Why creativity is key to realising Scotland's tech potential
It all feels like something that has been built to help bridge the present and the future, which makes sense, because this is the National Robotarium, a multi-million facility funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland City Region Deal.
For many, the name will conjure up images of hermetically sealed, sci-fi inspired laboratories filled with men and women glued to code-filled computer screens. Some might assume that a place like this is concerned with theoretical advancements from people with narrow but hugely advanced specialisms.
The reality is quite different.
Ultimately, the people who come to work here every day are in the problem-solving business, and success is just as much about creativity as it is technical knowledge.
In one section of the building, a full mock-up of an assisted living home has been created in order to explore solutions to existing, real-world problems. Idea to make life easier for people in need of support, such as assistance robots that can follow people around, or worktops that are automatically height-adjustable, are conceived, developed and tested here using some of the world's most advanced robotic and AI technology.
Along another corridor, an expert is working on a medical diagnostic machine that will hopefully enable diseases such as Parkinson's to be detected much earlier; in a large workshop space, a team is developing an advanced machine to sort recycling more effectively and efficiently.
Scotland has an extensive history in developing new ideas and technologies to solve problems, and many believe that it can once again be a world leader in the field, but the country is struggling to create the networks and pathways necessary to turn that dream into a reality.
Problems with access to, and uptake of, some STEM subjects – especially Computing Science and Design & Manufacture – are well known, but some argue that a subject-specific solution to this particular real-world problem isn't the answer.
According to Blair Wilson, Industry and School Engagement Lead at the National Robotarium, an alternative approach – project based learning – might be better suited to this particular task.
He name-checks a number of such scheme – LEGO League, F1 in Schools, Vex Robotics – that allow students to combine their learning from various different subjects with their real world interests, before pointing out that the National Robotarium also hosts its own programmes: 'We have an event tomorrow called the First Tech Challenge. It allows students to explore subjects in an environment where you're in a team, so you're not necessarily failing if you don't understand something, and every year there's a different theme which relates to the real world. So you could be talking about archaeology, health, underwater science. The project takes your team through the whole engineering process, the whole design process, and includes things like fundraising, communication and teamwork. It teaches you in a way that is transferable to a working environment, because these are the things that happen in the real world of work.'
'I would say definitely the way that the world is going in terms of the world work, the careers available - coming out of high school with five A's in the Highers is great. But having a couple of Highers, and a skill set that is transferable to the world of work or to the world of college or university or apprenticeships, currently is probably a little bit more valuable.'
Put simply, Wilson argues we don't need schools to create exam-answering machines with high grades – we need them to create learners with real interests and creative curiosity.
Wilson points out that even at the very top of the field, creativity is vital. Disney, he explains, employs a team of 'hardcore roboticists' to develop technology for theme parks and films. Their job title is 'imagineer'.
He explains that one of his colleagues, who is currently working on a type of pet-like robot to support and monitor people living alone, previously worked in high fashion, but that many of the creative and developmental skills he acquired in that industry transferred brilliantly to working in robotics and AI.
In order for Scotland to realise its potential and take a leading role in a rapidly changing world, the country will have to produce people who can examine complex problems and conceptualise new solutions that cut across traditional divisions.
Wilson says that we need people who are driven to 'explore', and who can be creative in the pursuit of solutions to real-world problems.
'But the key word there is create.'
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The National
6 hours ago
- The National
The professor who united Celtic & Rangers for sports science
It's not exactly a component of the modern game that have been widely accepted by supporters, pundits, or indeed some members of the media in these parts. A glance back a little over six months ago is all that's required as evidence of the reaction to Philippe Clement's assertions that he could not field some of his best players in an important fixture for Rangers due to advice from his sports science team. The naysayers remain, however, there are more pertinent reasons as to why Scotland, while learning to progress, is so far behind the Premier League and other elite footballing nations in this field. 'I'll be careful here, because obviously I work with a lot of football clubs! Why do I think that occurs? Perhaps for two reasons,' Vish Unnithan, Professor of Paediatric Exercise Physiology at University of the West of Scotland, said. (Image: UWS) 'Number one, a lot of the measurements that we have to take and the data that we need to acquire requires funding. I've lived up in Scotland for nine years, and I've got a much better understanding of the Scottish football structure. Funding is key. 'If you're in the English Premier League, you probably have the budget to be able to devote a huge amount of money to evaluations of players and so on and so forth. 'I know that does happen in Scotland as well. But say, for example, you went down in the English pyramid, even to the Championship, you know, I look at the budgets that the Championship clubs are able to devote to sports science and I'm thinking 'wow, in some cases, that's superior to what Scottish Premiership clubs can devote to sports science'. So one of the reasons is quite pragmatic. 'Second reason is it's probably fair to say there are some coaches, not all, are from a different generation where sports science wasn't as important. The reason it wasn't as important in those days was the volume of matches maybe wasn't as high, or maybe it was comparable to now, but absolutely not. 'The intensity in those days wasn't anywhere near what it is now. So maybe even in those days, you probably didn't need to be so forensic about the sports science side. Now, with the way the intensity of the game is, you do have to have some mechanisms in place to be able to safeguard the health and welfare of players, as well as make sure that you're winning football matches as well. 'I would say in Scotland, things are changing. I know clubs in League Two. They can't afford a full-time sports scientist, but they can afford a part-time sports scientist that comes in and supports them. 'It is here. And obviously, the top clubs, Rangers and Celtic and Hearts and Hibs, they probably have a budget and an infrastructure that will probably be able to support sports science. I believe Aberdeen as well have redone their training ground and it's absolutely top class as well.' Professor Unnithan organised the World Congress of Science and Soccer 2025 in Glasgow last week. Held at Ibrox Stadium and Celtic Park, 260 people from 26 countries networked, interacted with industry professionals and listened to seminars by expert researchers. Clubs such as Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina had representatives present across the four-day spectacle, mainly facilitated by UWS as academic hosts. 'Be it academy football, men's first team, women's football, the game in and of itself is changing out of all recognition,' Vish explained when asked what the conference delivered. 'And therefore, the science around it has to adapt too. 'For example, the increases in intensity in the men's game, the women's game, and the volume of fixtures that are now played across men's and women's elite football. That necessitates a constant, I would say, upskilling of the individuals who work in and around football. 'This conference is a chance for scientists and practitioners that work in and around football, or all the domains, be it sports science or psychology or sports medicine, to come together and to share developments in soccer science. 'As scientists, we're not going to be able to affect that calendar, which is also true for cricket, by the way. If you look at the elite cricketers, they're pretty much playing 11 and a half months a year as well. We can't. We're just scientists. So we have to respond to the changes that are taking place. 'And whether that's through, you know, as is reflected in the conference, we're talking about recovery and readiness to play. That's one of the themes. We're talking about the area that I'm interested in. 'I've done a lot of published research in the area of cardiac adaptation, positive cardiac adaptations of the heart in response to high volume soccer training in young academy players, male and female. 'We've got sessions on illness and injury in the elite women's game as well, because what's happened in the men's game, you can track that straight across to the women's game now in terms of the intensity of play, in terms of the volume of matches that are being played as well. 'We are covering all the major areas, along with things like talent identification and talent development. What are the current methodologies that are being used across the world? 'And of course, we're talking about strength and conditioning, which is an incredibly important part of soccer science, and other huge parts of elite football, including data analytics and performance analysis.' (Image: UWS) The intense rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is renowned worldwide. It belongs to the football pitch, but most interested, or even uninterested, onlookers know it runs much deeper than that. In recent years, the relationship between both clubs has been fractured with various rows over ticket allocations and indeed cutting away tickets from the derby fixture altogether, among many other things, leading to scrutiny of those in power, who simply haven't seen eye-to-eye. Professor Unnithan – who has collaborated with both Glasgow sides as well as English Premier League and Championship clubs – was extremely complimentary of either side of the Glasgow divide, explaining they willingly came together to help push this project, perhaps allowing outsiders an insight into a healthier association at boardroom level between the two. He added: 'I have such a good relationship with Celtic all the way up to chief executive level with Michael Nicholson and they were so supportive of the conference. 'So Thursday and Friday, we were at Celtic Park and Tuesday and Wednesday, it was Ibrox. This was through the previous chief executive, Stewart Robertson, and the previous chairman, John Bennett. I supervised John's daughter at UWS, so there was a connection there. 'Also, one of my former undergraduate students at Liverpool Hope University, when Steven Gerrard was at Rangers, was head of sports science on Steven's staff. So that's the Rangers kind of connection. 'On the Celtic side of things, I've got multiple PhD students who are working and have worked in the boys' academy and one of them has gone on to become Celtic's first team men's nutritionist and the other has just been appointed one of Celtic's first team sports scientists. 'That's the kind of background in terms of the relationship I have with both clubs and so they were massively supportive of the bid. 'It was kind of you in one of those moments where the whole Celtic and Rangers thing, that never came up. It was all about what was for the good of football, for the good of football science. They were willing to support my bid, which they both deserve credit for. 'I was the sort of conduit between both clubs, but there was never, ever a sense of any sort of competition between the two, none. 'It was just all about ensuring that the delegates got the best possible embedded, and I think that's the key word for this conference. It's an embedded football conference. 'So, you know, other conferences I've been to, they're in the convention centres and so on, but the topic of this conference is football science and so it absolutely had to be in the two stadia. 'They've been wonderful both clubs for me to work with. Absolutely wonderful.' Joined by co-chairs Dr Mike King, and Dr Antonio Dello Iacono of the University of Glasgow and UWS, the conference allowed students from the latter to volunteer at the event, and even speak. Allowing them unforgettable experiences to network with sports scientists and other academics within the field, the students and various other attendees were treated to a talk by Professor Mark Williams, who addressed the future of talent identification and development in football. 'We've got a lot of our students who are actually the volunteers for this conference, because the one thing is, for a conference of this sort of magnitude, you have to have the infrastructure in place,' Vish added. 'So, after they finish as an undergraduate student, or they complete their PhD, they can, through this conference, make those connections, which are really crucial if you want to have a career ultimately working within the football industry.' To find out more about studying or researching sport, exercise and health at UWS, click/visit here:
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The professor who united Celtic & Rangers for sports science
A glance back a little over six months ago is all that's required as evidence of the reaction to Philippe Clement's assertions that he could not field some of his best players in an important fixture for Rangers due to advice from his sports science team. The naysayers remain, however, there are more pertinent reasons as to why Scotland, while learning to progress, is so far behind the Premier League and other elite footballing nations in this field. 'I'll be careful here, because obviously I work with a lot of football clubs! Why do I think that occurs? Perhaps for two reasons,' Vish Unnithan, Professor of Paediatric Exercise Physiology at University of the West of Scotland, said. (Image: UWS) 'Number one, a lot of the measurements that we have to take and the data that we need to acquire requires funding. I've lived up in Scotland for nine years, and I've got a much better understanding of the Scottish football structure. Funding is key. 'If you're in the English Premier League, you probably have the budget to be able to devote a huge amount of money to evaluations of players and so on and so forth. 'I know that does happen in Scotland as well. But say, for example, you went down in the English pyramid, even to the Championship, you know, I look at the budgets that the Championship clubs are able to devote to sports science and I'm thinking 'wow, in some cases, that's superior to what Scottish Premiership clubs can devote to sports science'. So one of the reasons is quite pragmatic. 'Second reason is it's probably fair to say there are some coaches, not all, are from a different generation where sports science wasn't as important. The reason it wasn't as important in those days was the volume of matches maybe wasn't as high, or maybe it was comparable to now, but absolutely not. 'The intensity in those days wasn't anywhere near what it is now. So maybe even in those days, you probably didn't need to be so forensic about the sports science side. Now, with the way the intensity of the game is, you do have to have some mechanisms in place to be able to safeguard the health and welfare of players, as well as make sure that you're winning football matches as well. 'I would say in Scotland, things are changing. I know clubs in League Two. They can't afford a full-time sports scientist, but they can afford a part-time sports scientist that comes in and supports them. 'It is here. And obviously, the top clubs, Rangers and Celtic and Hearts and Hibs, they probably have a budget and an infrastructure that will probably be able to support sports science. I believe Aberdeen as well have redone their training ground and it's absolutely top class as well.' Professor Unnithan organised the World Congress of Science and Soccer 2025 in Glasgow last week. Held at Ibrox Stadium and Celtic Park, 260 people from 26 countries networked, interacted with industry professionals and listened to seminars by expert researchers. Clubs such as Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina had representatives present across the four-day spectacle, mainly facilitated by UWS as academic hosts. 'Be it academy football, men's first team, women's football, the game in and of itself is changing out of all recognition,' Vish explained when asked what the conference delivered. 'And therefore, the science around it has to adapt too. 'For example, the increases in intensity in the men's game, the women's game, and the volume of fixtures that are now played across men's and women's elite football. That necessitates a constant, I would say, upskilling of the individuals who work in and around football. 'This conference is a chance for scientists and practitioners that work in and around football, or all the domains, be it sports science or psychology or sports medicine, to come together and to share developments in soccer science. 'As scientists, we're not going to be able to affect that calendar, which is also true for cricket, by the way. If you look at the elite cricketers, they're pretty much playing 11 and a half months a year as well. We can't. We're just scientists. So we have to respond to the changes that are taking place. 'And whether that's through, you know, as is reflected in the conference, we're talking about recovery and readiness to play. That's one of the themes. We're talking about the area that I'm interested in. 'I've done a lot of published research in the area of cardiac adaptation, positive cardiac adaptations of the heart in response to high volume soccer training in young academy players, male and female. 'We've got sessions on illness and injury in the elite women's game as well, because what's happened in the men's game, you can track that straight across to the women's game now in terms of the intensity of play, in terms of the volume of matches that are being played as well. 'We are covering all the major areas, along with things like talent identification and talent development. What are the current methodologies that are being used across the world? 'And of course, we're talking about strength and conditioning, which is an incredibly important part of soccer science, and other huge parts of elite football, including data analytics and performance analysis.' (Image: UWS) The intense rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is renowned worldwide. It belongs to the football pitch, but most interested, or even uninterested, onlookers know it runs much deeper than that. In recent years, the relationship between both clubs has been fractured with various rows over ticket allocations and indeed cutting away tickets from the derby fixture altogether, among many other things, leading to scrutiny of those in power, who simply haven't seen eye-to-eye. Professor Unnithan – who has collaborated with both Glasgow sides as well as English Premier League and Championship clubs – was extremely complimentary of either side of the Glasgow divide, explaining they willingly came together to help push this project, perhaps allowing outsiders an insight into a healthier association at boardroom level between the two. He added: 'I have such a good relationship with Celtic all the way up to chief executive level with Michael Nicholson and they were so supportive of the conference. 'So Thursday and Friday, we were at Celtic Park and Tuesday and Wednesday, it was Ibrox. This was through the previous chief executive, Stewart Robertson, and the previous chairman, John Bennett. I supervised John's daughter at UWS, so there was a connection there. 'Also, one of my former undergraduate students at Liverpool Hope University, when Steven Gerrard was at Rangers, was head of sports science on Steven's staff. So that's the Rangers kind of connection. 'On the Celtic side of things, I've got multiple PhD students who are working and have worked in the boys' academy and one of them has gone on to become Celtic's first team men's nutritionist and the other has just been appointed one of Celtic's first team sports scientists. 'That's the kind of background in terms of the relationship I have with both clubs and so they were massively supportive of the bid. 'It was kind of you in one of those moments where the whole Celtic and Rangers thing, that never came up. It was all about what was for the good of football, for the good of football science. They were willing to support my bid, which they both deserve credit for. 'I was the sort of conduit between both clubs, but there was never, ever a sense of any sort of competition between the two, none. 'It was just all about ensuring that the delegates got the best possible embedded, and I think that's the key word for this conference. It's an embedded football conference. 'So, you know, other conferences I've been to, they're in the convention centres and so on, but the topic of this conference is football science and so it absolutely had to be in the two stadia. 'They've been wonderful both clubs for me to work with. Absolutely wonderful.' Joined by co-chairs Dr Mike King, and Dr Antonio Dello Iacono of the University of Glasgow and UWS, the conference allowed students from the latter to volunteer at the event, and even speak. Allowing them unforgettable experiences to network with sports scientists and other academics within the field, the students and various other attendees were treated to a talk by Professor Mark Williams, who addressed the future of talent identification and development in football. 'We've got a lot of our students who are actually the volunteers for this conference, because the one thing is, for a conference of this sort of magnitude, you have to have the infrastructure in place,' Vish added. 'So, after they finish as an undergraduate student, or they complete their PhD, they can, through this conference, make those connections, which are really crucial if you want to have a career ultimately working within the football industry.' To find out more about studying or researching sport, exercise and health at UWS, click/visit here:
The National
a day ago
- The National
The Scottish universities accept millions from firms linked to China
Some universities accepted money from companies and institutions with ties to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in China, including those which are sanctioned by other countries. Other universities took funding from institutions and tech firms accused of helping the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spy on and target users, spread misinformation and abuse human rights. The director-general of MI5 last year warned vice-chancellors that China and other states the UK Government views as adversaries are attempting to steal technology from universities that can 'deliver their authoritarian, military and commercial priorities'. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China said The Ferret's research suggests that funding from CCP-linked organisations in Scottish higher education is particularly prevalent. This, it claimed 'should be a matter of deep concern for ministers and the wider Scottish public'. READ MORE: Labour blasted as 'deeply authoritarian' over plans to proscribe Palestine Action However, the Chinese Embassy in London has accused critics and media outlets of 'politicising and stigmatising normal educational exchanges between the two countries'. It has denied the use of subversive tactics abroad and argues that research collaboration with UK universities has 'enhanced mutual understanding'. The Ferret asked Scotland's universities to disclose funding they received from Chinese organisations between 2020/21 and 2024/25. Ten universities collectively received at least £39.7 million of funding. Of that, £5.5m came from organisations allegedly linked to the military, human rights abuses or spying, or was used to fund controversial Confucius Institutes. These are CCP-funded educational and cultural programmes on UK campuses which have been accused of monitoring and censoring UK students, and pushing propaganda. Dundee University refused The Ferret's request while others withheld some information which, they argued, was commercially sensitive. As such, the true total could be higher. Edinburgh University received more than £11m in research funding from unnamed Chinese organisations but it did not provide further detail. The university said it was not feasible to provide a complete list of possible funding from China. Some of Edinburgh Napier University's funding, £1.2m, came from unnamed Chinese partners for transnational education programmes. St Andrews University would only provide funding information for named organisations, rather than any from China. Military links SOME universities accepted money from Chinese organisations with military ties. Strathclyde University received £130,000 in research funding from Wuxi Paike New Materials Technology, which makes metal forgings for the Chinese military. Strathclyde did not specify when it received the money from the firm, which was sanctioned by the US government in December 2020 due to its military links. Strathclyde also accepted £22,100 for 'research studentship/knowledge exchange' from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on an undisclosed date. The academy is designated 'medium risk' by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), due to its alleged weapons research. ASPI is a defence think tank founded by the Australian Government. It has been described as having a hawkish stance on China and has received funding from overseas governments, including the US and UK, as well as the defence industry. In 2020, a drone submarine developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences was found by an Indonesian fisherman in the South China Sea and thought to be on a possible covert mission by military observers. The following year, in October 2021, Robert Gordon University (RGU) was given £46,820 by the academy to research spectral imaging – a method of capturing highly detailed images. An RGU spokesperson said the research collaboration was transferred to the university in 2021 after it appointed a professor from Strathclyde who was working on the project. The collaboration ended in 2023. In April this year, The Times reported that RGU, Aberdeen and Strathclyde universities were among 23 UK institutions to have signed an agreement with Chinese institutions with alleged military links, despite warnings from MI5. Surveillance and spying allegations SOME universities accepted money from tech firms, including those accused of helping the CCP to spy on users, and spread misinformation. Heriot-Watt University received between £150,000 and £200,000 from tech firm Huawei to research wireless communications hardware between November 2020 and November 2021. In July 2020, it was announced that Huawei will be banned from UK infrastructure by the end of 2027 over fears it could facilitate spying from China. In 2019, we reported that universities and Police Scotland refused to sever links with the tech giant despite fears their devices may be used to spy for Beijing. Huawei has previously said it had never been asked by the CCP to spy and 'would categorically refuse to comply'. In 2022/23, Edinburgh University accepted £127,973 from tech firm, Tencent, to fund a research project called 'serving big machine learning models'. Allegations of mass surveillance and human rights abuses by Tencent were reported years earlier. READ MORE: Scottish Government announces £3 million in funding for 14 festivals CCP committees within Tencent ensure that the state's 'political goals are pursued', according to a 2020 study from ASPI. A 2022 report from Human Rights Watch claimed that via its messaging app, WeChat, Tencent 'censors and surveils' users on the CCP's behalf and 'hands over user data to authorities when 'sensitive' information is discovered'. 'There have been numerous reports about people getting harassed, detained, or imprisoned for their private messages on WeChat,' it added. A 2020 study from the University of Toronto found that WeChat also monitored users outwith China. Tencent has rejected claims that the CCP uses WeChat for spying. WeChat reportedly spread Russian propaganda and misinformation surrounding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, while suppressing posts sympathetic to Kyiv, but Tencent declined to comment on the claims. In January, the US added Tencent to a list of businesses it claims work with China's military. Tencent has denied the allegations. Monitoring, restrictions and propaganda SOME organisations funding Scotland's universities have allegedly policed overseas students and restricted their freedoms. Most of these financial contributions were used to fund Confucius Institutes at Scottish universities. Confucius Institutes teach Chinese language and culture, but have been accused of monitoring students, spreading state propaganda, censoring topics – such as the independence of Taiwan – and stifling free speech on campuses. China has rejected the allegations. In 2021, a former Chinese diplomat, who defected to Australia, told The Ferret that China tries to control international students at Scottish universities via student associations. A 2023 report from the UK Parliament's intelligence and security committee said the institutes were run by Hanban, an arm of China's education ministry ultimately controlled by the CCP's propaganda department. Its institutes must obey CCP law, monitor students overseas and influence their behaviour, the report alleged. The last UK government U-turned on a bid to ban the institutes, while top Australian universities closed their institutes in April. Since 2020, Strathclyde, Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities have accepted more than £5m, including from Hanban, to fund their Confucius Institutes. Edinburgh's institute was partly funded by Fudan University, which reportedly omitted the phrase 'freedom of thought' from its charter in 2019. Aberdeen University accepted £5000 from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) in November 2023 to fund a visiting researcher. Some European universities have paused or ceased co-operation with the CSC, citing threats to academic freedom, research security and the risk of 'industrial espionage'. Universities 'ignoring evidence of risks' LUKE de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international alliance of cross-party politicians, said The Ferret's research was 'shocking, but not surprising'. 'The fact that money is still being allowed to flow without being flagged should be a matter of deep concern for ministers and the wider Scottish public,' he claimed. 'The rest of the UK has been slow to address dependencies which are curtailing academic freedoms and assisting the People's Liberation Army, but this evidence suggests that the problem is even more acute in Scotland and needs urgently to be tackled.' Laura Harth, China in the world director at human rights group Safeguard Defenders, said: 'It remains staggering to see evidence-based institutions consistently ignore the endless amount of evidence on the security, IP theft and foreign interference risks related to co-operation with (CCP) entities. READ MORE: Owen Jones: Opposing Israeli violence is 'extremist'? The world's upside down 'This is the exact opposite of the academic rigour we should expect and an outright denial of their commitment to independent thinking and discovery. 'Universities and other entities that continue to ignore such risks do so at the expense not only of their students and stakeholders, but of our democratic societies as a whole. Such free-riding has to stop.' The Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary, Miles Briggs, said there was 'good reason' to be wary of university funding with alleged links to spying, human rights abuses, the military and other issues. 'For too long SNP ministers have been complacent about the overexposure of the university sector in Scotland without investigating where funding has come from,' he claimed. The Ferret contacted the Chinese Embassy which has previously been critical of what it has branded politicised anti-Chinese rhetoric, but we received no response. Universities ensure 'robust due diligence' ABERDEEN University said it has 'robust procedures in place to ensure due diligence around international collaboration', including 'mitigations' for 'higher risk partnerships' such as a team to review security issues, and the use of an official 'trusted research' checklist. A spokesperson added that the university complies with UK regulations including control requirements around the export or transfer in goods, software or technology, including data, information and technical assistance. Heriot-Watt University said global partnerships were 'vital' to advancing its research and teaching, while also benefitting its students, supporting cultural exchange and contributing to the university's financial sustainability. The university complies with UK Government international security guidelines and partnerships are 'rigorously assessed' to ensure 'academic freedom and institutional autonomy,' a spokesperson added. An Edinburgh University spokesperson said all partnerships, 'including donations and research funding, are subject to a rigorous due diligence process'. A Strathclyde University spokesperson said: 'All of our research is subject to risk assessments, ethical approvals and adherence to UK Government guidelines on national security, export control and the Academic Technology Approval Scheme.' A spokesperson for RGU said: 'All of RGU's international collaborations are developed with robust due diligence and are aligned with the university's commitment to research excellence.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Universities are autonomous institutions and are expected to understand and manage the reputational, ethical and security risks associated with international partnerships. 'This includes conducting appropriate due diligence before entering into new partnerships, and monitoring existing partnerships to ensure they comply with relevant legal requirements'. National security is reserved to the UK Government's Home Office, which did not respond to a request to comment. Every organisation in this article was approached for comment, either directly or via the Chinese consulate in Edinburgh and the Chinese embassy in London.
