As we soon approach the summer holiday season and the prospect of some lockdown easement, I am looking forward to finding some downtime to catch my breath and take a break from my online work world. Many of us have a busy time ahead but I do recommend taking time off to recharge and rest. I know many colleagues have been wisely taking their planned leave already and have valued their time in home surroundings. Personally, I am exploring our future approach to action around issues raised by the Black Lives Matter and have been much stimulated by Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book on ‘Why I am no longer talking to white people about race’. I will be sharing some further views on this next week.
With few fixed points ahead, we are all working with a landscape of unknowns, but behind this we have a clear plan and approach for returning to the new academic year. In adopting a ‘responsive blended learning’ approach we are able to transverse the physical workspace with an online, digitally connected one. This will allow us to adapt and flex our course delivery, whatever the next year brings, combining inspiring online learning with on-campus engagement in a way that is academically appropriate and practically deliverable. Our plans to open the campuses are continuing to evolve at different locations for different student streams and in accordance with the (changing) social-distancing protocols, for which further information will be posted soon. It allows students to actively participate in their learning, alongside their peers, wherever they are in the world at the start of the year. And it opens opportunities for us to work even more collaboratively and creatively across our global campuses, to support each other and our students. These changes are not just for the next few months. The effort and energy we put in now will serve us well as we continue to pioneer in education and will allow us to inspire learning and strengthen our global learning community even in the midst of global uncertainty.
The national focus at all our campus locations is turning to restarting the economy. I have always regarded this as a key responsibility and opportunity for Heriot-Watt to lead out on. This week I had an interesting chat with Prof Heather McGregor, Executive Dean of Edinburgh Business School in the School of Social Sciences regarding the global economic recovery, and what business needs lie ahead and how universities can drive recovery. The video also refers to the work undertaken by the University in supporting the data gathering and production of the Scottish Government’s recent report led by (our visiting professor) Benny Higgins. I was pleased to see this affirms the importance of the role of higher education as a foundational anchor in the times we face ahead. Also, this week (as featured elsewhere in the newsletter) we have launched a major initiative for the graduating class of 2020 in offering them special opportunities to undertake Masters programmes at Heriot-Watt. Future Made for Success is a major undertaking in which we have formed an alliance with companies such as eSure, Wood, Jacobs, LVMH, Cisco, BITC, Santander, Dyson, DAR, Schneider, GCV, Filament and Hoares to develop careers, mentoring, virtual work placements and challenge solving. Once again may I express my appreciation to those colleagues who have pulled the stops out to make this happen. Marketing of postgraduate programmes in Dubai and Malaysia has also been stepped up to support recovery and provide upskilling opportunities. Please do pass the message about these opportunities to graduates known in your network and friends.
With best wishes
Professor Richard A. Williams
Principal and Vice-Chancellor