With economic recovery on everyone’s minds this week, I was really pleased to see Heriot-Watt’s School of Social Sciences is playing a prominent role in mapping the country’s route out of the current coronavirus crisis. Our Visiting Professor Benny Higgins was recently appointed to lead the Scottish Government’s Advisory Group on Economic Recovery and I’m especially proud that Edinburgh Business School has also been asked to lead a workstream for this group.
Headed up by Professor Robert MacIntosh and Executive Dean Heather McGregor, our team will be conducting research on current attitudes, concerns and opportunities arising from the pandemic. In practical terms, this involves asking businesses and not-for-profits what changes they expect to be making to their own organisations after their experience of remote working, social distancing and other restrictions imposed over recent weeks and I am sure there will be lessons in there for all of us. It’s also great to see Heriot-Watt partnering with SCDI to help reach the widest cross-section of the Scottish economy possible.
Like me, I am sure you too have been thinking about what comes next for our University. From my own perspective, there are areas, especially around the formidable task of moving our five campuses to entirely on-line learning, that has triggered new ideas for smarter working and speedier collaboration for staff and students. But there are elements I cannot seriously imagine sacrificing long-term, from the vibrancy of student campus life to face-to-face connections. This week, I enjoyed a video call with five of our student leaders from Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia, where they share how our diverse student community has experienced the transition and what their hopes are for the future. I was struck by their optimism and hope you can take time to watch the recording.
This is Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme of kindness is a timely reminder on the need for all of us to uphold our University values and to take care with each other, especially under the extra stress and pressure of the current uncertainties. We are asking colleagues how they are coping in our current Pulse survey, which is being conducted in partnership with our recognised UK Trade Unions. We’ve already had hundreds of responses and I hope you will share your experience by taking the Pulse survey too. Your anonymous feedback will help inform how we continue to develop our response to this unprecedented situation.
With best wishes
Professor Richard A. Williams
Principal and Vice-Chancellor