JOINT FUTURE THINKING TASKFORCE ON UNIVERSITIES: MEETING 6

WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 2008

CARLTON HOTEL, PERTH ROOM

AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. Taskforce's interim report

Introduction and progress (Stephen Kerr)

General discussion on draft report (all)

3. Stakeholder summit

4. Communications

5. Summing up and next steps

NOTE OF MEETING

Present

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

Sir Muir Russell, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of University of Glasgow

Bernard King, Deputy Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of University of Abertay Dundee

Sir Tim O'Shea, Principal of University of Edinburgh

Pamela Gillies, Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University

David Caldwell, Director of Universities Scotland

Seona Reid, Director of Glasgow School of Art

John McClelland, Chair of Scottish Funding Council

Stephen Noon, Senior Policy Adviser

Mark Batho, Director of Lifelong Learning

Stephen Kerr, Head of HE and Learner Support

Claire Woodward-Nutt, HE Futures and Research (Secretariat)

1. Welcome

1. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning welcomed members of the Taskforce to their last meeting before the summer.

2. Taskforce's interim report

2. The Cabinet Secretary acknowledged Stephen Kerr's and David Caldwell's hard work in attempting to finalise an interim report that could be supported by the Taskforce. The report being considered at today's meeting reflected a large number of changes and had undergone a number of iterations in an attempt to reach agreement. However, there remained a small number of key issues that had not been resolved in advance that needed further discussion at the meeting.

3. The Cabinet Secretary had discussed the main themes emerging from the taskforce's work with Cabinet and had met the First Minister separately on a similar basis. She would also raise the key issues with the Council of Economic Advisers when she met them on 13 June.

4. Sir Muir Russell emphasised that it was important that the report was suitably ambitious in a global context. While he recognised that the Government was currently unable to commit to a level of funding in future spending reviews, he believed that the report should go as far as possible towards this.

5. Members of the taskforce considered further a number of areas in the report:

• Relationship between the activities of universities and the Government's Purpose and national performance framework;
• Future contributions of universities not just to the economy, but to individuals, society, culture and Scotland's reputation in the world;
• Scottish Government funding of the sector in relation to international competitiveness and the dual support system;
• Scope of the General and Horizon funding streams;
• Scotland's distinctive approach of all HEIs including research, allowing stronger links between research and teaching;
• The possibility of HEIs being explicitly recognised as a priority sector in their own right.

6. Bernard King agreed to provide possible text for the report on the indivisibility of research and teaching links for the report.

Action: Bernard King to provide contribution on research and teaching links

7. John McClelland indicated that the Scottish Funding Council would be taking forward work over the summer to inform some of the detail within the framework set out in the report. He would also be giving thought to how best the challenges might be addressed.

Action: John McClelland to take forward analysis over the summer

8. Members of the taskforce agreed that the final report should provide a strategic framework pitched at a high level to be informed by the input of stakeholders as well as SFC. It was delegated to David Caldwell and Stephen Kerr to refine the report to reflect the discussion with a view to publication by the end of June.

Action: David Caldwell and Stephen Kerr to finalise report for publication

3. Stakeholder summit

9. A proposed programme for the proposed stakeholder summit on 20 August was discussed. The Cabinet Secretary indicated that the emphasis should be on facilitating the input of stakeholders, rather than disseminating the report. The incoming chair of Universities Scotland, Anton Muscatelli, might be invited to have a key role in this.

4. Communications

10. Members of the Taskforce agreed that publication of the interim report before the end of June would be helpful. Sir Muir Russell was willing to host a launch at Glasgow University. The publication and launch, including a press briefing and photo opportunity, would be a tripartite activity between Government, universities and the Funding Council.

11. While it would not be appropriate to share the report prior to the agreed publication date, it was recognised that the university Principals would be discussing some of the key themes in it with their Senates and Courts over the next few weeks. Likewise, the Cabinet Secretary would be discussing it with her Cabinet colleagues and with the Council of Economic Advisers.

12. The Cabinet Secretary passed on her thanks to Sir Muir as co-chair and to other members of the Taskforce for their hard work over the last few months. Sir Muir Russell indicated his appreciation of the time and effort that had been devoted to the work of the Taskforce.

13. Next meeting: 23 September 2008 at 12.30 to 14.30, Carlton Hotel.