Abertay only European University in Princeton's best places to study Game Design

Congratulations to Abertay University as the only European university to be ranked in the prestigious Princeton Review's just-published list for 2015 of the 'Top 25 Schools to Study Game Design'.

In the graduate list, Abertay is the only non-US institution listed, and in the undergraduate list Abertay is one of only two non-US institutions, the other being a college in Vancouver, Canada.

The Princeton Review ranked the universities based on a survey it conducted in 2014-15 of 150 institutions offering game design courses in the United States, Canada, and some countries abroad.

The company's 50-question survey asked universities to report on everything from their academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience.

National Performance Centre for Sport at Camperdown - Drop In Public Event Wed 24 July Landmark Hotel 4-8pm

Next Wednesday, 24 July, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to attend a drop in event and see at first hand the planning proposals for the National Performance Centre for Sport and Hotel with associated access, parking, landscaping and miscellaneous development. This event is being organised by Keppie Design prior to any formal planning application being submitted to the City Council. The event will run on Wednesday 24 July at the Landmark Hotel, Kingsway West from 4pm to 8 pm.

Last week the Dundee bid for the National Performance Centre for Sport was submitted by Dundee City Council in partnership with the University of Dundee; University of Abertay, Dundee; Dundee College; Dundee United Football Club; Dundee Football Club; NHS Tayside and Leisure & Culture Dundee. Dundee is in competition with consortia in Stirling and Edinburgh for the National Performance Centre for Sport.

Dundee City Council has approved, in principle, £5 million of local authority capital funding to the project. This would help to provide the capital costs of the centre and its facilities in addition to the £25 million grant that has already been pledged by the Scottish Government to the winning bid city. The South East corner of Camperdown Country Park is Dundee’s chosen site to host the National Performance Centre for Sport.

Check Out the Latest Flythrough Showing VandA at Dundee in its New Location

If you've decided to stay inside rather than venture out in the snow to the Public Consultation Event about the new location and design for the VandA in Dundee, then check out this video:

More details about the Consultation Event which will also be open 10:00 - 16:00 at Abertay University in Bell Street on Saturday 19 January 2013

Public Consultation on Revised Design and Location for V and A at Dundee Thursday 17 - Saturday 20 January 2013

Now is your opportunity to see and comment on the latest revised design and location for the VandA at Dundee.

The new plans are available at the public consultation at the University of Abertay Dundee from today Thursday 17 January through to Saturday 19 January 2013, 10am - 4pm at the Bernard King Library, University of Abertay Dundee, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG - look for the big yellow banner!

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City of Dundee Educational Trust Quarterly Meeting

Yesterday morning I attended the quarterly meeting of the City of Dundee Educational Trust. In my capacity as a City Councillor I am one of the Trustees. 

The trust awards one off grants, usually up to £300, to applicants from the charitable funds available. The awards go to students in further or higher education who have a strong connection with Dundee. 

Application forms and further details are available from:

Jeffrey Hope, Solicitor, Miller Hendry, 13 Ward Road, Dundee, DD1 1LU
Telephone: 01382 200000 Email jeffhope@millerhendry.co.uk

10.5% Fall in University Applications from Scottish Applicants

Click on table to enlarge

UCAS, the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK, has just reported their latest application figures for courses starting in Autumn 2013. 

Up to mid-November there were were 145,000 applications, compared with 158,000 at the same point in 2011 and 182,000 in 2010. That works out at 13,000 fewer applications in the UK, which is a fall of 8% compared with the same point last year and these are apparently the lowest figures for at least six years.

Many commentators had anticipated a reduction in applications to Universities from students living in England because of the introduction of much higher Tuition Fees with many Universities charging the maximum of £9000 per year. While this is the case, this doesn't explain why the reduction in applications in Scotland, where the Scottish Government pays the student's tuition fees, is larger than in England.

Percentage Fall in Applications to UCAS #
Scotland  - 10.5%
UK           -  8.0%

Behind these statistics there are clearly many individual applicants in Scotland who are holding back from applying to University. This is a disturbing trend. It means that there are other factors, most probably economic which are putting off well qualified potential applicants from taking the next step to improve their qualifications. This trend is also likely to reduce the demand for places at our two Universities in the City and might lead to empty places and a loss of income to the Universities.

I think the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mike Russell MSP needs to tell us what he is proposing to do to help reverse this trend?

# Note the final figures for University applications will be known after the main deadline on 15 January 2013.

Dare ProtoPlay 2012 Games Dundee 10-12 August in City Square and the Caird Hall 10:00 - 18:00 each day

The free Dare ProtoPlay computer games festival opened on Friday morning 9 August in City Square and the Caird Hall and continues through Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 August 10:00 - 18:00 each day. The organisers invite us to come to Dare ProtoPlay to play and vote for the Dare to be Digital 2012 games.

When I visited yesterday, there was a real buzz in City Square with a linked series of tents stretching between the edge of City Square up to the steps of the Caird Hall. Inside the tunnel of tents, in subdued lighting, were numerous computer screens and gaming consoles displaying the games which have been selected as finalists in this years Dare to be Digital video games competition. Visitors were studiously playing each of these games and then could vote for which they think is best. 

Its a great day out for folk who enjoy computer games and a really fine demonstration of the creative and commercial opportunities arising from developing computer games. 

I hope in subsequent years it might be possible to include an additional schools category in the Dare to be Digital competition. I have written to the Director of Education, Michael Wood and the organisers of the competition at the University of Abertay Dundee, to make that proposal.

Concerns About Continuing Access to UK Research Council Grants for City's Universities

The contribution of our two Universities in Dundee to the economic renaissance of the city is widely acknowledged. Underpinning the success of, for example, the Univeristy of Dundee's outstanding work in the bio-sciences is research funding. I believe that a significant proportion of the income of the University of Dundee, Abertay University and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art comes from awards from the UK wide Research Councils. 

Each year the combined Research Councils UK invest in research throughout the UK. This research apparently covers the full spectrum of academic subjects from the medical and biological sciences to astronomy, physics, chemistry and engineering, social sciences, economics, environmental sciences and the arts and humanities.

In Scotland on Sunday (Sunday 29 July 2012), Alan Trench, a senior research fellow at University College London, has warned that post independence, university level institutions in Scotland would no longer be able to access grants from the UK Research Councils from which they currently receive a disproportionate levels of funding.

In 2010-11, Scottish institutions received £232 million from the councils, or 15 per cent of its overall £1.56 billion funding pot available for 
research grants to all UK universities whereas Scotland has only about 8.5 per cent of the UK’s population. 


It was also reported, in the same article, that the Scottish Government has commissioned 
Professor Ian Diamond, principal of Aberdeen University and a former chair of Research Councils UK’s executive group, to look into this issue.


I hope Ian Diamond's report will not be shrouded in secrecy when it is has been submitted to the Scottish Government. It is vitally important to have some straight answers to issues that potentially affect the future success of our Universities and economic prosperity of the city. Bearing in mind that many of the larger research grants are for longer than one year, I think it is also important that Professor Diamond's report is not unduly delayed.

Morgan Academy Participation in Tablet Computer Piloting

On Friday 8 June, with my colleague Councillor Georgia Cruickshank, I visited Morgan Academy. We met the Head Teacher, Stephen Shaw and Senior Computer Science Teacher James Harris for a briefing on the school's participation in the national pilot programme using tablet computers and wi-fi access.
I think this development has the potential to create more opportunities for pupils to engage with information and communications technologies and gain expertise in using these responsibly and creatively. This latter point is important in a city where we are have nationally recognised courses in time based art and digital animation at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Computer Games Technology at Abertay University which underpin the celebrated cluster of computer gaming and animation companies in Dundee.


We were reassured that the school, in conjunction with the Council's IT service, is making sure that the new network will be secure and safe for pupils before the system goes 'live'. 
I hope it won't be long before we are extending the pilot to all our secondary schools in the city, including Grove Academy in my own ward.

Applications via UCAS to Universities in Dundee Increase

Figures released today by the the UK University and College Admissions Service (UCAS), show an increasing number of applicants for places on degree level courses at our two Universities in Dundee beginning in August this year.

After the shenanigans about the SNP's proposed forced merger of our two Universities last year, it is good to see that applications to both institutions show a healthy increase with Abertay attracting a higher increase in applicants than Dundee.

Table showing applications to individual universities and colleges recruiting students through UCAS for autumn 2012

Code	Institution name	2011 Degree	2012 Degree	% change
A30	University of Abertay Dundee	5,622	5,898	4.9%
D65	University of Dundee	18,086	18,580	2.7%

While Scotland has bucked the trend in England of decreasing applicants to Universities, countrywide analysis of applicants indicates a decline in the number of applicants from disadvantaged areas in Scotland. This may unfortunately be the result of mounting unemployment amongst graduates. It will be important to monitor this to ensure that the decline this year if not the beginning of a trend.

UCAS ably supports students making applications to any University in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This begs the question as to whether this is another trusted and successful UK institution that, post independence, we should be excluded from?

The Future of Universities and Colleges in Tayside: A Public Meeting

Last night I attended a public meeting at the University of Abertay.


'The Future of Universities and Colleges in Tayside: A Public Meeting' 
had been called to discuss:


"The Government's proposals for reforming education for 16+ year olds will have a significant impact for universities and colleges. Student and staff groups are holding a public meeting where members of parliament from across the political spectrum, teaching unionists and student unionists will be in attendance - this meeting is the chance for YOU to have your say."


The meeting heard how the Hands Off Abertay campaign had formed to combat the SNP government's clumsy plans for a forced merger between Abertay University and the University of Dundee by the end of October. While it was clear that the immediate threat of a forced merger had been removed by the Scottish Government, many speakers warned that the longer term plans of the government, still included a reduction in the overall number of further education colleges and universities in Scotland through mergers and takeovers.


Students from NUS Scotland and Angus and Dundee Colleges also contributed to the debate and emphasised the educational damage inflicted by the current cuts to the budgets for Angus College and Dundee College. This had already led to a significant cut in college courses and the number of student places available.  Support to students through bursaries had also been reduced. 


These cuts in our local Further Education Colleges will unfortunately reduce the number of college places available each year for our school leavers. This reduction in opportunities will also have a damaging knock on effect in our Universities. By reducing the number of students who can undertake an access course in a further education college, the Scottish Government is thereby reducing the flow of students who may be able to progress to a University course.


This all seemed a long way from the ambitions stated in the SNP governments latest consultation paper on post school learning: 
Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our Ambitions for Post-16 Education

Shot Gun Wedding for Universities in Dundee Won't Lead to a Successful Academic Marriage

Recent events have demonstrated the determination of the First Minister Alex Salmond and his Education Secretary Mike Russell, to force Dundee and Abertay Universities to merge. 

In the space of a few weeks, the request by the Scottish Funding Council to Abertay to defer appointing a permanent replacement for retired Principal Bernard King has moved to a blunt instruction to both of our universities to begin discussing a merger. This all makes a mockery of the willingness of the Scottish Government to listen to views about their consultative report  'Putting Learners at the Centre – Delivering our Ambitions for Post-16 Education' launched on 15 September. Alex Salmond and Mike Russell have clearly made up their mind about this ambition of theirs.  

It is clear from the official responses from both Universities that this shotgun wedding is something that neither university seeks. I am sure the ensuing uncertainty will do neither University any good. With fifth and sixth form school students about to make their choices through UCAS and an application deadline for dentistry and medicine as early as 15 October and most other courses by 15 January, neither of our Universities and their staff will want this hanging over them.

My fear is that the diversity of courses offered by our two universities would be lost in a forced merger and that this would close rather than open doors to potential students. Since both universities are sought after destinations for many students from our schools, the Council has a vested interest in this issue. 

For future generations of ambitious students in Dundee schools, I am backing 101% the Courier campaign 'No to Merger'. 

Damaging Gap in Higher Education Fees for our Universities in Dundee

During the Holyrood elections in May there was an admission by all political parties that Higher Education in Scotland was underfunded by comparison with Universities south of the border. The gravity of the issue has been exacerbated by the revelation of the differences in the size of the gap in funding between Scottish Universities and the SNP. The SNP claim was that by 2014/15 the annual gap could be just over £93 million. However official estimates from the Office of Fair Access show the gap almost three times higher than the SNP claim, at £268 million. 

The SNP solution to this was to propose to charge higher fees to applicants residing in England. Now in government again, the SNP's progress in closing the gap presents two threats to our two Universities in the City. 

Firstly, the new much higher fees in Scotland for students from England will not be introduced until academic year 2012/13 so that there is no top up funding for our Universities until Autumn 2012 at the earliest. In other words another year with a level of funding that the government in Holyrood have already admitted is not enough. This will lead to more damaging cuts. 

Secondly, the slow pace at which SNP government ministers are introducing these changes means that it likely that the new regulations to sanction the fee changes will not be in place until November this year. By that time, many applicants will have already made their choices for University entrance in 2012/13 and sent off their UCAS forms. I am concerned that, many applicants and their parental financial sponsors may well be put off by the uncertainly that will be created by not knowing what fees will be charged if they were to apply to any university in Scotland. 

This SNP electoral promise is now seen through as a slight of hand conjuring up money where none really exists, at least for the next year or so. This neglect is quietly undermining our Universities. As two of our larger employers in the city this has serious implications for the Dundee economy; when our Universities catch a cold the rest of the Dundee economy sneezes.

Exhibition of Designs for V & A at Dundee

FREE Admission to Exhibition

Wednesday 29 September to Thursday 4 November
Abertay University Library, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG

Opening Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09.00 – 21.00
Wednesday 09.00 - 17.00