Hansard

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak in this afternoon’s debate on the important contribution that our universities make to Scotland. Liz Smith is right to highlight the educational, cultural and economic benefits that our universities bring to Scotland. As others have said, with four universities ranked in the world’s top 200, there is no question but that Scotland’s higher education system is one of the best in the world. We continue to punch above our weight, as evidenced by the Times Higher Education rankings, which now rank Scotland first when measured by gross domestic product and second when measured by population. Recent studies have also suggested that Scotland is the most highly educated country in Europe and the best place to study in the UK.

That we have managed to create the circumstances in which Scotland’s universities can thrive is testament to the support and the investment provided by the Scottish Government. Restoring free education to Scotland, and thereby ensuring that university education is based on the ability to learn rather than the ability to pay, is undoubtedly one of the Scottish National Party’s proudest achievements.

Last year I asked the Scottish Parliament information centre to look at how much free higher education saves Scottish students. It was found that more than 120,000 undergraduate students save up to £20,000 compared with the cost of studying in England. To put that in context, tuition fees rose to £9,000 in the rest of the UK. In the first three years that they were in force, they cost students there around £14 billion, while Scotland-domiciled students attending Scottish institutions saved almost £1 billion in fees over the same number of years. That is an enormous sum of money that the Scottish Government has saved Scotland-domiciled students, and it is something that we should be proud of.

The current funding arrangements for universities down south result in tuition fees that put higher education out of the reach of many young people. In Scotland, we have been able to use this Parliament’s powers to protect free university tuition and open the doors of opportunity to many young Scots.

We should be proud of our universities, which are a true national asset and world leading in many areas, but that does not mean that we should not strive to make them better. The Scottish Government has invested more than £4 billion in higher education over the past four years, which is a significant amount of public money. Our constituents have a right to expect their universities to be transparent and accountable and to adhere to the highest standards of governance.

Professor von Prondzynski’s review of higher education governance has been integral to informing the Scottish Government’s work on strengthening the sector. It is vital that the framework for the governance of our universities is fit for purpose for a modern Scotland in the 21st century. Writing in The Herald in April, Professor von Prondzynski referred to the importance of striking the right balance between restoring public confidence and protecting our universities’ autonomy—I do not think that there is any argument across the chamber that our universities have to retain their autonomy—and concluded by stating:

“Scotland’s universities are a great success story. They have nothing to fear from this proposed legislation, and a lot to gain.”

I agree very much with that sentiment.

The Tory motion suggests that the Government’s proposals are somehow a threat to the success of our higher education sector in Scotland. However, I argue that the proposed reforms will go a long way towards ensuring that our world-class universities continue to thrive by creating a modern framework for decision making that benefits the institutions, the staff and the students.

The real threat to the international standing of Scotland’s universities is the refusal of the Tory UK Government to reintroduce the post-study work visa in Scotland. We debated the issue at length in Parliament some weeks back, but the point remains that the UK Government’s immigration policies are restricting Scotland’s ability to attract and retain the best international students and graduates. International students make a valuable contribution to Scotland, but higher education statistics show that there has been a drop in the number of them who attend Scottish universities. A strong case has been made for the restoration of the post-study work visa.

I am proud that the SNP has defended free education throughout our time in office. The Scottish Government continues to invest strongly in the higher education sector and I look forward to our world-renowned universities going from strength to strength in the years ahead.