Heriot-Watt University is a
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
based in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The name commemorates
George HeriotGeorge Heriot was a Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as founder of George Heriot's School, a large private school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to Heriot-Watt University, as well as several streets in the same city.Heriot was the court goldsmith...
, the 16th century financier to King
JamesJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and
James WattJames Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
, the great 18th century inventor and engineer.
The university originated as the
School of Arts of Edinburgh, founded in 1821 as the world's first Mechanics Institute. Heriot-Watt is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The institution received its
university charterUniversity Charter redirects here. For the middle school in California, see University Charter School .University charter is a charter given by provincial, state, regional, and sometimes national governments to legitimize the university's existence.-Canada:In most Canadian province's university...
in 1966 and is currently ranked 4th among the top five universities in Scotland.
3
Originally based in the centre of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University now has four campuses. The main campus is located in
RiccartonRiccarton is an area in Edinburgh's Green Belt, in Scotland. It is mainly undeveloped, with much farmland and few houses.Riccarton is to the west of the Edinburgh City Bypass , and is known for being the location of Heriot-Watt University's main campus, as well as the Heart of Midlothian F.C...
in the
CurrieCurrie is a civil parish and suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated 10 kilometres south west of the city centre. A former village within the County of Midlothian, it lies to the south west of the city, between Juniper Green and Balerno on the Lanark Road...
area on the outskirts of the city. Satellite campuses are located in
GalashielsGalashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
in the
BordersThe Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
(Scottish Borders Campus, formerly the Scottish College of Textiles),
StromnessStromness is the second-biggest town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the south-west of Mainland Orkney. It is also a parish, with the town of Stromness as its capital.-Etymology:...
(Orkney campus) and most recently in
Dubai Academic CityDubai Knowledge Village is a educational free trade zone campus in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that provides facilities for training and learning institutions to operate with 100% foreign ownership. There are over 400 institutions operating within it, which include universities,...
(
Heriot-Watt University Dubai campusHeriot-Watt University Dubai is a campus of the Scottish Heriot-Watt University in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Campus, located in Dubai International Academic City offers a quality British education to students and executives from around the Gulf and further afield...
). Moreover, the Orkney Campus in Stromness is home to The International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) which is part of Heriot-Watt University's Institute of Petroleum Engineering. There is also a wide network of about 50 Approved Learning Partners, in over 30 countries, such as Tomsk Polytechnic University
http://hw.tpu.ru in
TomskTomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
.
The Annual Statistics publication (2006/07) shows that the University has a total population of 17,700 students, full-time, part-time and distance and supported learning around the world. Of these 10,500 are on international programmes, including the MBA programme and those studying through one of 50 Approved Learning Partners worldwide. Heriot-Watt has around 7,000 on-campus students in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, with about one third of whom are from outside the UK.
History
The institution that became Heriot-Watt University began with a conversation between the Edinburgh businessmen Leonard Horner and Robert Bryson about the lack of technical education for the
working classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
es. This led to the opening of the
School of Arts of Edinburgh "for the Education of Mechanics in Such Branches of Physical Science as are of Practical Application in their several trades", in October 1821 as the world's first Mechanics Institute, which revolutionised access to education in science and technology for ordinary people.
In 1852 the name of the school was changed to the
Watt Institution and School of Arts, in memory of the engineer and inventor
James WattJames Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
. In 1869 women were permitted to attend classes, mainly due to the campaigning of Mary Burton, making Heriot-Watt a pioneer in equal opportunities in
educationScotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
.
During the 1870s a new building on
Chambers StreetChambers Street is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, at south of the Old Town. The street is named after William Chambers of Glenormiston, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh who was the main proponent of the 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act, which gave permission for the street's construction.-Notable...
was constructed, causing the institution severe financial difficulties that were resolved by an association with
George Heriot's HospitalGeorge Heriot's School is an independent primary and secondary school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, with around 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff and 80 non-teaching staff. It was established in 1628 as George Heriot's Hospital, by bequest of the royal goldsmith George...
for needy orphans. In 1885 the name was changed to
Heriot-Watt College; the name
Heriot deriving from the jeweller, financier and philanthropist
George HeriotGeorge Heriot was a Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as founder of George Heriot's School, a large private school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to Heriot-Watt University, as well as several streets in the same city.Heriot was the court goldsmith...
.
The college continued to expand throughout the 20th century and became a university in 1966, following the recommendations of the
Robbins ReportThe Robbins Report was commissioned by the British government and published in 1963. The Committee met from 1961 to 1963...
.
In 1969 the former Gibson-Craig estate at Riccarton, 7 miles (11 km) to the south-west of Edinburgh, was gifted to the University and was purchased for one penny. Between 1971 and 1992 the University moved to a purpose-built campus on this site; however, being situated within a city green-belt, buildings on the campus cannot be greater than four floors in height. The Campus occupies 380 acres (1.5 km²) of what was mature meadow and woodland to the west of
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, just six minutes from Edinburgh airport, and some 20 minutes from the city centre by car.
The
Edinburgh Business SchoolEdinburgh Business School is the Graduate School of Business of Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh, Scotland. Heriot-Watt University is the eighth oldest higher educational institution in the UK, and awards degrees by Royal Charter...
, a component of Heriot-Watt, boasts one of the world's largest Masters of Business Administration programs, offered on-campus or around the world by
distance educationDistance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
, and assessed by rigorous subject exams. A
Doctor of Business AdministrationThe degree of Doctor of Business Administration, abbreviated, or and equivalent to , is a research doctorate in business administration. The D.B.A...
program, along similar lines but also containing a major research component, was launched in 2003.
In 2005, the university announced plans to open a campus in
DubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
,
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Heriot-Watt University's Dubai Campus is a purpose-built modern campus of over 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) in Dubai Academic City formally opened in March 2006. The campus offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses which reflect the University's Scottish Schools and Institutes as well as student exchanges and campus transfers.
Heriot-Watt University DubaiHeriot-Watt University Dubai is a campus of the Scottish Heriot-Watt University in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Campus, located in Dubai International Academic City offers a quality British education to students and executives from around the Gulf and further afield...
offers
Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees in Business, Accounting, Finance and
ManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
as well as a
Master's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in
Information TechnologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. Engineering degrees (especially
Petroleum EngineeringPetroleum engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Subsurface activities are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, which are the activities of...
) are likely to be introduced in the near future.
On February 1, 2006, the neuroscientist Baroness
Susan GreenfieldSusan Adele Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield, CBE is a British scientist, writer, broadcaster, and member of the House of Lords. Greenfield, whose specialty is the physiology of the brain, has worked to research and bring attention to Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.Greenfield is...
became
ChancellorA chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Heriot-Watt University.
In 2008, Heriot-Watt University appears in the list of the QS World University Rankings for the first time.
The university approved construction of a Postgraduate Centre in 2005, building commenced in Summer 2007, and was to be completed in the summer of 2008 at an estimated cost of £6.8 million. The building opened in summer 2009 and includes a lecture theatre, three seminar rooms, cafe and meeting rooms. Some of the centre's funding came from
Cairn EnergyCairn Energy plc is a global oil and gas exploration company headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It has operational interests in Albania, Bangladesh, Greenland, India, Nepal and Tunisia and produces around 33,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day...
, who donated £1.4 million to the university and will also appoint a Programme Coordinator for Innovation and Enterprise within the Centre and create a new Chair, the Cairn Professor of Petroleum Engineering.
In 2010 the university announced a £35 million expansion of its Dubai Campus catering for an additional 3000 enrolments. This is scheduled to open in September 2011.
Sports Union
Heriot-Watt University Sports Union has its 30 year anniversary in 2006–2007. It has 32 clubs that compete in the
British Universities Sports AssociationBritish Universities & Colleges Sport is the governing body for university sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of the British Universities Sports Association and University College Sport organisations...
(BUSA) leagues on a Wednesday and in many Scottish National leagues on Saturdays and Sundays. There have been many athletes that have progressed through the ranks to represent their country at the Scottish Universities level and on the National and International Stage.
In recent years, many of the sports clubs have enjoyed success in the BUSA leagues, including the
Hockey Club after both the Men's and Women's 1st XI reached the knock out stages of the competition. The football club is one of the sports unions most popular and best supported clubs with many members. They also boast a very successful history (most notably winning the top division of BUSA for 5 years in a row). The annual varsity match against Edinburgh is the highlight fixture of the year.
Media
- The Journal is a very recent addition to the student media scene at the university. It is an independent publication, established in 2007 by three students at the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, and also distributes to the three other higher education institutions in the city - Napier UniversityEdinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
, Queen Margaret University and the Edinburgh College of ArtEdinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
. It is the largest such publication in Scotland, with a print run of 14,000 copies and is produced by students from across the city.
Ranking
UK University RankingsRankings of universities in the United Kingdom are published annually by The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Times...
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1993 |
| Times Good University Guide |
43rd |
40th |
46th |
45th |
48th |
36st |
46th |
47th |
48th |
50th |
49th |
49th |
42nd |
45th |
49th |
47th= |
46th |
39th= |
43rd= |
| Guardian University Guide |
32nd |
22nd |
52nd |
47th |
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65th |
25th |
69th |
76th |
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| Sunday Times University Guide |
31st |
38th |
45th |
44th |
41st |
43rd |
41st |
35th |
43rd |
53rd |
50th |
59th |
52nd |
52nd= |
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| The Complete University Guide |
34th |
39th |
49th= |
44th |
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| The Daily Telegraph |
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44th |
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91st |
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| FT Good University Guide |
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50th |
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43rd |
35th |
14th |
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Schools
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Combined Studies
- School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences
- Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- School of the Built Environment
- Architectural Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Management & Surveying
- Facilities Management
- Urban Studies
- School of Life Sciences
- Applied Marine Biology
- Applied Psychology
- Biological Science
- Brewing and Distilling
- Food Science
- Sport and Exercise Science
- School of Management and Languages
- Accountancy & Finance
- Economics
- Languages
- Law
- Management
- School of Textiles and Design
- Edinburgh Business School
Edinburgh Business School is the Graduate School of Business of Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh, Scotland. Heriot-Watt University is the eighth oldest higher educational institution in the UK, and awards degrees by Royal Charter...
- Institute of Petroleum Engineering
Notable alumni
See also :Category:Alumni of Heriot-Watt University
- Robert Buchan
Robert M Buchan is a Scottish-Canadian mining engineer, businessman and philanthropist. He founded Kinross Gold in 1993. It is now the 3rd-largest gold mining company in North America....
, Founder of Kinross Gold Corporation, one of the world's leading gold mining firm (BSc Mining 1969)
- Jock Clear
Jock Clear, born 1963 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, is a senior race engineer working for Nico Rosberg. Previously he has been race engineer for Rubens Barrichello from and Takuma Sato ....
, Formula One engineer (BEng Mechanical Engineering 1987)
- Kay Cohen
Kay Cohen is an Australian fashion designer and business woman based in Sydney, Australia...
, fashion designer and Founder of Pleasure State, a lingerie apparel label
- Adam Crozier
Adam Crozier is a Scottish businessman, and the current chief executive officer of media company ITV plc, operator of the television channel ITV in England and Wales...
, Chief Executive of media company ITV plc, and former Chief Executive of the Royal Mail and the English Football Association
- Ingvald Godal
Ingvald Godal is a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party and later the Conservative Party. For the former party he was a State Secretary as well as mayor of Vinje; for the latter party he served four terms in the Norwegian Parliament...
, former Member of the Norwegian Parliament, and former Chairman of the Norwegian Support Committee for Chechnya
- Professor Peter Grant, Emeritus Regius Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh (BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1966)
- Roger Jenkins (banker)
Roger Allan Jenkins joined BTG Pactual, Brazil's largest independent investment bank and asset manager, in early 2011. He is on the Management committee and on the Investment committee...
, former Chief Executive of Barclays Private Equity, Principal Investments and Structured Capital Markets
- Archy Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope
Sir Archibald Johnstone Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope, PC is a politician in the United Kingdom.-Education:Lord Kirkwood was educated at Cranhill School in Cranhill, Glasgow and studied Pharmacy at Heriot-Watt University, gaining a BSc in 1971...
(BSc Pharmacy 1971)
- Mark MacGregor
Mark MacGregor is a British Conservative Party politician. As a student, he was Chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students...
, Britain's Conservative Party politician
- Christina Cruickshank Miller
Christina Cruickshank Miller was a Scottish chemist and one of the first five women elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh .-External links:* at Royal Society of Edinburgh...
, chemist
- Brian Monteith
Brian Monteith is a Scottish public relations consultant, politician and commentator, who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2007.-Education:...
, former Member of the Scottish Parliament
- Shirley Robertson
Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE is a Scottish sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She made it in the history books by becoming the first British woman to win two Olympic gold medals at consecutive games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004....
, double Olympic gold medallist and TV presenter
- Jack Ross
John James "Jack" Ross is a former Scottish professional footballer who played in defence and midfield.-Early career:Ross had spells as a youth player at Dundee and Forfar Athletic...
, former Scottish professional footballer (MA Economics 1998)
- Henning Skumsvoll
Henning Skumsvoll is a Norwegian politician representing the Progress Party. He is currently a representative of Vest-Agder in the Storting, he was first elected in 2005...
, Member of the Norwegian Parliament
- Richard Tait, creator of Cranium, the fastest-selling independent board game in history (BSc Computer Science 1986)
- Teo Ho Pin
Dr. Teo Ho Pin is a Singaporean politician from the People's Action Party who has been serving as a Member of Parliament in Singapore since 1996. He is currently the Member of Parliament of the Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency in Singapore...
, Member of Parliament and District Mayor in Singapore (MSc Project Management 1987, PhD Building 1990)
- Deepak Tripathi
Deepak Tripathi is a British historian, journalist and researcher with a particular reference to South and West Asia, terrorism and United States policy.- Life and career:Tripathi was born into a political family in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India...
, former correspondent with BBC News
- Fiona Watson
Fiona Watson was a Scottish political affairs officer working in Vieira de Mello's office who was killed along with other members of UN staff in the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq, on the afternoon of 19 August 2003....
, political affairs officer
- Graham Watson
Sir Graham Robert Watson is a European politician from the United Kingdom. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England since 1994 and was leader of the liberal group in Parliament for seven years between 2002 and 2009.-Early life:Graham Watson was born in Rothesay...
, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament, and former leader of the Liberal Democrats in Europe
- Mike Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie (BA Economics and Industrial Relations 1974)
- Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
, writer (MBA 1991)
- Gary Younge
Gary Younge is a British journalist, author and broadcaster, born to immigrant parents from Barbados....
, journalist and writer
See also
- Steve Chapman
Professor Stephen Kenneth Chapman FRSE FRSC CChem PhD is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.-Early life:...
(Principal and Vice-Chancellor)
- Duncan Cameron (university administrator)
Duncan Inglis Cameron was a university administrator and Secretary of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.-Early life:...
- Fresh Air (Edinburgh)
Fresh Air is the alternative music student radio station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. Launched on October 3, 1992, Fresh Air is one of the oldest surviving student radio stations in the UK...
External links