 The next item of business is a members business debate on motion 5050 in the name of Bruce Crawford on sterling university's 50th anniversary. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put. Can I ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to press the request to speak buttons now? I call on Bruce Crawford to open the debate. Mr Crawford. First of all, done traditionally, can I thank members from all parties who signed the motion and those who are here this evening, particularly those who are alumni who I know who some of them may be speaking this evening as well from sterling university. I am delighted to welcome also Jerry McCormack, who is the principal at sterling university this evening to the public gallery. He leads that organisation with a plomb and distinction that he has done so since 2010, Jerry. On 18 September 1967, the doors to the university was sterling opened for the very first time, admitting 195 students, 164 graduates and 31 post-graduates. It was the first genuinely new university in Scotland for 400 years. With the royal charter signed in November 1967 and the great seal of Scotland applied the following month, sterling's own university grew to become a global player in educational excellence. I am delighted to lead this debate this evening, highlighting the significant history and achievements of this wonderful institution. The debate also gives us the opportunity to consider the massive contribution that the university makes to education, culture and research. The university is a truly beautiful campus, offering a fantastic base to visit one of the world's most inspiring and vibrant countries. The university is currently investing an additional £40 million to enhance student residencies. The first-ever principal at the university was Professor Tom Cottrell, who also happened to be the co-founder of the university as well as the co-founder of the McRobert Arts Centre in sterling, which, like the university, is a thriving institution that continues to inspire to this day. Professor Cottrell's background was in chemistry—a subject that he was Professor of at Edinburgh University—before coming heavily involved in the formation of the University of sterling. I can think of no more fitting and origin story than when it helped to describe the University of sterling today than that of a chemistry professor turned founding university principal who dedicated himself to promoting the arts. It is a story that truly sums up the diversity of subjects that are taught on campus, as well as the knowledge that is built on and inspires new generations of students. Of course, since opening 50 years ago, the University of sterling has grown and expanded to offer an increasing number of opportunities to its students. For instance, the university's contribution to sport is almost unrivaled. Names Scotland's University of Sporting Excellence offers a number of world-class health sciences and sporting courses. The recent and perhaps most notable achievement in sport for the university has come from the continuing success of the swimming team. At last year's Olympics in Rio, the university was Scotland's best performer with the swimming team taking home three silver medals. Sterling swimmers Duncan Scott and Robbie Renwick were part of a GP squad who sealed Olympic silver in the four-by-200 freestyle relay. The team achieved the best result in 108 years, setting a new UK record. Duncan Scott went on himself to smash the UK record in the 100-metre freestyle. However, as you might imagine, a university as diverse as sterling has tallied up an impressive number of achievements across a large number of subject fields. Sterling's University in Institute of Aquaculture opened in 1991, and to this day is the largest institution of its kind anywhere in the world. The university's innovation part first opened in 1986 and continues to provide a hub for enterprise and business that is involved directly in research and development and benefits from EU funding. The Irish Murdoch building, opened by Dame Judy Dench in 2002, is today home to the world-leading dementia services development centre, an incredibly important focal point for an ageing population with an increasing number of people and families who are facing such a debilitating condition. Following £11.5 million investment, the university opened its new state-of-the-art library in 2011, giving students access to more than learning resources and ensuring that all students have the tools that they need to succeed in their chosen courses. Today, the University of Sterling is ranked first in Scotland and third in the whole of the UK for graduate employment. Earlier this year, it was named in the top 50 universities in the world under the age of 50. Three quarters of all the research conducted by the university was ranked world-leading in the research excellence framework that was carried out in 2014. The international student barometer placed Sterling's University first in Scotland for welcoming students from around the world. In the latest university guide from the Guardian, the marvelous institution was ranked first in criminology, education, media and film, as well as social policy and ranked second for sociology. It shows you that this university has a quite remarkable track record. I wish that this debate provided more time to talk about the university's achievements because there is much more to say. There are more than 82,000 alumni of the University of Sterling consisting of 169 nationalities. Many of them have gone on to serve as distinction in many fields. Today, 14,000 students currently attend the university with 20 per cent of those coming from overseas. With the 1,500 staff included, there are over 120 different nationalities that are represented on campus today. In its relatively short 50 years, the University of Sterling has grown to become an institution that offers education and life experience opportunities to thousands of people from all walks of life around the globe. When preparing for this debate today, I asked the staff at the University of Sterling to sum up their ethos and what the university is about. They responded to me with this. Sterling's staff, students and alumni challenged the status quo and made significant difference to society. We are driven by transformative thinking, innovative action and the desire to use our knowledge and skills to help to shape the world in a positive way. I think that I will just leave the last words to them, because they are both powerful and meaningful. I congratulate Bruce Crawford on securing this debate, and I suspect that the University of Sterling wants to bottle his speech that could make it at the heart of its marketing strategy, because it has summed up all the many fantastic attributes that the University has. Of course, I should also say warm congratulations to the University of Sterling on its 50th anniversary, and I speak as one of the 82,000 alumni. I want to give a few personal insights to my alma mater as I proceed over the next two or three minutes, because the person who stands before you, of course, was shaped by my time at the University of Sterling largely, and it has certainly enriched me as a person. It was the first time that I had left home to live elsewhere, and, of course, I was also the first person in my family to go to university. I had never met anyone in my family who had never gone to university. It was a big move for me, and it was an enriching experience, and, of course, it has shaped my outlook in life. I have many fond memories of my time at the University. First and foremost, as Bruce Crawford mentioned, the outstanding location and the beautiful surroundings at the University, which is the first thing that strikes you when you go to the campus. It adds to the learning experience as your time as a young person at the University. I spent many a time lying in the grass staring at the stars. I am not quite sure if the stars were induced by the alcohol that I consumed at the Gannaghey or the Meadow Park hotel, but it was just an amazing environment to walk through every night to go back to your halls of residence. Of course, the education that takes place there in terms of tutorials and your degree is exceptionally important, but it is all part of the wider education that you receive when you go to university of Stirling or, indeed, any university in terms of the other cultures that you encounter. Stirling is a very international university, as Bruce Crawford mentioned. The Japanese contingent who was there when I was there, there were many Norwegians, and, of course, a huge contingent from Northern Ireland. I got to meet people from all those countries and that opened your eyes to what is out there in the big world and all the diverse cultures. In terms of education itself, clearly there are some specialisms that have been developed at university over time. When I was Cabinet Secretary for nine years in the Scottish Government, I was responsible for aquaculture, among many of my other responsibilities, and the University of Stirling is, of course, a foremost centre of knowledge on aquaculture, which is very appropriate for that to be in Scotland, given that we are the biggest aquaculture producer in the whole of Europe. I recall visiting university as Cabinet Secretary and discussing some of the key issues with the staff there. Indeed, I think that there is a plaque that I unveiled in the pathway building, so hopefully it is still there as well. The University of Stirling has certainly made its mark in terms of aquaculture and many other disciplines as well. There is not enough time to go through them all here. Bruce Crawford mentioned many of them also. I think that it is important that, as the University of Stirling told Bruce Crawford, the University does challenge the status quo. It has reputation for doing that, and I hope that it keeps up that reputation. I noticed that there was an article in the news just in the last couple of days where Professor Linda Bald, director of the Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling and a cancer research UK cancer prevention champion talked about the need for limits on junk food. For instance, junk food promotion is a way of combating cancer, which is something that I certainly support. It is good to see the academics of the University of Stirling speaking on those sometimes controversial issues and pushing the boundaries of the debate and impacting on public policy. I know the principles in the gallery today, and I welcome him to the gallery. I hope that he takes away that message that is really important to the academics and that the University continues to challenge the status quo. Finally, I just want to talk about the fact that my sense of national identity was also strengthened at my time at university because of course the University of Stirling is steeped in history, and Stirling itself is steeped in history, and it is in the shadow of the Wallace monument. I have got a bannock burn close by at the same time, and I was a young member of the SNP while I was at the University of Stirling, and I started off the politics society at the university, and it also helped to run the Federation of Student Nationalists while at the University of Stirling as well. Dr Robert McIntyre lived in Stirling at the time, the late Dr Robert McIntyre, who was the SNP's first MP elected in the by-election in 1945, and I got to know him when I was at Stirling, so that had certainly enriched my knowledge of Scottish political history and the SNP's legacy as well. He invited me back to his home and his wife served me with sandwiches and coffee, while he told me about his time in the House of Commons as the SNP's first MP back in 1945. I will always remember that experience and never forget it. I congratulate the university on its 50th anniversary, and I wish it all the best for the next 50 years as well. I continue to make your mark on Scottish education. I continue to ensure that people of all abilities go to university, and that is a strength of university, and that was one reason why I was able to go to the University of Stirling as well. Here is the next 50 years. I congratulate Bruce Crawford on bringing this member's debate to us this evening. In 2017, the University of Stirling will mark its 50 years since its foundation, and, as you have heard already this evening, it now has more than 14,000 students and has 1,500 staff, a huge employer and a huge contribution to the economy in Stirling. To celebrate its past, its present and its future, there are many events planned throughout 2017, with public lectures, exhibitions, family fund days, reunions and much much more. I welcome those events because it gives the opportunity for the university to engage with the community and gives individuals the chance to celebrate the successes and the anniversary. On 17 July 1964, it was announced that Stirling would be the site of the new university, falling on from the Robinson report in 1963, which highlighted proposals for a new university in Scotland. In June 1965, the first appointment for the principal and vice chancellor took place. Precisely 50 years ago this month, the new pathway building welcomed its first intake with, in 1968, Stirling University confer degrees on its first cohorts of students. Since 1968, when Stirling University celebrated, a small number of alumni took part in a graduation ceremony, and now we have heard that there are over 80,000 individuals from 169 different countries. One of those highly notable graduates is our own clerk and chief executive of the Scottish Parliament, Sir Paul Gries. He has been honoured, as you know, for his services to this Parliament and to higher education and to Scotland as the community. Indeed, Stirling University's alumni are regarded across the world. An example of that is to take place in October, where, as part of the anniversary, celebrations will be held in the British High Commissioner's residence in Singapore, hosted by the High Commissioner and the principal vice chancellor of the university, will be present. I would like to take this opportunity not only to congratulate Stirling University on its anniversary, and relatively short but illustrious history, but to look at some of the outstanding achievements that it has gained throughout the time. In 1977, the university launched its unique masters degree in pallidive nursing care, in conjunction with Marie Curie Cancer Care, a fantastic achievement. In 2009-10, the Sunday Times recognised the outstanding student experience that was recorded at the university and the quality of teaching that was experienced. In 2014, the framework of its research was recognised and the university reached into the top 40 and was fifth in Scotland for that. As we have already heard, it is well ranked in the UK for employability. In 2016, the management school programme gained the accreditation of the Association of Master and Business Administration. Lots have been achieved over the 50 years that we have seen. However, to conclude, it has already been talked about how the sporting activities that take place at Stirling University and, as Bruce has already indicated in his speech, in 2016 the Rio Olympics saw three members receive three silver medals. A student won a gold for the tennis in the Paralympics as well. As I said, I congratulate all who have contributed to the support of the university and I wish them well for their prospects for the future. It is located in a fantastic site and has the fantastic opportunity of fitting into that part of Scotland in the very centre. I look forward to attending many of the celebrations and will support all that I can to ensure that the university is given the recognition and respect that it deserves. I am delighted to take part in this evening's debate on celebrating Stirling University's 50th anniversary. I would like to thank Bruce Crawford for his motion enabling the debate to go forward. It is a pleasure to recognise the growth of Stirling University. In 1967, it was the first university in Scotland for more than 400 years and one that offers a unique campus experience in Scotland. It is a beautiful university to visit. It is situated within a 330-acre estate and is designed around a lock and the 18th century earthy castle. I was fortunate enough to spend a week there at a conference when I was a postgraduate student and it is fair to say that I spent more time in the social areas than I did enjoying the natural landscape. However, as one of the MSPs for the area, it is always a pleasure to visit the campus throughout the seasons and admire its location. It has won many awards and merits for its campus environment. The establishment of Stirling University was part of an expansion in higher education across the UK during the 1960s. At the time, the country faced an increasingly young population. The number of full-time students in higher education doubled throughout the 1960s. There were rising expectations of better qualified school leaders who had stayed at school longer and a growing belief that investment in higher education was a means of procuring national prosperity. All that saw a number of new universities established. While they were created to cope with an increase in student numbers, they were also seen as a way of injecting some fresh thinking into the university system. Those universities played a significant part in expanding opportunities for more people to go to university, often the first person in their family to have access to that level of education. Stirling has always been an outward-looking, innovative university. Perhaps not weighted with the expectations or traditions of the ancient universities, it was free to create a modern identity, one that valued its students, was open to working with others and sought to make a difference. Always high-related for the student experience, and I note that a number of MSPs are graduates, alumni include John Reed, now Baron Reed of Cargown, who described his time as a Stirling student. He said, "...you have a vital community with critical thought, mental rigor and an environment second to none. Just walk around the place. Why would you want to go to any other university in the world?" It is also more than a university. The location of the Macroberts Arts Centre is hugely advantageous to the university and students, as well as a huge benefit for the area. The expansion in recent years in sports facilities, with the designation of Stirling as Scotland's university for sporting excellence, provides excellent opportunities to competitive athletes as well as students. The openness of the university to the local community is important to its identity and it is one of its real strengths. Stirling University also has a good track record in working with many partners locally and internationally. They have a breadth of researchers who produce excellent work with external organisations in the private, the public and the voluntary sector. Just last week, I went to the parliamentary discussion of the Good Life in later years report. This is a research project carried out by community research teams of older people supported by the University of Stirling and Age Scotland and was funded by the Life Changes Trust. It is a really good example of the type of research undertaken by Stirling, which makes an important contribution to the public policy agenda. Stirling is one of the United Kingdom's leading research universities in the fields of health and wellbeing, the environment and people, culture and society, enterprise in the economy and sport. I want to wish Stirling University all the students, some of whom are just starting out on their academic journey this week, and all the staff who work on the campus the very best on this special university, one that recognises a real landmark in the university's life. I wish them many successful years ahead. I thank Bruce Crawford for bringing forward this motion for debate and hearty congratulations to Jerry and all the university staff. Everybody has contributed to the success of Stirling University over the last 50 years. I will also declare an interest as an alumnus of Stirling University. I was there at the same time as Richard Lockhead. In fact, he maybe does not remember, but we were engaged in a poster war at that time between SNP and the Greens. Maybe he does not notice me, he was ripping down his posters, I do not know. There was a strong tradition of politics at Stirling, and of course former First Minister, Jack McConnell, was a student president at Stirling as well. When I went on to become a councillor, I had the pleasure of having the campus in my council ward as well. Over the years that I have met and worked with many generations of people who have studied and worked at Stirling University, I met some of the original students from 67 right through to today's students that will be starting back this week. I think that there are many common experiences that we all have of being at Stirling University. One that Richard has already mentioned is that the campus is a really inspiring environment to work and study. There is something quite intense about having hundreds, if not thousands, of young people in a campus, but that is counterposed beautifully by the nature of the environment and the calmness of Erthryloch, the hermitage woods. I think that despite the fact that we have seen many expansions to the campus, very welcomed expansions over the years, including the building of the national tennis centre, it has always managed to keep the integrity of its natural environment and keep that balance, which I think is really important. There are still really important features of the campus that echo back to the original Erthry estate, which has been retained. I think that that is a great tribute to the way that universities, estates and management departments have managed to expand it over time. I think that the other common experience that we have is just the diversity of Stirling University. It was the first time that I had been to a university meeting so many people from different backgrounds and different places. Like Richard, I was the first person in my family to go to university. I think that that is really true to the vision of Robins from 63, that the new universities were about ability and attainment, not about background. Perhaps because of that, Stirling has always attracted a little bit of a radical strain of politics and activism right the way through from the 1960s to the present day. I can remember my own time at Stirling, getting involved in campus campaigns, issues from dropping third world debt to recycling and the greens and everything else. I probably shaved a grade off my final degree as a result, but what I gained in terms of experience was hugely important. It is that well-rounded nature of your experience at university, which is so important. That international nature of the university, the diversity of the students there has only grown over time. It is a triumph to see 120 nationalities now represented studying and working on the campus. Of course, the university has won awards for that as being the most welcoming university in Scotland for international students. I think that there is an important point here about Brexit that we need to see free movement of students across the world, those 120 nationalities, to come to Stirling, to study and to stay and also to contribute to those wider communities. I think that if we look at the successful places around the world, if we look at the flotilla of small cities that exist around the world—places such as Tübingen, for example, in Germany—cities that are low-carbon, innovative, outward-looking, smart and economically incredibly successful, the reasons why they are successful is because they have strong links to strong universities. I do think in concluding, Presiding Officer, that there is a real opportunity for Stirling University to play a central role in Stirling and Clackmannish's city deal, perhaps even more of a central role in that deal going forward. Driving innovation and excellence, but in a way that also addresses some of the sharp inequalities that exist in the surrounding communities in Stirling. I think that that would be a great legacy that is true to Robin's original vision of inclusion and the founding principles that we saw of Stirling 50 years ago. I thank Bruce Crawford for bringing that motion to the chamber today and for giving us the opportunity to celebrate the University of Stirling's 50th anniversary. I also extend my warm welcome to Principal McCormack. As Bruce Crawford and others have mentioned, only a handful of students were enrolled when the university first opened its doors in September 1967. Since then, it has grown in size and reputation to become a centre of excellence in academic research and innovation and for producing graduates that are sought after by employers of all sizes and in all sectors and locations. Indeed, the quality of education provided by the university is clearly demonstrated by the remarkable success of its graduates. In addition to the notable alumni that so many mentioned today that others have quite rightly highlighted, the university is ranked first in Scotland and third in the UK for graduate employability, with 97 per cent of graduates being in employment or further study this year. Quite a remarkable endorsement of the quality of teaching and education provided by the university. The university, however, rightly prides itself in its ability to combine this excellence in training with excellence in research and innovation. In particular, the university has an outstanding track record for research and innovation in several specialist areas, including the fields of aquaculture, as has been mentioned, dementia and the environment, to name but a few. In the area of aquaculture, as we have heard, the university is home to the Institute of Aquaculture, a leading international centre in this field and the largest of its kind in the world. With a community of 350 highly skilled staff as students from around the world, the institute brings world-class researchers from a variety of disciplines to focus on some critical questions facing not just this country but the world today—how to support communities in developing countries so that they have enough to eat, how to develop strategies for sustainable aquaculture and aquatic food security. I am sure that you will agree with some really important questions that are being addressed by the institute and the university. Since its formation, the institute has grown steadily. Yes, indeed. Bruce Crawford Thank you, Dean Lockhart. Let me make a quick intervention. It allows me to write on a mission that I should have made at the beginning and thank you for doing that. I should have mentioned, of course, that the university is not actually in my constituency, it is in the constituency of my good friend Keith Brown MSP, who is also here this evening, and I should have made that point at the beginning. I thank you very much for allowing me to intervene to make sure that I have that on the record. You are now back in the cabinet secretary's good books. Mr Lockhart. Life's… Thank you very much, Mr Crawford. I welcome Mr Brown to this debate as well. I was highlighting the global engagement and international reach of the university, and I think that that plays out across a lot of different areas and features of what the university does. The global reach is shown by the fact that it has international students from over 120 countries represented on campus, with more than 82,000 alumni from 150 different countries. That is only set to continue after this week's fresher week, and I am sure that we can all remember the first time that we attended university or another institution and the warm welcome that occasions like freshers week or similar can enjoy. The university's international ambitions are also reflected in strategic international partnerships to promote excellence and innovation and teaching with global impact. There are partnerships throughout the world, including with institutions in the USA, Australia, Canada and the Far East, through the study abroad programme. The university also offers undergraduate degrees to students in Singapore through a partnership with the Singapore Institute of Management. I have personally met students who attend the SIM and speak very highly of the courses offered through that joint partnership. As Scottish Higher Education continues to provide a world-class offering, I would encourage the university to continue to reach out globally and attract even further and greater numbers of international students to study in Stirling to get to know the fantastic campus, the city and the countryside surrounding the university. Let me wrap up again by thanking Bruce Crawford for bringing this debate to the chamber and I would like to wish the university all the best as it enters another 50 years. I thank Bruce Crawford for bringing this motion to the chamber, allowing us to reflect on the many achievements of Stirling University. I also welcome Principal Jeremy Cormack to the public gallery today. Bruce Crawford and other members have rightly pointed to the beautiful campus setting and an absolutely stunning setting. It is quite a unique university in many aspects, but the campus life is very special. Clare Baker pointed out the very important role of the McBob within the campus. It is not just very important to the university but also to the local community, tying the university and the local community together in a very important way. However, the growth of the university has been absolutely incredible, as other members have pointed out, to go from under 200 students in 1967 to just short of 12,000 in 2015-16 is incredible. We all only have to consider the contribution of its alumni to understand the impact of the university has had on Scotland and further afield. As well as those mentioned within Bruce Crawford's original motion, we have Ian Banks and Jackie Kay, two of our most well-regarded literary figures in the field of science and innovation, Muffy Calder. Of course, in the political world, the University of Stirling can count ministers, cabinet secretaries and even former First Ministers amongst its graduates. Of course, we can also point to many MSPs in the chamber who are alumni. Richard Lockhead has pointed out his experiences within the campus, both as a student and as a minister. I think that there will be many ministers that will attend different visits to the university campus attesting to the wide range of specialisms that the university has within the campus, whether that is aquaculture or dementia, two of which have been mentioned. I can only hope to reach the dizzy heights of a plaque in the path foot building, however, which is an impressive feat for Mr Lockhead. Mark Ruskell has pointed to poster wars. We can forget that for our days, all in student politics. I am intrigued to know between Mark Ruskell and Richard Lockhead who won poster wars. I think that it may have been Mr Lockhead. On a more serious point, Mark Ruskell pointed out the diversity within the university, which is exceptionally important. The different backgrounds that we come together in, whether it is people who have never been to university before or the different nationalities that we have, 120 nationalities within the university, is something that that institution can be very proud of. The internationalism that our higher education institutions have is something that makes them one of the most respected institutions across the globe. That is, as Mark Ruskell has pointed out, unfortunately under threat from Brexit, as we see a drop in the EU applications coming forward from students, and of course the lack of a post-study work visa for international students as well. Both of those would help this university and others to increase their international standing. The role of the universities has never been more important. As the First Minister said, when it is reducing the programme for government, we want Scotland to be the best place in the world to bring up children, the best place to grow up and be educated to live, work, visit and invest. Ensuring that we have a highly educated and skilled population, able to meet the needs of a rapidly changing economy, is vital for our future prosperity and for our wellbeing. That is why improving education is this Government's number one priority. Sterling's contribution to that is absolutely marked. It has an impressive record on widening access and will continue to do so. I was delighted to see the appointment of a new director of admissions and access to oversee the projects that the university has. Further embracing, as many people have already spoken about in the chamber today, the ability for universities to attract the first of a family to come to such an institution. That is something that I am sure will grow and grow. The links to the colleges are also exceptionally important. Sterling University can be exceptionally proud of. Its links with Forth Valley College and its full articulation is something that has highly impressed me on my ministerial visits. I was recently at Forth Valley College campus in Sterling, where members of the university were talking about the learner journey, working hand in hand with employers and colleges to ensure that they are delivering for students in the local area and further afield. I am delighted to see that commitment coming from both the college and the university within Forth Valley. Of course, the recent HESA stats have shown that the university continues to be very successful in terms of employment outcomes for graduates. Clearly, they are getting something very right in terms of the quality, the relevance and the modernity of its teaching and its research. Bruce Crawford also pointed rightly to the university's sporting excellence. It designated, of course, as the University of Sporting Excellence in 2008. It is clear that whether studying or participating sport is very much at the heart of the university's admission. At this point, I suppose, as alumni of the University of Sterling, I would have to admit that my first visit to the sports area within the university was on a ministerial visit. I managed, within my two years at Sterling University, not to visit the sports centre at all. I would like to claim that I was in the library most of that time, Presiding Officer, but perhaps in the student union specialising in the student politics of my party's youth wing. Nevertheless, I am delighted to see that the sporting excellence of the university is marked, whether I went or not. Many contributions have pointed to the number of awards and recognition that the university of Sterling has. It is a strong performance in the university rankings, whether it is the Times Higher Education and World University rankings or the Sunday Times Good University guide 2017. No doubt, due to its fantastic record within teaching research excellence. As someone who studied at the University of Sterling for two years myself and had a very happy two years as a postgraduate student there, I know that the other colleagues who are in the chamber today who have also studied or indeed worked within the university are confident that the institution will build on the history that we are celebrating today. I am sure that we will be back in the chamber in years to come to celebrate further success. Thank you very much.