Tag: University of Strathclyde

Foreign Secretary visits Glasgow 

  • Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Scotland one year on from COP26 in Glasgow. He went to the University of Strathclyde to meet scientists and engineers developing lower cost, recyclable battery tech
  • UK government funded research aims to improve clean energy access for 25 million of world’s poorest people and save nearly 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions
  • Foreign Secretary also visited the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s joint HQ in East Kilbride, which employs almost 1,000 staff in Scotland

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met with scientists and engineers developing revolutionary battery technologies in Glasgow – a year on from world leaders gathering in the city for the COP26 climate summit.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Faraday Institution and researchers from the University of Strathclyde and the University of St Andrews, through its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) programme to help offer lower cost, more recyclable battery technology to developing countries.

The UK government announced £126 million of new scale-up funding for TEA during Energy Day at COP26 – focused on reducing carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes and securing better access to clean energy for 25 million people.

Since TEA was launched in 2015, it has provided 16 million of the world’s poorest people with improved access to clean energy and generated 96,000 green jobs.

The Foreign Secretary also visited the FCDO’s joint HQ at Abercrombie House, in East Kilbride, where almost 1,000 staff are at the heart of shaping and delivering UK foreign policy on issues such as climate change, including through the TEA programme.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “Today’s visit is hugely important for me, to see first-hand how people in Scotland are building on the legacy of the UK’s COP Presidency in Glasgow to make progress in the fight against climate change.

“Scotland is famous as an innovation superpower. It has given the world the television, telephone and penicillin, so it was wonderful to learn how Scottish scientists are continuing this rich tradition to develop the revolutionary new batteries of the future fuelled by cleaner energy.

“The UK government is proud to support vital work at the universities of Strathclyde and St Andrews which will help developing countries to access battery technologies to drive green growth and give millions a ladder out of poverty.”

Nearly a tenth of the world’s population – 733 million people – do not have access to the electricity they need to light their homes, refrigerate their food, or keep cool in rising temperatures. Around 2.4 billion people rely on dirty biomass fuels such as charcoal, firewood, or animal waste for cooking.

The Foreign Secretary used his COP26 anniversary visit to witness the start of refurbishment work at the FCDO’s joint HQ in East Kilbride.

The Foreign Secretary was shown a research project led by the University of Strathclyde, which is developing a low-cost battery which is expected to last longer and be more easily recycled.

St Andrews demonstrated battery technology made from common salt, which could enable a move away from materials such as lithium and cobalt which are more expensive, rarer and harder on the environment to source.

Both technologies are expected to be ready to test this year.

Class of 2022: Young people with learning disabilities are Breaking Barriers in education

Edinburgh Napier University hosted a unique graduation ceremony this week for a group of students who successfully completed ENABLE’s Breaking Barriers programme.

The ground-breaking initiative, established by ENABLE in 2018, empowers young people who have a learning disability to access university life whilst being fully supported to thrive. Students can undertake work experience opportunities with a leading global employer and gain a university qualification from a world-class academic institution.

Over the course of several months, a group of students have completed a learning programme at Edinburgh Napier University and a work placement with the course’s corporate partner, multinational professional services provider – EY.

The course aims to tackle the widespread lack of opportunities for young people with learning disabilities to enter the workforce. Recent data shows that while 45% of all Scotland’s school leavers go to university, only 8.6% of school leavers who have a learning disability go on to higher education.

The Breaking Barriers business class of 2022 came together this week for joyful celebrations with friends and family in the River Suite at Edinburgh Napier University. All of the students were successful in achieving their Accreditation in Applied Business Skills.

One of the students Gemma told us what the Breaking Barriers experience has meant to her: “I’m so happy to have successfully completed the Breaking Barriers programme, it was such a valuable experience that has benefited me a lot and I now feel ready to take my next step into further education or employment.

“I used to find school and college quite overwhelming but thanks to the support Breaking Barriers offers, I’ve really enjoyed the university environment and the chance to meet lots of new people. It was lovely to all come together on Wednesday to celebrate our achievement with our family and friends.”

ENABLE CEO and co-founder of the Breaking Barriers programme, Theresa Shearer, said: “Since 2018, the Breaking Barriers programme has made it possible for students who have a learning disability to access the life-shaping experience of university that is a rite of passage for so many, yet it is currently available to so few disabled young people.

“Breaking Barriers demonstrates how the public, private and third sectors can work collaboratively to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in education and the workplace. Thanks to our partners at Edinburgh Napier University and EY, I am delighted to see those opportunities extended to even more young people across Scotland, and I congratulate what I am sure will be the first group of many from the programme at Napier.”

Philip Milne, EY Sponsor Partner in Scotland for Breaking Barriers, said: “It was our pleasure to welcome the Breaking Barriers students to our team for six weeks. As part of their work placement, the students rotated across all of our core service lines, showed curiosity by asking pertinent questions, and importantly grew in confidence every week.

“At the graduation event we heard the success stories of students who had been encouraged by their experience, to explore further education and employment – a true example of how breaking barriers down can make a difference.”

ENABLE runs the Breaking Barriers programme through its ENABLE Works division that sets out to break down barriers to employment for people living with a learning disability. 

Currently the specialist employability service is embedded within 28 local authorities across Scotland and supports 5,500 people each year. The development programmes are all about getting people of all ages ready for work – and supporting their individual needs every step of the way.

Professor Nazira Karodia, Vice Principal of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier University said: “We have been delighted to welcome our ENABLE students to our Craiglockhart campus, where our vision is to be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise, and employability for all.

“Our ethos as a university is to be the home for difference makers. Not everyone has an opportunity to change the world, but everyone can make a positive difference to the world around them: working with fantastic partners like ENABLE and EY is truly helping to break down barriers faced by young people with learning difficulties.”

The Breaking Barriers programme, which originated in the West of Scotland, has entered its fifth year and works with corporate partners including STV, Scottish Power and EY, with courses at both Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Strathclyde.

The University of Strathclyde recently expanded the programme offering to include a science cohort, giving young people with learning disabilities the chance to focus on STEM subjects both in a classroom and work placement setting for the first time. This launched in September 2022 and will run for twelve weeks.

For more information on the programme and how to apply please visit:

www.enable.org.uk/breaking-barriers or contact Madeline King at

madeline.king@enable.org.uk