Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is a unique tertiary education institution, offering full-time and part-time courses from college level or from NC all the way up to PhD level training.
Established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges, we can trace our lineage back over 100 years. Today, we are on a journey to become Scotland’s enterprise university at the heart of our sustainable natural economy and we are placed fifth in the UK for studying animal science and agriculture in the Guardian University rankings.
But while land-based and agricultural education is still an important part of our teaching and research, SRUC’s remit is far broader, offering courses in a wide range of subjects relating to the different ways we make use of the land and natural resources around us.
From supporting rural business and industry, to recreational use of land, to animal and biological sciences, there are courses to suit a wide range of interests.
Our campuses are at the Craibstone Estate in Aberdeen, Barony near Dumfries, the King’s Buildings in Edinburgh, Elmwood in Cupar, Fife, and Oatridge in Broxburn, West Lothian.
Our courses are all designed with our students’ future careers in mind – vocational in nature, blending the academic with the practical. Knowledge exchange is at the heart of SRUC – passing on experience, industry insight and expertise, and ensuring that the commercial environment is part of the classroom.
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In 2023, we won the Tomorrow’s Employees award at the UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards for its SEEDABLE (Sustainability, Enterprise, Equality and Diversity through Active and Blended Learning) project which aims to empower graduates to create a sustainable future.
The project embeds the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into all programmes, with a teaching and learning focus on building the competencies to create sustainable solutions.
Our research, too, is based on tackling real-world challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.
SRUC’s exceptional research power has ensured it is ranked – in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh - number one in the UK for Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences by the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).
This in turn makes the institution an attractive proposition for partnerships with industry that cement new commercial relationships, drive knowledge exchange and encourages innovative strategic alliances.
Earlier this year, we were awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize (QAP) for Higher and Further Education. This was the second time in the past six years that SRUC has received a QAP, which is the highest form of national recognition open to educational institutions in the UK. The award recognises our contribution to animal welfare, veterinary science, education, research and the economy through its world-class Veterinary Services.
SRUC also offers unrivalled links with industry through SAC Consulting, which provides independent, research-driven, industry-leading expertise, advice, and solutions for agricultural, food, and land-based businesses.
Next month, we will enter an exciting new phase when, subject to parliamentary procedure, SRUC is set to be awarded degree-awarding powers, and we will also welcome our first cohort of students to its School of Veterinary Medicine – the first new vet school in Scotland for 150 years.
To find out more about SRUC, visit www.sruc.ac.uk
Professor Wayne Powell is the Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC
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