Principal’s Introduction
The last few months have been a whirlwind of
launches, special events, widening access initiatives
and research successes for QMU.
The arrival of the Kelpies maquettes on campus
(see page 5) has not only been a talking point for
all our visitors, these exquisite equine sculptures
have enhanced the look of University Square and
attracted many local people who have been keen
to see and photograph them. Our thanks go to
Falkirk Council for gifting them to us over the winter
months. They are simply stunning!
December saw the launch of our Scottish Centre
for Food Development and Innovation. With a
history in food dating back to 1875, the University
was keen to capitalise on its expertise in food,
nutrition and biological health sciences. Over recent
years, the University has significantly developed
its research and commercial work supporting the
growth and development of Scotland’s food and
drink industry, particularly SMEs. Building on this
success, our launch of the first Scottish Centre for
Food Development and Innovation will enhance
Scotland’s position as a leader in food and drink
innovation in Europe and support access to the
global market for healthy and functional food. Read
more about the new centre on pages 18 and 19.
We were delighted to conclude a very eventful
year with confirmation of our research excellence
as demonstrated by our Research Excellence
Framework (REF 2014) results. This important UK
wide research exercise showed that a substantial
percentage (58%) of QMU’s research is rated as
world leading or internationally excellent. You can
read more about our REF results, and how our
research work makes an impact on people’s lives,
on pages 8 and 9.
There was an energetic start to the new year
with the first Queen Margaret Children’s University
graduation ceremony. In January, the Halle Lecture
Theatre was filled with excited children, aged from 5
to 14 years of age, supported by parents, teachers,
members of the local community and QMU staff.
The project, which is part of QMU’s widening
participation strategy, aims to inspire children to
engage with learning outside the school curriculum.
I am sure that this joyous occasion will have helped
encourage the young participants in the Children’s
University to continue to stretch themselves. Read
more on pages 6 and 7.
As always, we are delighted to hear and share
news of graduate successes, so please do stay
connected with the University via our alumni team.
If your business could benefit from research from
our new Scottish Centre for Food Development and
Innovation, or from our business experts, please
do get in touch. If you can contribute to QMU’s
success in any way, whether through a donation,
scholarship or legacy, or through mentoring or
providing internships, we would really love to hear
from you.
Professor Petra Wend, PhD, FRSA, FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
<< Professor Petra Wend, QMU Principal, with the
Kelpies maquettes in University Square
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QMYOU / Principal’s Introduction