Tag: QMU

QMU’s Chartered Management Institute Accreditation will empower next generation of business leaders

Queen Margaret University’s suite of undergraduate Business Management degrees has gained Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Dual Accreditation, helping students develop the skills, and professional recognition to succeed in exciting graduate roles, and the confidence to secure future leadership opportunities.  

This new partnership with the CMI – the UK’s only chartered body for management and leadership – will provide QMU students with an outstanding opportunity to gain a dual qualification, combining academic study with an internationally recognised professional credential. 

Through this accreditation, QMU students studying one of the undergraduate Business Management courses will not only earn their degree, but will also achieve a CMI Level 5 qualification in Management and Leadership at no additional cost, giving them a competitive edge in the job market. 

QMU’s new CMI Dual Accreditation offers: 

  • A dual qualification: Students will earn both a QMU Business Management degree and a respected CMI Level 5 professional qualification, boosting employability and career readiness. 
  • Chartered status: Graduates can progress towards Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) or the prestigious Chartered Manager (CMgr) status – the highest professional accolade in management. 
  • Exclusive CMI membership: Students receive complimentary CMI membership throughout their studies, gaining access to professional development resources, career tools, networking opportunities, and leadership events. 

Thomas Peschken-Holt, Head of the Queen Margaret Business School, said: “Accreditation from CMI is a powerful addition to our Business Management offering.

“It aligns perfectly with QMU’s focus on employability and real-world learning, ensuring our graduates not only understand management theory, but also demonstrate professional competence and leadership in practice. 

“We look forward to continuing to enhance the curriculum and learner experience.” 

The CMI supports over 230,000 members worldwide and collaborates with more than 1,000 businesses and education providers. With over 75 years of expertise and a Royal Charter, CMI equips people at every career stage to develop the confidence and skills to lead effectively. 

Research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) highlights the strong impact of CMI accreditation on student outcomes and employability. According to CMI, 87% of students say that CMI dual accreditation makes them more employable, and graduates with CMI Dual Accreditation see average salary increases of around 8%. In addition, nine out of ten university partners agree that CMI accreditation improves overall student satisfaction, demonstrating the value of this recognition for both learners and institutions. 

This partnership with the CMI confirms the University’s commitment to preparing students for successful, impactful careers in the business industry. 

QMU’s final-year Business Management students have already been briefed on the CMI accreditation during on-campus sessions and are enthusiastic about accessing CMI support materials, participating in industry events, and expanding their professional networks.

Further follow-up sessions will be held later this semester, with CMI inductions for third-year students scheduled to roll out later this year. 

Research highlights barriers to reusable period product uptake in Scotland

Despite progressive legislation guaranteeing free access to menstrual products in Scotland, research reveals that reusable period products remain significantly underused, with only 3% of people in Scotland who menstruate relying on them exclusively. 

Dominique Haig, a master’s student at Queen Margaret University (QMU), has explored why uptake of reusable menstrual products remains low, despite the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 encouraging their distribution.

The findings point to a complex web of barriers – institutional, educational, and infrastructural – that prevent organisations fully understanding and complying with the Act’s goals around equity, sustainability, and choice. 

Dominique, a student in QMU’s Institute of Global Health and Development explained: “We found that while reusable products are technically available across colleges, universities and public organisations, they’re often out of sight – sometimes hidden behind reception desks or restricted to student unions. 

“This type of gatekeeping, combined with poor signposting and limited education, means many students, who may be particularly vulnerable to period poverty, don’t even know they have the option of accessing the free sanitary products.” 

The research has identified that students most likely to benefit from reusable products – such as low-income, disabled, and trans/non-binary individuals – face disproportionate barriers. These include: 

  • inconsistent menstrual education and limited teacher training, leaving students unaware of their entitlements and product options. 
  • parental influence, which can shape attitudes toward menstruation and product choices, especially when stigma or misinformation has shaped communication. 
  • inadequate washing facilities and lack of private spaces, which make using reusables impractical in many institutions. 

“One teacher told us that students often don’t receive menstrual education until halfway through the school year,” Dominique explained. “By then, their understanding is shaped mostly by what their parents have told them.” 

In addition, student input rarely shaped procurement practices which resulted in the purchase of reusable produced that didn’t meet the needs of students in terms of quality and aesthetic preferences – resulting in wasted budgets and a continual reliance on single use sanitary wear.  

“We spoke to one university procurement officer who confirmed that students had to go to a specific location to collect reusable products,” Dominique added.

“That alone can be a deterrent, especially if the space isn’t welcoming or inclusive.” 

Dominique Haig concluded: “The availability of free sanitary wear across Scotland has been an excellent way of improving equality for women across the country.

“However, without targeted interventions, Scotland risks entrenching its dependence on single-use menstrual products, which ultimately undermines the environmental and social equity goals of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.

“We are therefore calling for improved menstrual education and teacher training; inclusive procurement processes that reflect student preferences; better infrastructure to support reusable product use; and clearer signposting and more accessible distribution methods. 

“This will help protect the dignity of everyone who menstruates and the sustainability of service provision, ensuring every student has real choices.” 

Read the full research brief on the QMU website

University to hold first Osteoporosis Community Café

In a bid to raise awareness of osteoporosis, the Lydia Osteoporosis team at Queen Margaret University (QMU) will be holding its first Osteoporosis Community Café at QMU.

The event offers a supportive environment for people with osteoporosis or caring for someone living with the condition to share their experiences, challenges and successes and learn more about ways of living well with the condition.

In the UK, osteoporosis affects over 3 million people, including 250,000 in Scotland, causing approximately 527,000 fractures each year. Although it is frequently perceived as a condition primarily affecting postmenopausal women (affecting 1 in 2 women over 50), evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects approximately 1 in 5 men over the age of 50. Given its often ‘silent’ progression until fractures occur, it frequently evades diagnosis until it reaches an advanced stage.

Osteoporosis is a common condition which silently undermines bone strength, due to a loss of bone mass, over time. It can go undetected until a simple fall or sudden impact results in a debilitating fracture. Typically, individuals with osteoporosis experience fractures in their wrists, hips, or vertebrae. Compression fractures in the spine can happen with little or no trauma, leading to back pain, loss of height and changes in posture.

The group, which will bring people together from across Edinburgh, The Lothians and beyond, will enjoy a light lunch and the opportunity to chat with each other and the research team at Queen Margaret University.

The Lydia Osteoporosis Project team conducts research, education and awareness raising about osteoporosis, and was established by a group of nurses at Queen Margaret University in 2011, and has since grown to include additional nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals.

Dr Karen Matthews is the lead for the project and is on a mission to highlight the risks of osteoporosis and increase awareness of it as a public health priority. Preventative strategies, such as promoting healthy lifestyles, calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as weight bearing exercises, are so important in both preventing and managing osteoporosis.

As part of her outreach work, Victoria Waqa, Nurse Lecturer for Lydia Osteoporosis Project, is keen to bring people together who are living with the condition, and enable supportive conversations around osteoporosis. She said: “Often people are unaware they have osteoporosis until they facture a bone, so the condition can creep up on people.

“A diagnosis of the condition can be a major shock and often people don’t know which way to turn or how to move forward with managing the condition, but there is so much people can do to live well. It’s important we share that message.”

Victoria confirmed: “Currently, there’s just not enough public awareness of osteoporosis – how to avoid it or how to best manage the condition after diagnosis. The point of the Osteoporosis Community Café at QMU is to find out what people need and want to know more about, and to support them with helpful information and tips for managing the condition.

“This may be around safe exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, or so much more. We can also share our research with people and inform them about our Osteoporosis Symposium that we are planning to hold at Queen Margaret University in 2026.”

The group will meet on Thursday 28th August from 1-3pm (meet at reception at 12.45pm).

Secure your place by email by 21st August to lydiaosteoporosisproject@qmu.ac.uk  

Give details of any dietary or accessibility needs when booking.

Car parking is free for visitors in August (access QMU car park off A1).

Queen Margaret University named Higher Education Institute of the Year at Herald Awards

Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh has been crowned Higher Education Institute of the Year at the prestigious Herald Higher Education Awards 2025, held in Glasgow on 29th May.  

Coming in QMU’s 150th anniversary year, this accolade celebrates the institution’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, inclusion, innovation and student support.

The university impressed judges with its outstanding achievements across multiple categories, securing wins for ‘Outstanding Contribution from a Staff Member’ – honouring podiatry lecturer Evelyn Weir for her decades-long service to Scotland’s homeless community – and ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community’ for its pioneering Wooden Spoon Frame Running Equipment Hub, the first of its kind in Scotland.

QMU was also shortlisted in four additional categories, reflecting the University’s innovative approach to education, inclusivity, and public service. The judging panel praised in particular the University’s holistic impact.

Queen Margaret University’s Principal, Sir Paul Grice, said: “We are over the moon to be awarded Higher Education Institute of the Year – particularly in the year that we celebrate our 150th anniversary.

“This accolade is a testament to the passion and dedication of our staff, students, and partners, and reflects our mission to make a real difference in the world, enabling people and communities to flourish.”

Sir Paul continued: “It was particularly pleasing to see Evelyn Weir, Senior Lecturer in Podiatry, recognised for her outstanding contribution. Evelyn has dedicated 30 years of her life to supporting the homeless community and has encouraged our students and graduates to work alongside her in the running of specialist foot clinics for people living on the streets.

“She is also a staff member who goes “above and beyond” – particularly for our care experienced students. She has never wavered in her personalised support of students – providing the extra care, encouragement and financial guidance required to ensure students have a transformative university experience, reaching their potential during their time at QMU and beyond graduation.

“She epitomises the values of QMU in her education and support of students, and in her drive to be a force for good within the university, the wider community and the podiatry profession.”

QMU’s pioneering role in advancing Frame Running for disabled athletes was formally recognised with the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community Award. Frame Running, a sport that utilises specially designed three-wheeled frames, empowers individuals with limited or no walking ability to experience the freedom of independent movement.

The Wooden Spoon Frame Running Equipment Hub, based at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, is the first of its kind in Scotland – and is believed to be the first dedicated facility of its kind anywhere in the world.

This ground-breaking initiative has been made possible by support from the Wooden Spoon charity, and is the result of a collaborative partnership between QMU, Neil’s Wheel Charity, Frame Running Scotland, and ACE Frame Running, in conjunction with Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport.

The Hub forms part of QMU’s wider commitment to shaping the future of Frame Running. Through its research into athlete classification for para sport, the University is helping to build the foundations for fairer, more inclusive competition. The creation of the Hub reflects this broader ambition – translating academic insight into real-world impact for athletes and communities.

Sir Paul concluded: “In such a special year, we are delighted that a record number of our entries made it into the finals of the Herald Higher Education Awards.

“The Award of Higher Education Institute of the Year allows us to honour our past, celebrate our present, and continue to lead with purpose – demonstrating that education can be a powerful force for good.

“Our thanks go to the Herald Scotland, and all of the college and university award winners, who together showcase so much of what is good about the education sector.”

QMU shines with record Herald Award nominations in 150th year 

Six groundbreaking projects from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh have been shortlisted for the prestigious Herald Higher Education Awards 2025. 

This marks the University’s most successful year to date in terms of award recognition, with a record number of submissions making it to the finals – a particularly fitting achievement in the year that QMU celebrates its 150th anniversary. 

The awards, now in their 10th year, honour excellence across Scotland’s further and higher education sector, highlighting innovation in teaching, student support, business engagement, equality and inclusion, community impact, and all the other extraordinary initiatives in universities and colleges across Scotland.  

QMU has been shortlisted in the following six categories: 

  • Enhancing Student Learning for its Peer Assisted Learning (PALS) scheme – a scheme which sees trained student leaders run collaborative sessions where students can deepen their understanding of course materials in a friendly and supportive environment, helping them build confidence, enhance study skills, and engage more effectively with their studies; 
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for its work in promoting anti-racism, including its new EDI Culture Review, Strategy and Action Plan – QMU aims to adopt an organisation-wide approach to making the University a fairer and more inclusive place to work and to be part of, with inclusion and belonging at its heart; 
  • Outstanding Business Engagementin Universities for its innovative Employer Mentoring Scheme for students – an award-winning scheme which allow students to develop their employability skills while gaining a close insight into a particular job or sector through 121 mentorships with industry professionals; 
  • Outstanding Contribution from a Staff Member for BSc (Hons) Podiatry Programme Leader, Evelyn Weir, for her volunteering work in supporting Scotland’s homeless community – Evelyn has been running specialist footcare clinics and services for people living of the streets of Edinburgh for three decades, and she often facilitates students and graduate involvement in the delivery of podiatric services to the homeless including the Crisis at Christmas initiatives; 
  • Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community for its Wooden Spoon Frame Running Hub initiative – in collaboration with a range of organisations and charities, QMU helped set up Scotland’s pioneering Frame Running Hub in Glasgow, helping young people with limited mobility to access frame equipment, become mobile, and foster independence through sport; 
  • and Widening Access for its ‘Connecting QMU with Craigmillar’ initiative – a scheme which includes community art shows, partnerships, community-based learning and research, and economic development opportunities for the Edinburgh district.  

Sir Paul Grice, Principal of QMU, said: “To have such a broad range of projects – and so many of them – make it to the Herald Education Award finals in this milestone anniversary year for QMU, is a tremendous endorsement of the commitment, innovation and community spirit that underpins everything we do.  

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our staff, students and partners who consistently strive to create meaningful impact – both within the University and in the wider community.

“As we celebrate our 150th anniversary, these nominations reflect and recognise our ongoing efforts to create an outstanding learning experience for our students and to deliver teaching, research and community initiatives that make a difference to the world around us.” 

The winners of the Herald Higher Education Awards 2025 will be announced at a celebratory awards evening on Thursday 29 May at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow. 

For some more information about each of QMU’s award nomination projects:  

More information about the Herald Higher Education Awards.

QMU teams up with Hearts FC and professional theatre company to revive historic plays at Tynecastle

A university in Edinburgh has formed a unique collaboration with an award-winning theatre company to co-produce two ambitious plays for Heart of Midlothian Football Club’s 150th anniversary celebrations this year.

The hugely popular and critically acclaimed shows, A War of Two Halves, and Sweet FA, will be revived in collaboration with BA (Hons) Acting & Performance and BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction students at Queen Margaret University (QMU).

Taking place across November 2024, the shows will be performed at the renowned home of Heart of Midlothian FC, Tynecastle Park.

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of QMU, said: “It’s incredibly exciting that our students will get the opportunity to perform at such an iconic Edinburgh venue and help Hearts mark their special 150th anniversary – an experience that I’m sure will stay with them for years to come.

“As we celebrate 150 years of Queen Margaret University in 2025, we take pride in the many meaningful collaborations we’ve fostered over the years, each of which reflects our deep commitment to supporting our stakeholders and enriching the communities we serve. This new partnership, merging the vibrant worlds of theatre and sport, perfectly embodies QMU’s core values of creativity, innovation, and community engagement.”

Heart of Midlothian FC has welcomed productions at Tynecastle Park since 2018 and recognises their vital contribution to the heritage and cultural understanding of the club and its history.

Throughout this year of Hearts’ 150-year celebrations, the club has found a number of innovative ways to commemorate this important milestone. 

Ann Park, Director of Communities and Partnerships at Hearts, said: “Both of these productions highlight important episodes from the club’s proud history, and we are thrilled that both plays make these accessible and captivating for football and non-football audiences alike.”

A War of Two Halves is a powerful story about the Heart of Midlothian players who, in 1915, showed tremendous courage and team spirit and volunteered en masse for McCrae’s Battalion. This promenade performance leads the audience on a moving journey through various locations around Tynecastle Park, including the home dressing room.

Sweet FA is a companion piece to A War of Two Halves. It is a play with music that tells the inspiring tale of an Edinburgh women’s factory team in 1915, united by their passion for football and their unwavering support and love for one another against the backdrop of the ban on Women’s Football. It will be performed in a purpose-built stage within the main concourse at Tynecastle Park.

The cast of Sweet FA will also be performing at half time of the Women’s Premier League Capital Cup game on 17th November.

Ann, continued: “A War of Two Halves performed to sell out audiences in 2018, 2019 and 2022. BBC Radio 4’s Front Row listed Sweet FA as one of the three must-see shows across 2021’s Fringe and International Festival.

“It is fitting that it is being revived on the 50th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on Women’s Football in 1974. Brilliant dialogue and powerful songs deliver a timely, no holds barred, take on Scottish culture during the Great War.”

Bruce Strachan, co-founder of Two Halves Productions and Lecturer in Acting and Performance at QMU, said: “This new collaboration between us, Hearts Heritage and Queen Margaret University, looks to build on the award-winning success of these two ambitious plays, rooted in the history of Edinburgh.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for two young casts, on the cusp of their launch into the professional world, to explore the importance of these stories and their impact on local history and contemporary Scottish theatre. Given current global events, both pieces serve as a timely reminder of the horrors and futility of world conflict.”

A War of Two Halves and Sweet FA will take place at Tynecastle Park from the 9th to the 21st November 2024 with varying performance times. To purchase your ticket, visit Heartsfc.co.uk. 

QMU graduate is Employer Apprentice of the Year

Lisa Walsh, a student who graduated from Queen Margaret University (QMU) in July, has been awarded the Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) Apprentice of the Year Award.

Lisa received the accolade after four years on QMU’s Graduate Apprenticeship BA (Hons) Business Management course, which she completed while continuing to accelerate her career. 

As a result of participating in the programme, Lisa was able to enhance her business skills and in-depth knowledge and apply them in her workplace, which in turn, helped her thrive at SSE, where she continued to improve and climb the corporate ladder.

She also received this year’s Dean’s List prize for her high course achievements within the Business, Enterprise and Management division at QMU.

Lisa said: “The Graduate Apprenticeship has been a genuinely life changing opportunity for me. As an adult learner I had been out of formal education for nearly 20 years, and it was quite daunting to take the step back into learning. 

“However, the experience I have had at QMU has been amazing. Although challenging, having an employer who believed in me and the fantastic support from QMU, has made this an experience I will never forget – for all the right reasons. My confidence has grown, and I am grateful for the career opportunities this has given me. Thank you QMU and SSE!”

Fitting into work commitments, QMU’s Graduate Apprenticeship degree provides a practical and integrated way to develop expertise with a current employer, who will benefit from having a more highly skilled employee.

The programme helps apprentices learn the higher-level management skills that companies will need, and consolidates that knowledge with real-life work experience.

Now in a major role as Learning Systems and Services Manager at the multinational energy company, Lisa’s award highlights her ambition and motivation to continue her studies alongside her full-time employment. 

On the day of Lisa’s graduation from QMU, she celebrated with her family and classmates at an impressive ceremony held in Edinburgh’s beautiful Usher Hall, attended by QMU’s Chancellor and TV presenter Dame Prue Leith CBE. Lisa was one of 1300 students who graduated in person from Queen Margaret University across three ceremonies in July.

Dr Lynn Waterston, Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Business Management Graduate Apprenticeship, said: “Lisa is an outstanding student, and the award is testament to the hard work and dedication that she has shown throughout the course, as well as her employer and the teaching team who work to ensure the success of the graduates on the programme.”

The SSE Apprentice of the Year Award is presented to apprentices at Modern and Graduate levels during Scottish Apprenticeship Week each year. Lisa was awarded with her accolade in March 2024 at a formal, online event.

Judy Preece, Apprenticeship Performance & Quality Manager for SSE, said “Lisa thoroughly deserved to win the Apprentice of the Year Award.  The award not only recognised her dedication and commitment to her studies, but also how her career has developed as a result of Lisa’s continued desire to succeed.

“As a large employer, we are proud to support the Graduate Apprenticeship pathway – it is one of our key learning pathways used to develop our future workforce to support our journey to net zero.”

Nursing graduate recognised with palliative care award from St Columba’s Hospice

A new nursing graduate from Queen Margaret University (QMU) has gained recognition for her sensitive and compassionate care of people near end of life with an award from St Columba’s Hospice Care.  

Ailsa Timoney, who graduated with Master of Nursing from QMU in July this year, was presented with the St Columba’s Hospice Care Palliative Care Nursing Award. 

Twenty-six-year-old Ailsa from Edinburgh undertook a 10-week placement at St Columba’s Hospice in Edinburgh, as part of her QMU degree course.

She was surprised how much she enjoyed the placement at the hospice, as she anticipated that it would be a really sad experience. However, she found the work really rewarding, so much so that she would consider moving into a palliative care position at some point during her career.  

Ailsa said: “Working at St Columba’s wasn’t what I had expected. It was really fulfilling to be able to provide a good level of person centred care to each individual patient, and I know this really helped the individual, as well as their families, in the journey towards end of life.” 

Discussing her university experience, she said: “I really enjoyed being a student at QMU – everyone is so supportive and friendly, and it’s such a welcoming community. The four-year undergraduate master’s course was both challenging and very worthwhile, and the academics and the degree prepared me well for entering the nursing workforce. I received great support from staff. There was always someone available to help and guide me through the course.   

“I’m thrilled to have received the award from St Columba’s Hospice Care – it’s such a special place and I learned so much on my placement with the team there. I’m now excited to be coming into the nursing profession and starting my role as a community nurse.” 

Georgios Tsigkas, Programme Leader for the Master of Nursing course at Queen Margaret University, said: “This award recognises the dedication, commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism that Ailsa demonstrated throughout the full four years on the course.

“She is a great ambassador for our nursing programme, and through her work and attitude she epitomises the values of QMU in wanting to make a difference to the lives of others.” 

Ruth Magowan, Head of The Division of Nursing at QMU, said: “We have a long-standing relationship with St Columba’s Hospice Care, which is the first University Hospice in the east of Scotland.

“Our partnership aims to enhance the delivery of person-centred palliative care through integrated research, teaching and clinical practice, and we are delighted that Ailsa has been able to benefit from her time with Hospice, and proud that her attitude and hard work have been recognised by the team there.  

“Ailsa has proved to be an exceptional student and we know that she will go out into the nursing workforce and make a very positive contribution to person-centred care. The Hospice award is the icing on the cake for Ailsa, and gets her career off to a flying start!”