleasing to have a good-news story to tell, and the survey is certainly one of those.
When I was at the University of Glasgow—yes, they let the locals into the student bar—one of the things that I particularly enjoyed was the great mix of people and the vibrant atmosphere, which is brought to the whole community, as Ruth Davidson said. As someone who lives in Glasgow, close to the uni, I can say that it is great to see so many different people coming together, and it helps to make Glasgow a great place to be. That is why I am not too surprised that the international student barometer found that 96 per cent of international students found Scotland is a good place to be. That is a testament to the friendly, outgoing nature of people in Glasgow and the warm welcome that they give people who visit the city, and it is something that we should be proud of. It is also a testament to the fantastic work that is done by the staff of the University of Glasgow—and indeed all our universities—to encourage and attract international students to Glasgow and to Scotland.
We must also give credit to the Scottish Government for the support that it gives universities to bring foreign students here. Its strategic investment fund is an excellent example of what a joined-up approach can deliver for Scotland. Through enhancing Scotland’s profile in key international markets, increasing college and university engagement in international education, supporting postgraduate employment of international students and improving the experience of such students while they are here, the fund aims to build on the excellent international reputation that our further and higher education sectors have built up, in order to make them even more successful.
The projects that the fund supports include a campaign to promote higher education in India and China, and the students without borders initiative of the National Union of Students, which aims to integrate international students and encourage outward mobility of Scottish students. To my mind, the students without borders initiative has been a great success. Much of the information that has been gathered on the issues that international students face has been included in the core work of the NUS, and staff and student officers have received training and advice on those issues.
Another key piece of work of the students without borders initiative was its response to the UK Border Agency’s immigration proposals. It gathered a large amount of evidence and case studies on the points-based immigration system in Scotland and the implications of the changes for international students and Scottish institutions. Unfortunately, as Sandra White pointed out, much of that hard work is under threat from the changes to student visas that are being implemented under the short-sighted and xenophobic approach of the Westminster Government, which is once again applying a knee-jerk reaction to pacify its baying back benchers.
As always with the UK Government, it is managing to act in an incompetent and ill-thought-out way. I hope that our minister will tell us the direction that the Scottish Government is taking in order to alleviate some of the problems. I, for one, do not want to be a part of that situation. I want international students to come to this country and bring the great range of benefits that they have shown they can bring; in return, Scotland has a great deal to offer them.
I would go so far as to say that, if Scotland is to continue to be regarded as one of the best places in the world in which to study, and if it is to have the freedom to promote itself internationally and grow successfully, it needs powers over immigration to ensure that we have access to fresh talent. That can only benefit the whole of Scotland.
17:29
As an alumnus of the University of Glasgow, I am delighted to add my congratulations to the university today. I also congratulate Sandra White on securing the debate, which has given us a chance to celebrate the achievements of one of the world’s oldest seats of learning—and, it would now seem, one of the world’s most popular, too.
Biased as I am in these matters, as a Glasgow graduate, I am happy to wax lyrical about the University of Glasgow and what an appealing place it is for any prospective student, and it seems that I am far from alone in that. To be number 1 in the UK for international student satisfaction is an accolade to be proud of. Indeed, it is but one more thing to add to the university’s many achievements since its foundation in 1451, which range from fostering the talents of seven Nobel laureates and being the home of Scotland’s first women graduates to ensuring the recovery of the stone of destiny in 1950.
Ms White mentioned the egalitarian and international traditions of the university. The ability to react to the needs of international students is, as others have mentioned, a key component of a successful university. It is encouraging to note that an impressive 96 per cent of the university’s international students agree that Glasgow is a good place to be.
In the interests of fairness—and speaking as someone who also enjoyed going to the University of Aberdeen—I am pleased also to agree with Mr Smith that it is not only Glasgow that has excelled in the recent i-graduate survey. All the institutions that took part in Scotland performed exceptionally well against institutions in the rest of the UK and other international comparators. Scotland scored above the UK and international averages on features such as campus environment, social and sports facilities, employability, visa advice, living costs and earning money.
As Joan McAlpine pointed out, Glasgow’s campus is not restricted to the city of Glasgow but includes places such as the Crichton campus as well. However, as Ruth Davidson reminded us, the impact of the university is primarily felt in the city. As Bill Kidd mentioned, that impact is an entirely positive one and there is no easily visible divide between town and gown.
Part of the university’s evident appeal to students is its world-class academic reputation, with a research base that includes pioneering work in the fields of medicine, engineering, ethics, physics and astronomy, as well as emerging disciplines such as bioelectronics, cell signalling and nanotechnology.
As the minister with responsibility for science, I am pleased to say that the Scottish Government will continue to maintain Scotland’s world-leading position in scientific as well as other fields of research and will take steps to maximise the contribution that that makes to economic growth.
The Scottish Government is investing record levels of funding in our universities. The spending review settlement increases our investment by £327 million over the next three years, which represents real-terms increases of more than 5 per cent in each year.
It is worth highlighting that Glasgow has recently announced a number of international strategic partnerships with some of the top universities in the world. For example, the school of culture and creative arts at the University of Glasgow has entered an agreement with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and George Mason University in Virginia, and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning was present at the recent signing of an agreement between Glasgow and the University of Calcutta.
Those international links underline the fact that there are more than 40,000 international students from more than 180 countries studying in Scotland. It is no surprise that international students have been identified as key contributors to the Scottish economy and to the academic, cultural and social experience at our universities and colleges.
With regard to the points that Ms White and Mr Kidd raised about the UK Border Agency, the Scottish Government has raised those issues regularly with the UK Government on behalf of universities and colleges that have been in touch with us to express their frustration with aspects of current immigration policy.
I concur with the view that international students are an enormous benefit to Scotland. It is more than unfortunate that UK policy in this area has been at odds, in many cases, with the ambitions of universities. The impact of the attitude of the UK Government—both real and perceived—and the new rules around immigration in this area were raised with Mr Russell when he visited India recently. The Scottish Government is providing funding of up to £100,000 to enhance the welcome facilities for international students. That indicates our very positive attitude towards them.
As members know, we are in the process of reforming our post-16 programme to create a more sustainable approach to funding post-16 education. We believe that that will create better life chances for all our young people. However, although we have to consider what happens in Scotland, we also have to consider Scotland’s place in the world and the impact that that has on our education system. We all have to engage internationally, and we must continue to review our aspirations and targets to ensure that they are relevant and reflect what is best for Scotland. I believe that education is at the heart of what we do and is the key to future economic success for Scotland.
The University of Glasgow clearly understands all that and continues to be one of Scotland’s greatest cultural assets. Like other members, I wish it every success for the future. If the opinions of its students are anything to judge by, being a student there is, above all, as much fun as it ever was. I celebrate that.
Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus!
Meeting closed at 17:36.