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Scots universities 'world leaders' in research
18/12/2008
The results of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which assesses the quality of research in universities across the UK, shows that all Scots universities are involved in 'world-leading' research.
The independent assessment, conducted jointly by the Scottish Funding Council and university funding bodies for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that the proportion of Scottish research graded at the highest level has increased since the last RAE in 2001.
Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:
"The Scottish Government welcomes the outcome of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise which demonstrates that Scottish universities are continuing to lead the world in many areas of research.
"Today is a real opportunity to celebrate the exciting and innovative work which goes on in our universities across Scotland every day - research which greatly contributes to our efforts to create a smarter, fairer, healthier, wealthier and greener Scotland.
"The results reflect that hard work, the efforts of those working in our universities and the substantial investment which we are making in the sector - currently more than £1 billion a year. The results also show some encouraging early signs in subjects that have benefited from research pooling.
"I want to thank everyone who has contributed to these results and ensuring that Scotland continues to retain and improve its reputation for world-class research."