WIREDGOV

Scotland's universities will play a key role in helping the country recover from the current economic downturn, he Scottish Government said today as the work of the joint university taskforce's drew to a close.

Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary Fiona Hyslop, co-chair of the taskforce, was speaking after the endorsement of New Horizons as the Taskforce's final position.

She also confirmed the Scottish Cabinet has supported the taskforce's recommendation that universities should be a key economic sector in their own right, becoming the the 'seventh sector' in Scotland, in recognition of the vital contribution they can make to delivering the Government's Economic Strategy.

New Horizons will also modernise the way in which three parties to the taskforce - the Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland and Scottish Government, will work together in the future and how universities will be funded.

Ms Hyslop said:

"Our universities will play an important role in helping us emerge strongly from the current economic downturn. As well as ensuring our people have the skills they need as individuals and to grow our economy, they are also businesses in their own right, generating around £2 billion a year, spending more than £500 million a year on goods and services and employing around 34,000 people. They also support research and development in the business community and attract young people to Scotland to help counteract adverse demographic trends.

"That's why the taskforce has recommended they should become a key sector of the economy in their own right. In return for that, we expect them to ensure the activity we fund is aligned with our purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth - an issue more critical than ever given the current economic climate."

In addition to the publication of the final report, the successful conclusion of the Taskforce's work is also marked today by publishing:

Taking Forward New Horizons which summarises the feedback received over the summer, clarifies a number of aspects and confirms the next steps

The Scottish Funding Council's plan for responding to the new agenda described in New Horizons, including the flexible General Fund for mainstream activity and the Horizon Fund to provide new opportunities and incentives which support delivery of the Government's priorities and each university's mission and strengths

The terms of reference for the Tripartite Advisory Group involving the SFC, Universities Scotland and Scottish Government, which will advise on how the arrangements are working

John McClelland CBE, Chair of the SFC, said:

"I'm pleased the final report gives us new ways of working with government and universities that extend all the way from the high level framework for funding through to an emphasis on outcomes for students, society and the economy.

"I am also pleased that this agreement supports the planned change in the Funding Council's role to becoming primarily focussed on high quality teaching provision and excellence in research. We will now have an even stronger interest in results and be less routinely involved in the governance and administration of individual institutions."

Sir Muir Russell, co-chair of the Taskforce and former convener of Universities Scotland, said:

"The Joint Future Thinking Taskforce has the potential to create a new landscape in which Scotland's universities will operate in the future.

"This level of engagement with the Scottish Government, and particularly with the Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslop MSP, has been unprecedented and has resulted in a final report that offers the prospect of a change in the relationship between Government and the universities.

"This new relationship will be embodied in the Tripartite Advisory Group. This will allow the universities to meet with the Scottish Government in a permanent and systematic way and will allow the Government and the universities to work constructively for the benefit of the whole of Scotland."

Professor Anton Muscatelli, convener of Universities Scotland, said:

"The Taskforce process began at the end of last year before we were aware of the impact of the current global economic crisis. The purpose of the Taskforce was to understand the future role that our universities can and should play and how the Scottish Government could best support them.

"Within the Taskforce report Universities Scotland has set a clear challenge to the Government on our expectations in relation to future funding. Indeed the current economic circumstances make investment in our universities more important than ever in helping to generate sustainable economic growth.

"We recognise that this is a critical time for Scotland and the university sector can and must play a prominent role in securing Scotland's future prosperity. This will be achieved, not only through the role that universities play in generating wealth, but through our significant contribution to the arts and culture and Scottish society more widely."

The Tripartite Advisory Group will be chaired by Ms Hyslop and meet at least once but usually twice a year, with meetings scheduled to take into account the need for discussions around the spending review and other budgetary cycles.

Its remit will be to advise the Cabinet Secretary on:

• How effectively the new funding arrangements should be and are operating
• How effectively the SFC's 'lighter touch' approach is working
• The level of public investment required in learning and teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities to maintain broad overall comparability with the rest of the UK, based on the outcomes to be delivered by the sector, an assessment of where there is a need to invest in building capacity and a realistic appraisal of the rate at which costs are rising and of the efficiencies which can be achieved without compromising quality
• The strategic outputs and outcomes which should be monitored by the SFC

The other six Sectors in Scotland are:

• Creative Industries (including digital content and technologies);
• Energy (with a particular focus on renewables);
• Financial and Business Services;
• Food and Drink (including agriculture & fisheries);
• Life Sciences (including biotechnology and translational medicine); and
• Tourism

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/UniversitiesColleges/16640/hetaskforce

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/82254/0069165.pdf

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/82254/0069168.pdf

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/UniversitiesColleges/16640/hetaskforce/JFTTSFCresponce

http://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/

http://www.sfc.ac.uk/

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/UniversitiesColleges/16640/hetaskforce/JFTTSFCresponce