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Annual Review 2014/2015 “ One of the facets of our work of which I’m most proud is that we are able to demonstrate our impact and influence right across the board – from the local to the global.” Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the University of Edinburgh The close of 2014 saw a major refurbishment of the Golden Boy, who stands atop the Old College dome. A regilding process restored the lustre that had been lost as the elements took their toll. The statue, which holds the torch of knowledge, was recoated in gold leaf for the first time in 30 years. Our vision Our mission To recruit and develop the world’s most The mission of our University is the creation, promising students and most outstanding staff dissemination and curation of knowledge. and be a truly global university benefiting As a world-leading centre of academic society as a whole. excellence we aim to: • enhance our position as one of the world’s leading research and teaching universities and to measure our performance against the highest international standards • provide the highest quality learning and teaching environment for the greater wellbeing of our students and deliver an outstanding educational portfolio • produce graduates fully equipped to achieve the highest personal and professional standards • make a significant, sustainable and socially responsible contribution to Scotland, the UK and the world, promoting health, economic growth and cultural wellbeing. To view our Annual Review online, please visit: www.ed.ac.uk/annual-review Edinburgh Flying Faculty created A record number of new companies 44 in the RE WE A last 12 OPEN months The first brain atlas Introduction Annual Review 2014/2015 01 Features Round-up Contents Honorary graduates 02 Principal’s foreword 20 Reaching out to inspire school pupils 04 Advancing diagnosis of dementia 22 The EUSA Teaching Awards 2014–15 06 Rewarding student endeavour 24 Review of the year & achievements Awards 08 Transforming ideas into enterprise 28 Honorary graduations 10 Taking the Edinburgh 30 Awards and achievements experience to China 32 Financial review 12 Providing a forum for thought 34 Appointments 14 Delivering big data solutions 36 Appendix 1: Student numbers Financial review 38 Appendix 2: Undergraduate 16 Informing deaf applications and education policy acceptances 18 Safeguarding next-generation 39 Appendix 3: Benefactions banking 42 Appendix 4: Research grants and other sources Appointments of funding Please view our Annual Review online: www.ed.ac.uk/annual-review Appendices Introduction 02 Annual Review 2014/2015 Principal’s foreword The breadth of our international partnerships has a really positive impact on the overall student experience at Edinburgh. Features One of the great strengths of the University ‘Big data’ is a term we are hearing more and of Edinburgh, and indeed one of its most more in the 21st century – and creating the appealing aspects, is its very great diversity. new methodology of data science is an area This is manifest not only in the staff and in which Edinburgh is a vital player. We are a students who form the backbone of key partner in the newly created Alan Turing our institution, but also in the range of Institute and this year we feature the work of activities we undertake. colleagues looking at how we collect, organise and interpret large sets of data – Round-up From world-leading research through and realise its economic potential. company formation and on to inspirational teaching, we are a broad church and we Great universities like Edinburgh have the make a significant contribution educationally, capability to change people’s lives for the culturally and economically. We are also better – this is not always in the most diverse in terms of the communities we serve. obvious ways, such as medical research We are proud to be based in Edinburgh, breakthroughs, but in other ways too. proud to be Scottish, proud to be British and This year we investigate how colleagues proud to be international. in our School of Education are helping Honorary graduates to inform policy and shape the education We can trace our history back to 1583 when of deaf people across Scotland. Meanwhile, we became one of the world’s first great academics in our Business School have civic universities with financial backing from been attracting attention with their vision the then town council. That relationship for a system which could radically change Along with our staff, our students are our with the city that we call home is extremely the way that banks lend money – something most important asset. We strive constantly important to us at a time when higher I am sure will be of interest to many in to provide them with a world-class learning education is going through a period of challenging economic times. and teaching experience and an environment unprecedented internationalisation. in which they can thrive while undertaking Edinburgh is no exception. We too are I am gratified to see that at Edinburgh we their studies. The quality of that experience & achievements Awards global – but we are also local. One of the work hard at giving back. In return for the is reflected in the international accreditation facets of our work of which I’m most proud support we receive as a neighbour, within many of our programmes achieve and the is that we are able to demonstrate our Scotland’s capital city, we contribute a great feedback we receive from the statutory impact and influence right across the deal locally. This comes in a variety of ways, bodies tasked with reviewing performance board – from the local to the global. some of which we focus on in this year’s in higher education. I’ve been particularly publication. Among them, the project that pleased to note the success of the Edinburgh In this year’s Annual Review we focus on colleagues in our School of Geosciences Award that we established in partnership with a range of activity that demonstrates the have been undertaking with local schools, Edinburgh University Students’ Association breadth of our contribution. As a society developing programmes for five to 17-year- (EUSA). Our students make a massive we are facing a number of global health olds that are educational, engaging and fun. contribution to our fellow citizens, challenges and one of the biggest is We also give back in the context of our volunteering for a huge variety of good dementia. The University is making important economic impact and our ability to create causes across Edinburgh, and the Edinburgh Financial review strides forward with its research in this area. new businesses and jobs. Over the past Award recognises all the good work that they We feature in this publication the work of 12 months the University has created a do when they’re not engaged in the business our team developing the first ‘brain atlas’ or record number of companies, a grand total of study. digital map of the brain to assist researchers of 44, with all offering the openings investigating brain ageing, vascular disease and opportunities that new business Our students are among our greatest and dementia. endeavours bring. ambassadors and if we can instil in them those core values of giving back and I believe that collaboration is a significant Crucially, we also give back in providing a contributing to society, whether that’s driver of innovation and can be very forum for debate and the exchange of ideas. locally or globally, then I am optimistic beneficial to the advances we are making This year’s review looks at our ‘Future of the for the future. both in research and teaching. We have long UK and Scotland’ project and the role we Appointments enjoyed fruitful links with China and that played in developing an impartial arena relationship was recently strengthened with in which the issues around Scottish the launch of our new degree partnership in independence could be discussed and integrative biomedical sciences with Zhejiang evaluated freely. University. Health provision is one of China’s major growth areas – and it is now one in Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea which Edinburgh is playing an important part. BSc, PhD, FRSE Appendices Students surveying the view across Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat. Photograph by Imelda Mulyani Harsono 04 Annual Review 2014/2015 Annual Review 2014/2015 05 Introduction Advancing diagnosis of dementia Features 2015 saw the University publish the first ‘brain atlas’ – a digital map of the brain There are very real grounds for optimism. designed to assist researchers working in the Professor Craig Ritchie areas of brain ageing, vascular disease and dementia. With a suite of powerful MRI and CT scanners available across the University’s It is now widely recognised that the key to Ask Professor Ritchie if he believes a cure medical campuses – and more to be added tackling conditions like dementia lies in earlier will one day be found for dementia, and the in the coming year – scientists are capturing diagnosis and preventative treatment. The answer is resoundingly positive. Round-up detailed images of the body to understand advances of 21st century medicine allow us how we can prevent and treat some of the to move on from keeping people alive for “There are very real grounds for optimism,” world’s most challenging conditions. longer, towards keeping people healthy for he says. “We are beginning to understand longer. With expertise across the full range of that the disease process of dementia begins The University’s Dr David Dickie, working with specialisms required for the task – medicine, at least 20 or 30 years before symptoms colleagues from Professor Joanna Wardlaw’s neuroscience, psychology and informatics – develop, and it is at that point in time that the research team, based at the University’s the University has a global reputation for EPAD project is aiming to intervene.” Brain Research Imaging Centre, produced leading the field.