A Scottish affair

Updated on: Monday, October 04, 2010

Scotland may be tiny in size as compared to India but did you know that by the time of its union with England in 1707, it was already home to four universities? The number has since grown to 21 higher education institutions, comprised of 14 universities which provide excellent educational facilities that compare with the best in the world.

The University of Edinburgh, which was founded in 1583, is one of the UK’s most celebrated universities and offers a wide range of courses that can be selected from any subject and in any combination.
No stranger to international students who have been part of its life since 1583, the varsity has a very cosmopolitan student community. A flexible degree structure enables the student to choose from over 350 degree courses and 200 joint programmes at the undergraduate level and presents him with an offering of more than 160 taught postgraduate programmes, and a varied range of research programmes leading to postgraduate awards. Other old and renowned universities include St. Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

A modern landmark on Edinburgh’s landscape is Napier’s Craiglockhart Campus with its egg-shaped, futuristic façade. Napier University which offers undergraduate, postgraduate, research programmes and short courses, operates across its campuses at Merchiston, Sighthill, Craighouse and Craiglockhart. The latter is home to the School of Law and the Business School, which has the largest number of undergraduate students studying business in Scotland.

Students can also take a look at the University of Dundee which describes itself as an institution with a strong emphasis on the professions. Many of the professors have been knighted for their contributions to world health.

Thousands of students study at the university’s seven divisions: Pathology and Neuroscience; Medicine and Therapeutics; Maternal and Child Health Sciences; Primary Care Health Sciences; Surgery and Molecular Oncology; Medical Education and Biomedical Research. Dundee is also ranked the third best scientific centre outside the USA.

If you’re looking at doing a postgraduate degree in system level integration and system-on-chip technologies, then maybe the Institute for System Level Integration (ISLI) is where you should head. Founded in 1998, ISLI’s objective is to produce highly skilled design engineers and researchers to meet the needs of the changing global semi-conductor industry. ISLI offers a taught postgraduate degree — the M.Sc in system level integration, in full-time, part-time and distance learning formats.

Scotland was one of the first countries in Europe to establish a quality assurance system for its educational institutions and its education framework is subject to scrutiny by the government.

If you’re thinking of applying to a university or programme in Scotland, or even thinking of living and working there you don’t have to laboriously scan the Internet. The country has put a Fresh Talent and the Relocation Advisory Service into action. The Relocation Advisory Service (RAS) is a one-stop shop providing advice on visas, work permits, studying and working in Scotland, university courses, et al. For more log on to www.scotlandistheplace.com or mail: [email protected]

A Scottish affair

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