The expansion of further and higher education provision across the region has been of central importance to long term growth and prosperity. Providing opportunities for young people to study in the region helps attract and retain population as well as supplying the local labour market with graduates, driving up productivity rates and supporting the expansion of businesses in growth sectors. The award of University title to UHI is a significant milestone in the region’s long term development.
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Shetland College is established in Lerwick.
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Moray College is established in Elgin.
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A Gaelic College for Skye
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is established in Sleat, Isle of Skye as a charitable trust. While the initial aim is to establish a Gaelic library, the long term plan is for a Gaelic-medium college providing vocational further education for Gaelic speakers, in their own language and rural environment, and to give the growing number of Gaelic enthusiasts the opportunity to learn the language.
Today, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has surpassed the initial aims, and is Scotland’s National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.
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The Board commissions a study to explore the economic and social effects of centralised education on rural areas. This is in response to growing parental concerns about the impact on school pupils of having to leave their homes to access comprehensive seconday education (which was introduced in Scotland in 1965). The study is especially keen to explore the extent to which level and location of education impacts on out-migration. It concludes that the expections and aspirations of parents and pupils are influenced by a broader range of social and economic factors, but that pupils have an early expectation of the need to leave their local communities to access job opportunities.
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Argyll College opens in Dunoon.
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Sabhal Mòr Ostaig starts delivering full-time further education courses in the medium of Gaelic.
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Heriot Watt University establishes the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) in Stromness, Orkney as a specialist arm of its School of Life Sciences. It offers research and Msc provision focusing on renewables and the environment.
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The University of Aberdeen establishes The Lighthouse Field Station in Cromarty as part of their School of Biological Sciences. The station will support the School's teaching and outreach activities, and focus on research to understand how natural and man-made environmental changes influence the behaviour and population dynamics of marine mammals and seabirds.
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LEADING THE WAY IN MARINE TECHNOLOGY
The University of Stirling establishes the Marine Environmental Research Laboratory (MERL) at Machrihanish, Argyll. It is a purpose built facility providing contact research services and facilities to industry and academics working within the aquaculture sector, including a number of multinational corporations. It also supports research and teaching at the university’s Institute of Aquaculture - the leading international centre in its field and the largest of its kind in the world. The site is expanded in 1998.
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THE UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
Having been commissioned in 1991, Graham Hills, the former principal and vice-chancellor of Strathclyde University, publishes his report on the feasibility of a university for the Highlands and Islands. The reports recommends a federal, collegiate approach to the establishment of a university in the region, using the existing network of further education colleges and adopting an IT based distance learning model to link the network and support course delivery.
With the publication of this report, the University of the Highlands and Islands project is born, and a conference to look at the opportunities and implications, is held at Barail, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig's centre for Highlands and Islands Policy.
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Sabhal Mòr Ostaig extends its Àrainn Ostaig campus to include a purpose built television training studio and residential student accommodation, as well as additional teaching space. The project receives financial support totaling £1.4m from the Scottish Office, HIE, STV and Grampian Television.
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HIE creates a dedicated University of the Highlands and Islands Project Office, led by Robin Lingard.
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FISHING FOR TALENT
The North Atlantic Fisheries College (NAFC) formally opens its new purpose-built premises at Port Arthur, providing training and education in all aspects of the seafood industry. The college was originally founded by Shetland Islands Council in 1988, with teaching facilities initially undertaken at a number of sites. It is now the NAFC Marine Centre.
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The Highland Theological Institute is established at Moray College, and in 1997, is admitted as a full Academic Partner in the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership. The institute moves to its own premises in Dingwall in 1999 and is renamed the Highland Theological College.
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Orkney College is established in Kirkwall.
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The University of Aberdeen begin offering post graduate medicine training from Inverness, providing systems-block based teaching to medical students in years 4 and 5 of their degrees. They also offer a Remote and Rural training programme, through which students are attached to community hospitals and GP practices in the Highlands and Islands, providing them with the opportunity to experience medicine as practised in remote and rural areas.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands Project secures a development grant of £33.35 million from the lottery funded Millennium Commission. This enables the construction of new college buildings across the network, including the £6 million second campus at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - Àrainn Chaluim Chille (Columba Campus).
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Lochaber Opportunities Centre, the precursor to Lochaber College, opens in Fort William. The £1.2m project receives funding from a number of sources, including HIE and the European Regional Development Fund. The college gains Associate Membership of the University of the Highlands and Islands in 2000, and merges with Skye and Wester Ross colleges to create West Highland College.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands Project Executive Office opens in Inverness, and Professor Brian Duffield is appointed as Chief Executive.
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Scottish Telecom is appointed to build a broad-based wide-area network (WAN) to link the University of the Highlands and Islands project colleges into a common network. HIE contributes significant investment towards the project, which also services partner agencies including the regional local authorities.
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Àrainn Chaluim Chille opens at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, creating a two campus site for the college. The new campus includes state of the art teaching facilities, more residential student accommodation and a sports hall.
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THE FIRST MASTERS
Having gained Open University Validation Service (OUVS) accreditation in 1998, the University of the Highlands and Islands validates its first Masters programme, and the first PhD students are registered.
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The first degrees undertaken through the medium of Gaelic are awarded to graduates at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
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Orkney College opens a new purpose-built campus on the outskirts of Kirkwall.
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The Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) is established at Perth College, creating a centre of excellence for work in mountain areas within the emerging University of the Highlands and Islands.
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MAKING RURAL HEALTH A PRIORITY
The University of Aberdeen establishes The Centre for Rural Health in Inverness to advance knowledge of health, and health services, in rural and remote communities. The centre later forms a joint venture with the University of the Highlands and Islands.
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Higher education status is granted to the University of the Highlands and Islands project, and it is renamed the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute. It also becomes a Scottish Qualifications Authority Centre (SQA) for the first time.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands research in environmental and marine sciences is recognised as being of "international significance" in the UK-wide research assessment exercise (RAE).
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Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (the Columba Centre Islay) is established as a subsidiary of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
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Sir Graham Hills is named as one the first two recipients of a Fellowship of the UHI Millennium Institute.
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HIE supports a PhD traineeship at the Scottish Agricultural College, now the Scottish Rural College, office in Inverness.
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National Centre for Migration Studies opens at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands establishes the Policy and Research Institute for Remote and Rural Regions (originally called Policy Web). The institute will explore social and public policy issues of particular relevance to the Highlands and Islands, and rural areas generally.
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MIT Industrial Liaison Program
HIE establishes a strategic relationship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As part of this relationship, HIE are members of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), providing HIE and some of its supported businesses, with access to people, departments, projects, technologies, knowledge and events at MIT.
MIT engagement forms an important component of HIE's entrepreneurship support programme, designed to support innovators in the region to develop and grow world class businesses.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands BA (Hons) Scottish Cultural Studies gains international recognition, receiving the 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement Award for Most Imaginative Use of Distance Learning.
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NEW INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH
HIE invests £5m to build the University of the Highlands and Islands research capacity. The Addressing Research Capacity (ARC) project was also supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute is granted taught degree powers.
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HIE acquires Beechwood Farm as the site for the new Inverness Campus.
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HIE invests £4.9m in the University of the Highlands and Islands infrastructure and organisational development.
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HIE invests £113k to support HI-LINKS, a project delivering Knowledge Exchange and industry engagement.
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The University of Stirling’s Marine Environmental Research Laboratory (MERL) takes over operation of the facilities of MMF Ltd, the UK’s largest commercial cod hatchery, to provide one of the largest and best equipped marine aquaculture research facilities in Europe.
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CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
HIE agrees to invest up to £25 million to start phase one at the Inverness Campus Beechwood site. The money will be used for site servicing works over the next five years, creating access, transport links and essential services, within an attractive parkland landscape.
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West Highland College UHI is established with the merger of Lochaber, and Skye and Wester Ross Colleges.
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Glasgow School of Art establishes a presence in the region. They open the Institute for Design Innovation (InDI) at Forres Enterprise Park, and the Digital Design Studio at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness. The InDI will have a particular focus on digital health research, while the Digital Design Studio will bring virtual medical training to areas of Scotland that struggle to gain access to traditional medical training resources.
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TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is launched offering 750 Scottish university graduates real-life business experience and helping ambitious companies achieve crucial growth.
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HIE invests £400k in Soillse, a Gaelic research pool led by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
The University of the Highlands and Islands is established following the award of university title by the Privy Council.
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HIE establishes a masterplan and invests £7.5m to create the European Marine Science Park alongside the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Dunstaffnage.
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The University of the Highlands and Islands launches its first international undergraduate degree, BSc (Hons) in Sustainable Development. The online course was developed by staff at Lewis Castle College UHI, and can be studied from anywhere in the world.
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The Scottish Funding Council (SFC), working with SE and HIE, makes up to £10 million available to support the development of new Innovation Centres. The Innovation Centres will become sustainable communities of university academics and researchers, businesses, entrepreneurs and others that will drive innovation in and across Scotland's key economic sectors.
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The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013 identifies the University of the Highlands and Islands as the regional strategic body responsible for the co-ordinated planning, funding and monitoring of further (college) education across the Highlands and Islands.
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UHI launches the first ever Professional Graduate Diploma in (primary) Education to be delivered in the region. Students based at Inverness or Stornoway, who are fluent in Gaelic, have the option to complete the diploma through the medium of Gaelic and work in a Gaelic-medium primary school.
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INVERNESS CAMPUS OPENS
Inverness Campus opens. This new world class facility will bring together business, research and educational organisations to support collaboration and knowledge transfer. The Life Sciences building is completed in July, and Inverness College UHI opens it doors to staff and students in August. The Campus will be a leading resource for enterprise and innovation, and part of the site has been designated as a Life Sciences Enterprise Area.
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Glasgow School of Art expands its presence in the Highlands and Islands, joining forces with HIE to offer a range of teaching and research opportunities to students, businesses and communities across the region.
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North Highland College UHI, in association with the Royal Dornoch Golf Club launches Scotland’s first degree for budding professional golfers. The new degree complements UHI’s existing BA (Hons) Golf Management degree, also delivered at the Dornoch campus.
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The University of Stirling begins discussions to transfer pre-registration nursing provision to the University of the Highlands and Islands from 2017/18. It is part of a wider strategy to maximise and enhance regional coherence of nurse education throughout Scotland and will add 300 nursing students to the UHI’s overall student headcount.
Education
At 2015
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is a network of
13 colleges
And
50
outreach learning centres
UHI provides local access to over
7,500
students through its teaching programme
40
undergraduate & postgraduate degrees
100
higher national awards and vocational qualifications