Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Official Report 859KB pdf

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University of Stirling (50th Anniversary)

The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-05050, in the name of Bruce Crawford, on the University of Stirling’s 50th anniversary. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament congratulates the University of Stirling on its 50th anniversary in 2017; understands that, on 18 September 1967, 164 undergraduate students and 31 postgraduates began their courses at the new Pathfoot Building and, since then, the university’s alumni has grown to include over 80,000 people in 170 countries; acknowledges that many notable alumni, such as the BBC documentaries, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, cinematographer, Doug Allan, and the biotech innovator, Sunil Kadri, who founded the AKVA Group, which is understood to be the world’s largest aquaculture technology supplier, have attended the university over the years; considers that the university particularly excels in the fields of research, the environment and sport as Scotland’s University of Sporting Excellence, with Scottish sporting stars, such as the Commonwealth gold-winning swimmer, Ross Murdoch, and tennis superstars, Andy and Jamie Murray, using the university’s facilities to train; notes that the university was the first genuinely new university in Scotland for over 400 years and considers that it has established itself as a desired place of study for students from Scotland and across the world; welcomes the fact that thousands of students continue to apply for and attend the university each year and believes that this is testament to the fantastic campus, facilities, courses and staff, and wishes everyone linked to the university the very best for the future.

17:09  

As is traditional, I thank members from all parties who signed the motion and those who are here this evening, particularly those who are alumni of the University of Stirling, some of whom may speak this evening. I am delighted to welcome to the public gallery Gerry McCormac, who is the principal of the university and who has led that organisation with aplomb and distinction since 2010.

On 18 September 1967, the doors to the University of Stirling opened for the very first time, admitting 195 students: 164 graduates and 31 postgraduates. It was the first genuinely new university in Scotland for 400 years. The royal charter was signed in November 1967 and the great seal of Scotland was applied the following month.

Stirling’s university has grown to become a global player in educational excellence, and I am delighted to lead this debate to highlight the significant history and achievements of this wonderful institution. The debate also gives us the opportunity to consider the massive contribution that the university makes to education, culture and research.

The university has a beautiful campus, which offers a fantastic base from which to visit one of the world’s most inspiring and vibrant countries. The university is currently investing an additional £40 million, to enhance student residences.

The university’s first principal was Professor Tom Cottrell, who was also the university’s co-founder, as well as the co-founder of the Macrobert arts centre in Stirling, which, like the university, is a thriving institution that continues to inspire to this day. Professor Cottrell’s background was in chemistry—he was professor in the subject at the University of Edinburgh before he became heavily involved in the founding of the University of Stirling. I can think of no more fitting an origin story for today’s University of Stirling than one that involves a chemistry professor turned founding university principal who dedicated himself to promoting the arts. The story sums up the diversity of the subjects that are taught on the campus and the knowledge on which the university is built, and it inspires new generations of students.

Since opening 50 years ago, the University of Stirling has expanded to offer more opportunities to its students. For instance, the university’s contribution to sport is almost unrivalled. It is Scotland’s university for sporting excellence, and it offers a number of world-class health science and sport courses. Perhaps its most notable sporting achievement is the continuing success of the swimming team. At last year’s Olympics in Rio, the university was Scotland’s best performer. The Great Britain swimming team took home three silver medals, and Stirling swimmers Duncan Scott and Robbie Renwick were part of the GB squad who sealed Olympic silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay. The GB team achieved its best result in 108 years, setting a new United Kingdom record, and Duncan Scott went on to smash the UK record in the 100m freestyle.

As members might imagine, a university as diverse as Stirling has tallied up impressive achievements across a large number of subjects. The university’s institute of aquaculture opened in 1991 and to this day is the largest institute of its kind in the world. The university’s innovation park opened in 1986 and continues to provide a hub for enterprise and business that is directly involved in research and development. It benefits from European Union funding.

The Iris Murdoch building, which Dame Judi Dench opened in 2002, is home to the world-leading dementia services development centre, which is an incredibly important focal point, given our ageing population and the increasing number of people and families who face that debilitating condition.

Following investment of £11.5 million, the university opened its state-of-the-art library in 2011, giving students access to modern learning resources and ensuring that all students have the tools that they need to succeed in their chosen courses.

Today, the University of Stirling is ranked first in Scotland and third in the whole of the UK for graduate employment. Earlier this year, it was named in the list of the top 50 universities in the world under the age of 50. Three quarters of all the research that is conducted in the university was ranked “world leading” in the 2014 research excellence framework exercise.

The international student barometer benchmark places the university first in Scotland for welcoming students from around the world, and in the most recent Guardian university guide, this marvellous institution was ranked first in criminology, education, media and film, and social policy, and was ranked second in sociology. That shows the university’s remarkable track record.

I wish that the debate provided more time to talk about the university’s achievements, because there is much more to say.

There are more than 82,000 alumni of the University of Stirling, including people of 169 nationalities. Many of them have gone on to serve with distinction in many fields. Today, 14,000 students currently attend the university, with 20 per cent of them coming from overseas. With the 1,500 staff included, there are more than 120 different nationalities represented on campus today.

In its relatively short 50 years, the University of Stirling has grown to become an institution that offers education and life experience opportunities to thousands of people of all walks of life from across the globe. When, in preparing for this debate, I asked staff at the University of Stirling to sum up their ethos and what the university is about, they responded to me with this:

“Stirling staff, students, and alumni challenge the status-quo and make significant difference to society; we are driven by transformative thinking, innovative action and the desire to use our knowledge and skills to shape the world in a positive way.”

Presiding Officer, I think that I will just leave the last words to them, because they are both powerful and meaningful.

17:16  

I congratulate Bruce Crawford on securing the debate. I suspect that the University of Stirling will want to bottle his speech and make it the heart of its marketing strategy, because he summed up all the many fantastic attributes of the university. I also offer the University of Stirling warm congratulations on its 50th anniversary.

I speak as one of the university’s 82,000 alumni, and I want to give a few personal insights on my alma mater, because the person who stands before Parliament today was largely shaped by my time at the University of Stirling. It certainly enriched me as a person. It was the first time that I had left home to live elsewhere, and I was also the first person in my family to go to university—I had never met someone from my family who had gone to university, so it was a big move for me and an enriching experience that has shaped my outlook on life. I have many fond memories of my time there.

As Bruce Crawford mentioned, the outstanding location and beautiful surroundings at the university are the first things that strike anyone who goes to the campus. They add to the learning experience for young people at the university. I spent many a time lying on the grass staring at the stars. I am not sure whether the stars were induced by the alcohol that I consumed at the Gannochy or at the Meadowpark hotel, but it was an amazing environment to walk through every night to go back to the halls of residence.

Of course, the education that takes place there through tutorials and achieving a degree is exceptionally important, but it is part of the wider education that people receive when they go to the University of Stirling—or, indeed, any university—because they encounter other cultures. Stirling is an international university, as has been mentioned. The Japanese contingent was there when I was, and there were many Norwegians and a huge contingent from Northern Ireland, so I got to meet people from all those countries. That opens people’s eyes to what is out there in the big world, and to all its diverse cultures.

Some educational specialisms have been developed at the university, over time. When I was a cabinet secretary for nine years in the Scottish Government, I was responsible for aquaculture, among many other things. The University of Stirling is the foremost centre of knowledge for aquaculture. It is appropriate for that centre to be in Scotland, given that we are the biggest producer in aquaculture in the whole of Europe. I recall visiting the university as cabinet secretary and discussing some key issues with the staff there. In fact, I unveiled a plaque in the Pathfoot building, which I hope is still there.

The University of Stirling has certainly made its mark in aquaculture and in many other disciplines. There is not enough time to go through them all, but Bruce Crawford has mentioned many of them. It is important, as the university staff told Bruce Crawford, that the university challenges the status quo. It has a reputation for doing that, and I hope that it keeps it up.

A couple of days ago, I noticed a news article in which Professor Linda Bauld, who is the director of the institute for social marketing at the University of Stirling and a Cancer Research UK cancer prevention champion, talked about the need to place limits on junk food and junk food promotion as a way of combating cancer, which I support.

It is good to see academics at the university speaking out on those sometimes controversial issues, pushing the boundaries of the debate and impacting on public policy. I know that the principal of the University of Stirling is in the gallery—I welcome him—and I hope that he takes away the message that it is important that the academics and the university continue to challenge the status quo.

My sense of national identity was strengthened during my time at university because, of course, not only is the university steeped in history, but Stirling is itself steeped in history. It lies in the shadow of the Wallace monument and Bannockburn is close by.

While at the university, I was a young member of the Scottish National Party, I started off the politics society and helped to run the Federation of Student Nationalists. At the time, Dr Robert McIntyre lived in Stirling. He was the SNP’s first MP, and had been elected in a by-election in 1945. I got to know him, which enriched my knowledge of Scottish political history and the SNP’s legacy. He invited me back to his home and his wife served me sandwiches and coffee while he told me about his time in the House of Commons. I will always remember that experience; I will never forget it.

I congratulate the university on its 50th anniversary and I wish it all the best for the next 50 years. I hope that it continues to make its mark on Scottish education and ensures that people of all abilities go to university. That is a strength of the university; indeed, I was able to go there because of that. Here’s to the next 50 years.

17:21  

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this evening’s debate and I congratulate Bruce Crawford on securing it.

In 2017, the University of Stirling will mark 50 years since its founding. As has been mentioned, it has more than 14,000 students and 1,500 staff. It is a huge employer and makes a huge contribution to the economy in Stirling.

To celebrate the university’s past, present and future, many events are planned throughout 2017, including public lectures, exhibitions, family fun days, reunions and much more besides. I welcome the events because they give the university the opportunity to engage with the community and they give individuals the chance to celebrate its success and the anniversary.

On 17 July 1964, it was announced that Stirling would be the site of a new university. That followed the publication of the Robbins report in 1963, which highlighted proposals for a new university in Scotland. In June 1965, the first principal and vice-chancellor were appointed. Precisely 50 years ago this month, the new Pathfoot building welcomed its first intake, and in 1968 the University of Stirling conferred degrees on its first cohort of graduates. It celebrated with a small number of students at the first graduation ceremony. Since then the numbers have grown and, as we have heard, there are more than 80,000 alumni from 169 different countries.

One of the many highly notable graduates is the clerk and chief executive of the Scottish Parliament, Sir Paul Grice. He was honoured for his services to this Parliament, to higher education and to the community.

The University of Stirling’s alumni are held in high regard across the world. An example of that will take place in October when, as part of the anniversary, celebrations will be held at the British high commissioner’s residence in Singapore, hosted by the high commissioner, with the principal and the vice-chancellor of the university present.

I take this opportunity not only to congratulate the university on its anniversary and relatively short but illustrious history, but to look at its outstanding achievements.

In 1997, the university launched, in conjunction with Marie Curie, its unique master’s degree in palliative nursing care. That is a fantastic achievement. In 2009-10, The Sunday Times recognised the “outstanding student experience” that was recorded at the university and the quality of teaching that was experienced there. In 2014, its research was recognised when it reached the UK top 40 and took fifth place in Scotland for research. As we have already heard, it is also well ranked in the UK for graduate employability. In 2016, Stirling management school’s programmes gained the accreditation of the Association of MBAs. Lots has been achieved over the 50 years that the university has seen.

I conclude by mentioning the sporting activities that take place at the university, which have already been talked about. As Bruce Crawford said in his speech, at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the university saw three of its students receive silver medals. A student won a gold for tennis in the Paralympics there, as well.

I congratulate all who have contributed to and supported the university, and I wish it well in its prospects for the future. It is located in a fantastic site and has the fantastic opportunity of fitting into that part of Scotland—its very centre. I look forward to attending many of the celebrations, and I will do all that I can to ensure that the university is given the recognition and respect that it deserves.

17:26  

I am delighted to take part in this evening’s debate celebrating the University of Stirling 50th anniversary, and I thank Bruce Crawford for his motion enabling the debate to go ahead.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the growth of the university. In 1967 it was the first new university in Scotland for over 400 years, and it offers a unique campus experience in Scotland. It is a beautiful university to visit. Situated within a 330-acre estate, it is designed around a loch and the 18th century Airthrey castle. I was fortunate enough to spend a week there at a conference when I was a postgraduate student. It is fair to say that I spent more time in the social areas than I did enjoying the natural landscape, but as one of the MSPs for the area, it is always a pleasure to visit the campus throughout the seasons and to admire its location. It has won many awards and merits for its campus environment.

The establishment of the University of Stirling was part of an expansion in higher education across the United Kingdom during the 1960s. At the time, the country faced an increasingly young population, and the number of full-time students in higher education doubled during the 1960s. There were rising expectations of better-qualified school leavers who had stayed at school longer, and there was a growing belief that investment in higher education was a means of procuring national prosperity. All that resulted in a number of new universities being established.

Although those universities were created to cope with an expansion in student numbers, they were also seen as a way to inject fresh thinking into the university system. They played a significant part in expanding opportunities for more people to go to university. Many such students were the first people in their families to have access to that level of education.

Stirling has always been an outward looking and innovative university. Perhaps because it was not weighted with the expectations or traditions of the ancient universities, it was free to create a modern identity—one that valued its students, was open to working with others and sought to make a difference.

The university has always been highly rated for its student experience. I note that a number of members are graduates, and alumni also include John Reid, now Baron Reid of Cardowan, who described his time as a Stirling student this way:

“You have a vital community with critical thought, mental rigour, and an environment second to none. Just walk around the place, why would you want to go to any other university in the world?”

It is also more than a university. The location of the Macrobert arts centre there is hugely advantageous to the university and students, as well as being a huge benefit for the local area. The expansion in recent years of sports facilities, with the designation of Stirling as Scotland’s university for sporting excellence, provides excellent opportunities to competitive athletes, as well as to students. The openness of the university to the local community is important to its identity and is one of its real strengths.

The university also has a good track record of working with many partners—local to international. It has a broad range of researchers who produce excellent work with external organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors. Just last week I went to the parliamentary discussion of the “A good life in later years” research project report. The project has been carried out by community research teams of older people and has been supported by the University of Stirling and Age Scotland and funded by the Life Changes Trust. It is a really good example of the type of research that is undertaken at Stirling, in that it makes an important contribution to the public policy agenda. Stirling is one of the UK’s leading research universities in health and wellbeing, the environment and people, culture and society, enterprise and the economy, and sport.

I wish the University of Stirling, all its students—some of whom are starting out on their academic journey this week—and all the staff who work on the campus the very best on this special anniversary. It is a real landmark in the university’s life, and I wish everyone many successful years ahead.

17:30  

I thank Bruce Crawford for lodging the motion and I heartily congratulate Gerry McCormac, all the university staff and everyone who has contributed to the University of Stirling’s success over the past 50 years.

I should declare an interest as an alumnus of the university. I was there at the same time as Richard Lochhead; he might not remember this, but at the time we were engaged in a poster war between the Scottish National Party and the Greens. Indeed, he might not know that it was me who used to rip down his posters. There is a strong tradition of politics at Stirling and, of course, the former First Minister Jack McConnell was a student president there.

When I became a councillor, I had the pleasure of having the campus in my council ward and, over the years, I have met and worked with many generations of people who have worked and studied at the university. I have met some of the original students of 1967 as well as the students of today, who will just be starting back this week.

We all share many common experiences of being at Stirling. One that Richard Lochhead has already mentioned is the fact that the campus is a really inspiring environment to work and study in. There is something quite intense about hundreds, if not thousands, of young people on a campus, but I think that at Stirling that is counterpoised beautifully with the nature of the environment and the calmness of Airthrey loch and the Hermitage woods. Despite the many—and very welcome—expansions of the campus over the years, including the building of the national tennis centre, Stirling has always managed to keep the integrity of its natural environment and maintain that balance. That is really important; indeed, many important features of the campus echo the original Airthrey estate, and the fact that they have been retained is a great tribute to the way in which the university’s estates management department has expanded the campus over time.

The other common experience is Stirling’s diversity. Like Richard Lochhead, I was the first in my family to go to university, and it was the first time that I had met people from so many different backgrounds and places. That experience is really true to the vision of the Robbins report in 1963. The new universities were about ability and attainment, not background, and perhaps because of that, Stirling has always had a bit of a radical strain of politics and activism right from the 1960s to the present day. I remember how in my own time at Stirling I would get involved in campus campaigns on issues from dropping third world debt to recycling, green issues and everything else. I probably shaved a grade off my final degree as a result, but what I gained in experience was hugely important. After all, it is the well-rounded nature of one’s university experience that is so important.

The university’s international nature and the diversity of its students have only grown over time, and the fact that people from 120 nationalities are represented and are studying and working on the campus is a triumph. Indeed, the university has won awards for being the most welcoming in Scotland for international students. Of course, that brings up an important point about Brexit. We need the free movement of students across the world; we need those 120 nationalities to study and stay in Stirling and to contribute to those wider communities.

If we look at the successful places around the world and the flotilla of small cities such as Tübingen in Germany, we see that they are low carbon, innovative, outward looking, smart and incredibly successful economically. They are successful because of their strong links to strong universities, and I think that there is a real opportunity for the university to play a central role in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire city deal—indeed, perhaps even more of a central role as we move forward—by driving innovation and excellence, but in a way that addresses some of the sharp inequalities in Stirling’s surrounding communities. That would be a great legacy, and it would be true to Robbins’s original vision of inclusion and the principles on which the University of Stirling was founded 50 years ago.

17:34  

I, too, thank Bruce Crawford for lodging the motion and giving us the opportunity to celebrate the University of Stirling’s 50th anniversary. I also extend a warm welcome to Principal McCormac.

As Bruce Crawford and other members have mentioned, only a handful of students were enrolled when the University of Stirling first opened its doors in September 1967. Since then, the university has grown in size and reputation to become a centre of excellence in academic research and innovation and for producing graduates who are sought after by employers of all sizes and in all sectors and locations. The quality of education that the university provides is clearly demonstrated by the remarkable success of its graduates. Other members have quite rightly highlighted notable alumni of the university. The university is ranked first in Scotland and third in the UK for graduate employability, with 97 per cent of its graduates being in employment or further study this year. That is quite a remarkable endorsement of the quality of teaching and education that the university provides.

The University of Stirling rightly prides itself on its ability to combine that excellence in training with excellence in research and innovation. In particular, it has an outstanding track record on research and innovation in several specialist areas, including in aquaculture, which has been mentioned, dementia and the environment, to name but a few.

As we have heard, the university is home to the institute of aquaculture, which is a leading international centre in its field and the largest of its kind in the world. With a community of 350 highly skilled staff and students from around the world, that institute brings together world-class researchers from a variety of disciplines to focus on critical questions that face not just this country, but the world, including how to support communities in developing countries so that they have enough to eat and how to develop strategies for sustainable aquaculture and aquatic food security. I am sure that members will agree that the institute and the university are addressing really important questions.

Since its formation, the institute of aquaculture has grown steadily.

I thank Dean Lockhart for letting me make a brief intervention, which allows me to right an omission. I should have mentioned at the beginning of the debate, of course, that the University of Stirling is not in my constituency; it is in the constituency of my good friend Keith Brown MSP, who is here this evening. I thank Dean Lockhart very much for allowing me to intervene to ensure that I got that on the record.

You are now back in the cabinet secretary’s good books.

I welcome Mr Brown to the debate.

I was highlighting the University of Stirling’s global engagement and international reach, which play out across a lot of areas and features of what the university does. Its global reach is shown by the fact that it has international students from more than 120 countries represented on campus and more than 82,000 alumni from 150 countries. That is set to continue after freshers week this week. I am sure that we all remember the first time that we attended university or another institution and the warm welcome that can be enjoyed on occasions such as freshers week.

The university’s international ambitions are also reflected in strategic international partnerships to promote excellence, innovation and teaching with a global impact. It has partnerships throughout the world, including with institutions in the USA, Australia, Canada and the far east through the study abroad programme. The university also offers undergraduate degrees to students in Singapore through a partnership with the Singapore Institute of Management. I have met students who attend the SIM. They speak very highly of the courses that are offered through that joint partnership.

As Scottish higher education continues to provide a world-class offering, I encourage the university to continue to reach out globally and attract even greater numbers of international students to study in Stirling and to get to know the fantastic campus, the city and the countryside that surrounds the university.

I again thank Bruce Crawford for bringing this debate to the chamber, and I wish the University of Stirling all the best as it enters another 50 years.

I call Shirley-Anne Somerville to close for the Government. Minister, you have seven minutes or thereabouts, please.

17:39  

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

I, too, thank Bruce Crawford for bringing the motion to the chamber and allowing us the opportunity to reflect on the many achievements of the University of Stirling. I welcome the principal of the university, Gerry McCormac, to the public gallery.

Bruce Crawford and other members have rightly pointed to the beautiful campus setting of the university, which is stunning. The university is unique in many respects, but its campus life is very special. Claire Baker pointed out the important role of the MacBob centre in the campus—it is important not only to the university but to the local community, and it ties the university and the local community together in a very important way.

The growth of the university has been incredible, as members have pointed out. To go from under 200 students in 1967 to just short of 12,000 in 2015-16 is incredible. We have only to consider the contributions of its alumni to understand the impact that the university has had both in Scotland and further afield. To the alumni who are mentioned in Bruce Crawford’s motion, I add Iain Banks and Jackie Kay, two of our most well-regarded literary figures, and, in the field of science and innovation, Muffy Calder. In the political world, the University of Stirling can count ministers, cabinet secretaries and even former First Ministers among its graduates. We can also point to many MSPs who are alumni of the university, such as Richard Lochhead, who spoke about his experiences at the campus both as a student and as a minister.

There will also be many ministers who have visited the campus and who will attest to the university’s wide range of specialisms, such as in aquaculture or dementia, which have been mentioned in the debate. I can only hope to reach the dizzy heights of unveiling a plaque in the Pathfoot building—an impressive feat by Mr Lochhead. Mark Ruskell pointed to the poster wars—who can forget those from our days in student politics? I am intrigued to know whether it was Mark Ruskell or Richard Lochhead who won the poster wars, but I think that it might have been Mr Lochhead.

On a more serious note, Mark Ruskell pointed to the diversity in the university, which is exceptionally important, with people from different backgrounds coming together, whether they are from families from which no one has ever been to university before or from different nationalities. Currently, there are people from 120 nationalities in the university, which is something that the institution can be very proud of. The internationalism of our higher education institutions is something that makes them some of the most respected higher education institutions across the globe. However, as Mark Ruskell pointed out, that position is unfortunately under threat from Brexit, as we have seen a drop in the number of applications from the EU coming forward. Of course, we now also lack a post-study work visa for international students. A change in both those areas would help the University of Stirling and other universities increase their international standing.

The role of the universities has never been more important. As the First Minister said when introducing the programme for government, we want Scotland to be the best place in the world to bring up children, grow up and be educated, live, work, visit and invest. Ensuring that we have a highly educated and skilled population that is able to meet the needs of a rapidly changing economy is vital for our future prosperity and wellbeing. That is why improving education is the Scottish Government’s number 1 priority. The University of Stirling has made a marked contribution in that regard, with an impressive record on widening access, on which it will continue to work. I was delighted to see the appointment of a new director of admissions and access to oversee the university’s projects, which, as members have said in the debate, further embrace the university’s ability to attract people who are the first in their family to go to such an institution. I am sure that that area will continue to grow.

Links to colleges are also exceptionally important and are something that the University of Stirling can be very proud of. Its links with Forth Valley College, with which there is full articulation, have highly impressed me on my many ministerial visits. Recently I was at the Forth Valley College campus in Stirling when members of the university were talking about the learner journey and working hand-in-hand with employers and colleges to ensure that they are delivering for students in the local area and further afield. I am delighted to see that commitment in the Forth valley by both the college and the university.

The recent stats from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that the university continues to be very successful in terms of outcomes for graduates—clearly, the university is getting something very right in the quality, relevance and modernity of its teaching and research.

Bruce Crawford rightly pointed to the university’s sporting excellence. It was designated as Scotland’s university for sporting excellence in 2008. It is clear that whether students are studying sport or participating in it, sport is very much at the heart of the university’s mission. As an alumnus of the university, I have to admit that my first visit to the sports area in the university was during a ministerial visit. In my two years at the university I managed not to visit the sports centre at all. I would like to claim that I was in the library for most of that time, but I was perhaps also in the student union, specialising in student politics in my party’s youth wing. Nevertheless, I am delighted to see the university’s marked sporting excellence, regardless of whether I went to the sports centre.

Many speakers have pointed to the number of awards and the amount of recognition that the university has received and its strong performance in the university rankings, whether in the Times Higher Education world university rankings or The Times and The Sunday Times good university guide 2017. No doubt, that is due to its fantastic record in teaching and research excellence.

As someone who studied at the University of Stirling for two years as a postgraduate and had a very happy time there, I, along with colleagues who studied or worked there, am confident that the institution will build on the history that we are celebrating today. I am sure that we will be back in the chamber in years to come to celebrate its further success.

Meeting closed at 17:46.