The University of Stirling is an outward-looking international university, with a global reputation for providing high-quality education with a purpose and carrying out research that helps to shape society. We are an agent for change and strive to create impact in everything we do. We deploy innovative teaching practices and learning infrastructure in order to provide the best possible environment to support student learning. Our aim is to unlock the full potential of the 16,000 students that study across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes each year, and to equip them with the skills to thrive as global citizens in our fast-moving world.
Less than an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, our beautiful 330-acre campus is home to student accommodation, catering outlets, shops, a cinema and theatre, and even an 18th-century castle. We’ve also invested more than £20 million to create Campus Central – the new dynamic heart and the social core of the University.
As Scotland’s designated university for sporting excellence and host to the National Swimming Academy and National Tennis Centre, Stirling has an array of top-class facilities, including the new £20 million Sports Centre which opened in November 2020. This investment is set to further enhance the University’s sporting reputation and support diffusion of the institution’s culture of health and wellbeing. In recognition of Stirling’s commitment to sports performance, research and education, the University was awarded the Times and Sunday Times Sports University of the Year 2020. Stirling’s sporting excellence was exemplified by six Stirling-based athletes being selected to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games, returning home with five medals – two gold and three silver.
Our vision is to be recognised across the world as a university that addresses the needs of society through innovative interdisciplinary research. We are proud that our work is already making a positive impact on people’s health, education and wellbeing, and we are working hard to do even more through research that is embodied within three major themes: Cultures, Communities and Society; Global Security and Resilience; and Living Well. Our reputation for research that makes a difference has positioned us on the frontline of the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with our researchers leading major projects to consider the effects of the virus on society and using our expertise to search for answers with impact.
Building on its solid research platform, Stirling has a global network for students, staff and alumni to share advice and seek mentorship, while the University of Stirling Innovation Park is a key hub for start- ups and established businesses, research collaboration and potential jobs.
Its Institute of Aquaculture was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019 for its pioneering work in the world’s fastest-growing food production sector in a bid to tackle global hunger. The university is now targeting its research on the government’s “grand challenges” such as Scotland’s aim to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
In December 2020, it was confirmed that the University would host the Scotland Hydro Nation Chair, establishing a unique partnership with Scottish Water and the SFC. The Chair will lead a £3.5m initiative to position Scotland as a global leader in water research and provide the leadership to forge collaborative partnerships across the sector to deliver solutions for sustainable water management in Scotland. The University’s leadership and research expertise will play a pivotal role in supporting the ambitions for Scotland to transition to a net zero economy.
In February 2020, the University signed the ‘Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal’ with its local authority and Scottish Government partners. This confirmed the Deal’s £214 million investment package from UK and Scottish Governments and for Stirling it will provide £17m to support a National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH) and £22m for Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC).
