Curious about science but not an expert? The Pint of Science festival Edinburgh brings esteemed scientists down to their local pub to answer the biggest question: What Next? Continue reading What Next? Pint of Science Festival launched
Tag: Science
Putting down roots: the importance of STEM subjects to be explored
The importance of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects in the early years of Scottish education is to be explored by the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee. Continue reading Putting down roots: the importance of STEM subjects to be explored
Edinburgh Science Festival: The Musical Brain
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Playlist for Life are the UK’s leading music and dementia charity and the University of Edinburgh’s Prevent Dementia project aims to identify the earliest signs of the disease. And together, they are exploring how the power of music can help those with dementia. This event, The Musical Brain, will be outlining the neuroscience behind the phenomenon, offering an engaging showcase of how this works in practice and explaining current research while giving advice on how everyone can protect their brain health. The talk will take place on Saturday 13th April at 1200 in the Auditorium at the National Museum of Scotland. Tickets are available online The Edinburgh Science Festival runs until 21st April
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The Wonders of Science: family days at The Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is throwing open its doors to families during the Easter holidays, with a wide variety of activities for children of all ages to explore the world of science. Continue reading The Wonders of Science: family days at The Scottish Parliament
Lights, camera, DATA!
Calling all budding Steven Spielbergs, Kathryn Bigelows or Peter Jacksons, Netflix fans, and promising BBC Data Scientists! A national competition to design a film or tv series based on data has been launched at DATAFEST 2019 – the UK’s first ever two-week festival of data innovation in Scotland. Continue reading Lights, camera, DATA!
STEM Bursary applications open today
Home Economics included for first time
Scottish delegation to make a stand against Brexit
Minister takes Scotland’s case to Brussels on eve of Westminster Brexit vote
Leading figures in education, research and science are taking the message to Brussels that Scotland’s universities remain open and welcoming.
Minister for Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead will lead the Scottish delegation. The team will meet with EU partners and make the case that strong collaboration with researchers in EU countries and the rest of the world is hugely important for the future.
The Minister will underline that Scotland will continue to welcome EU citizens to study or work in our universities.
Universities Scotland estimate Scotland’s universities are worth £11 billion gross to the economy. Scotland’s researchers and businesses are highly competitive when it comes to winning EU research and innovation funding from Horizon 2020 and other programmes.
Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland’s global reputation for ground-breaking research and innovation faces unprecedented risks.
“The message we are taking is simple: Scotland’s universities and research institutions are open and welcoming, and we maintain a strong commitment to research collaboration across Europe.
“The Scottish research community is standing together. We know that Scotland’s research has been strengthened by EU citizens working in Scotland, our membership of the European Union and our active participation in the Horizon 2020 programme. The benefits that such participation has provided cannot be underestimated and we will not stand by and see these benefits eroded and obstacles erected that undermine our future.”
Alastair Sim, Director of Universities Scotland commented: “The quality of the research and eduction Scottish higher education delivers is strengthened because of the partnerships we have across the European Union.
“Those relationships are deeply important to us and that remains the case whatever the outcome of the Brexit process. It’s a message we need to keep repeating so it is not lost amidst the noise and chaos going on elsewhere and that’s why it is good to be out in Brussels this week.”
The delegation will consist of:
- Richard Lochhead: Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science
- Professor Sheila Rowan: Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland
- Alastair Sim: Director, Universities Scotland
- Professor Wayne Powell: Principal and Chief Executive, Scotland’s Rural College
- Professor Tim Bedford: Associate Principal, University of Strathclyde
- Dr Stuart Fancey: Director Research and Innovation, Scottish Funding Council
The Scottish Government published “Scotland’s Place in Europe: Science and Research” in November as part of the suite of papers in this series, illustrating the importance and value of research collaboration with the rest of Europe.
A joint statement was also issued last month from colleges, universities, trade unions and the Scottish Government, setting out a united approach to protecting the college and university sectors in Scotland from the worst effects of Brexit.
Scotland has proportionally more EU staff and students than the rest of the UK:
- Around 9% of all university students are EU domiciled
- 27% of full time research staff are EU nationals
- EU nationals accounted for more than 75,000 college enrolments between 2012 and 2017
On average, 10% of Scottish universities’ research income comes from the EU.
Scotland has benefited from 558 million euros from the Horizon 2020 programme and 64 million euros from the Erasmus programme.
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever.
Erasmus is an EU programme for education which allows young people to study abroad, and encourages UK organisations to collaborate with international partners.
The Scottish Government has already confirmed that eligible EU students currently studying here or starting a degree this year or next will continue to be eligible for free tuition.
Rocket experts help to inspire next generation of talent
STAFF at a Scottish space company are helping to inspire the next generation of talented engineers and technicians by sharing knowledge with school children across the country. Continue reading Rocket experts help to inspire next generation of talent
Young STEM leaders programme announced
Young people will have the opportunity to become Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths mentors as part of a new programme to help inspire their younger counterparts to study STEM.
Leaders sign off City Deal
£1.3 Billion boost for local economy
Prime Minister Theresa May and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined council, business and academia leaders to formally sign off the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal yesterday.
The £1.3 billion deal will deliver inclusive economic growth across the region through housing, innovation, transport, skills and culture. The Scottish Government and the UK Government will each invest £300 million over the next 15 years.
The Scottish Government’s investment will contribute towards 41,000 new homes, 21,000 jobs and improve the skills of an estimated 14,700 people.
The Scottish Government’s investment in the City Region includes:
• £60 million towards a Data Driven Innovation programme of investment, including the creation of economic infrastructure across the region to ensure that businesses and communities across the region are fully able to engage in the resulting opportunities
• £65 million towards a regional housing programme, including the creation of a new housing company and housing infrastructure funding to enable the delivery of 41,000 new homes
• £120 million for transport improvements to Sheriffhall Roundabout
• £20 million for public transport improvements in West Edinburgh
• £25 million for an Integrated Regional Employability & Skills Programme to reduce skills shortages and gaps and deliver opportunities for people across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders
• £10m towards a new concert venue for the city, providing a home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and reinforcing Edinburgh’s reputation as a leading centre for music and the performing arts.
In addition, the Scottish Government is also providing Edinburgh Festivals with a £5 million investment over the next five years to fund The Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLaCE) programme which supports new innovative programming and skills development opportunities across the capital’s 11 major festivals between 2018-2023.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland is an area of huge importance to the Scottish economy. The region contains over a quarter of Scotland’s population and contributes £33 billion to the Scottish and UK economies.
“The Scottish Government’s £300 million investment in the City Region Deal will contribute towards 41,000 new homes, 21,000 jobs and improve the skills of an estimated 14,700 people across the region. Our investments will ensure businesses and communities from across the region benefit from the opportunities created by this the city region deal.
“Taken together these projects will help the region continue to thrive and grow, fulfilling our ambitions for the region to be one of the fairest and most inclusive areas in the country.”
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “It is fantastic to be here at the University of Edinburgh to sign off on the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Deal.
“We are in one of the great cities of our United Kingdom, at a time of year when it serves not just as the capital of Scotland but as the cultural capital of the world.
I had the privilege of experiencing first-hand some of the cultural riches that the Edinburgh Festivals have to offer earlier today, and a great pleasure it was to do so. The Festivals are an international calling-card for Edinburgh and the surrounding area and when people come to take part in them they find a city and a region that has huge potential for the future. You see it clearly in the imagination and creativity on display here every August.
“But you see it too in the innovative and ground-breaking work that goes on in this city and area all year round. In great universities and colleges. In high-tech businesses. In financial and legal services hubs.
This is a city and a region that has so much to offer Scotland, the UK and indeed the world.
“The Edinburgh and South East City Deal is all about building on those strengths to open up new opportunities for the future in the creative industries, in research, in housing, in transport and in skills, and it will have a lasting legacy.
The UK and Scottish Governments are both helping to build the IMPACT Concert Hall – a new venue to cement Edinburgh’s place as the world’s Festival City.
The City Deal partners also want to turn Edinburgh into the Data Capital of Europe.
“So we are providing capital investment to develop new data storage and analysis technology here in Edinburgh. This great new facility, the Bayes Centre, will open in the autumn with UK Government investment, and will provide shared working spaces for applied data science and artificial intelligence research teams.
“It is one of five hubs across the city that will use data technology to support research and development activity in sectors of the future, from fin-tech and robotics to bio tech and health sciences. I want the UK to lead the world in these technologies. I want us to have the best regulation, the most advanced research and the most lucrative commercial applications.
“The City Deal will put Edinburgh at the cutting edge of that work and it is exciting to think about the future possibilities that this investment will open up. UK City and Growth Deals are a key part of our Modern Industrial Strategy. The UK Government has already committed over £1 billion to them here in Scotland.
Five have been signed, and three more are being negotiated.
“Just like the Modern Industrial Strategy as a whole, they are a partnership between Government at all levels, business and academia to combine our resources and to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Because I believe we can achieve far more together than we ever could apart.
“So thank you to all the Deal partners for your work to get us here: The University of Edinburgh, who have hosted us today, as well as Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, and Queen Margaret University.
“To the local authorities: Edinburgh City Council, Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council, West Lothian Council, Scottish Borders Council and Fife Council. And of course our colleagues in the Scottish Government.
“This is a great day for the south-east of Scotland and an exciting step towards a brighter future for this wonderful part of the UK.”