Annual Review 2023
"I hope you will see the transformative impact we are achieving, empowered by our global St Andrews community." – Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE
Introduction by the Principal
2023 marked the first year of returning to ‘normal’ following Covid and this brought enormous relief and renewed energy to our staff and student bodies. Nonetheless, as we close one year, and look ahead to the next, the continued after-effects of the global pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, the rapid rise of digital technology, the increasing urgency of the climate emergency, and war in Europe and the Middle East profoundly affect the way we live and work. It is our duty to respond strategically and sensitively to all of these.
We have much that is outstanding to build upon. It is, after all, the quality of the St Andrews student experience that led to this year’s extraordinary triumph for the University, a historic double first that saw us clinch the top spot in the UK in both The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 and The Guardian University Guide 2024. We also retained our top 100 place in the QS World rankings, moving to 95 from 96.
Considering our small size and our geographical location, this is a truly remarkable achievement and one which is testament to the quality of our teaching and research, and our staff’s commitment to providing an environment in which all our students can flourish.
This commitment was underlined by St Andrews becoming the first University in the UK to receive the EmilyTest Gender-Based Violence Charter Award, demonstrating our dedication to building a responsible and proactive community.
This year we launched our new People strategy, which sets out the steps we are taking to support, develop, and reward our staff, creating a culture in which they can thrive and perform at their best.
We continued to embrace the advantages of newly developed digital skills, methodologies, and resources to deliver enhanced teaching for our students. In the same spirit, we continued to develop our online offering and brought the world-leading St Andrews education experience to a much wider global community.
In August we marked an important milestone, merging our Schools of Management and of Economics and Finance to create the University of St Andrews Business School, beginning a 12-month transition process to its official launch in September 2024. The School will provide our internationally renowned experts with the environment, investment, and support they need to respond most effectively to the post-pandemic, climate-emergency agendas and new economic, social, and political challenges.
Progress was made too at the Eden Campus, with the opening of the Colin Vincent Centre for Battery Technology and our new Rapid Prototyping Centre. These facilities firmly establish the Eden Campus as a leading hub for innovation and renewable technologies.
Our reputation as a centre of excellence in sustainable energy research advanced in 2023 and our green hydrogen projects received significant support from Angel Trains and the Wolfson Foundation.
Once again, we extend our deepest gratitude to our generous donors and friends for your continued support. Your steadfast commitment propels us forward and over the following pages I hope you will see the transformative impact we are achieving, empowered by our global St Andrews community.
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
St Andrews at a glance
Students
• 10,324 students
• 8,388 undergraduates
• 1,846 postgraduates
• 130 countries
• 96.08% of students enter employment or further study after graduation
Staff
• 3,250 staff
• 4 faculties
• 19 schools
• 30 units
Income up 2.8% to £322.4m
• Tuition fee income up 9.6% to £150.6m
• New donations from philanthropy up £7.1m to £31.6m
• Income from donations and other grant income up £2.4m to £6.5m
• Investment income, which helps to support scholarships, bursaries and widening access initiatives, up £900k to £5.9m
World-leading St Andrews
2023 was an exceptional year for St Andrews. Reflecting our ambition to be world-class across our academic activities, the University attracted external funding of almost £50 million, and the quality of our teaching was ranked top in the UK by the National Student Survey 2023.
The breadth of St Andrews’ world-leading research is reflective of our academic expertise across four faculties - Arts, Divinity, Medicine, and Science. These multidisciplinary research strengths were boosted by significant external funding in more than 300 different research projects throughout 2023, including a £1.2 million UKRI grant to establish St Andrews’ leadership of GLOBAL-EX: a pioneering new international climate change project, in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Other notable areas of investment include research in the Schools of Chemistry, Biology, Philosophical, Anthropological, and Film Studies, and History.
Our award-winning Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) programme continues to expand, facilitating interdisciplinary research connections for students and staff. Each module, led by an academic supervisor, brings together a student team formed from different disciplines and levels of study to contribute to an ongoing research project for credit and grades. Working together productively to find creative solutions to problems is a key employability skill, and the VIPs allow students to enhance their enterprise capabilities of innovative thinking, opportunity recognition, reflection, and leadership. There is a wide range of VIPs to choose from on topics as diverse as dolphin acoustics, Scottish professional football, artificial intelligence for decision making, and Civil War monuments.
We have continued to invest in academic leadership and interdisciplinary excellence across the University, and during 2023 we established two Global Research Centres. The first, led by the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, addresses Diverse Intelligences. The second, led by the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, addresses Critical Sustainabilities.
Following publication of the Scottish Government’s New Dementia Strategy for Scotland, St Andrews’ position as a hub for world-leading research into neurodegenerative diseases was consolidated in 2023 when we hosted a second international brain health summit which brought together a ‘triple helix’ of experts representing academia, government, and industry from across the world.
St Andrews continues to develop multi-dimensional strategic partnerships with universities across the UK and internationally. Each strategic partnership enables collaboration on research initiatives in areas of mutual strength and shared interest. The partnership between the University of Bonn and the University of St Andrews reached a major milestone in 2023 through the establishment of a new Bonn-St Andrews Joint Professorship scheme, which facilitates collaborative research and high-quality funding applications. The first researchers selected for this programme began their three-year positions as joint appointments in August.
Towards the end of 2023, a £3 million grant from Wellcome established a partnership between St Andrews and two of Scotland's other leading universities – Glasgow and Edinburgh – to support the development and testing of a new model which enhances positive research cultures for people and projects.
Timeline 2023
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January 2023
For Peatlands’ Sake opened at the Wardlaw Museum. Developed by Dr Katy Roucoux from the School of Geography and Sustainable Development, the exhibition highlighted research into the peatlands of Scotland and Peru and encouraged visitors to join the fight against climate change by helping to protect peatlands around the world.
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February 2023
The University’s School of Medicine and the R&A teamed up for the pioneering Golf for Health initiative, where patients are ‘prescribed’ golf to encourage a more active lifestyle. In collaboration with Fife GP practices, patients had the opportunity to experience the widespread physical, mental, and social benefits of golf as part of a free six-week programme.
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March 2023
University Chancellor, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, delivered a Loyal Address to HM King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The University is one of 27 Privileged Bodies – institutions and organisations which have helped shape UK society and have a historic right to present a Loyal Address to the Sovereign. Lord Campbell led St Andrews deputation in this once-in-a-generation opportunity to take part in a long-held national tradition.
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April 2023
St Andrews Pride returned to town for the first time since the Covid pandemic. Staff, students, and locals marched through town to show support for the LGBT+ community. Organised by the Students’ Association subcommittee Saints LGBT+, the parade filled the streets with colour and celebration.
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May 2023
A team of academics from the School of International Relations visited Kyiv to meet with key members of the Ukrainian government, as well as local NGOs and the HALO trust. The St Andrews team briefed Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and learned more about Ukrainian strategic thinking, and how Ukrainians view the future of their nation.
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June 2023
More than 2000 students from almost 90 different countries graduated in the University’s summer graduation ceremonies. Nine individuals, including golfer Sam Torrance, were awarded Honorary Degrees for their contributions to sport, science, music, economics, and literature.
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July 2023
St Andrews Botanic Garden signed a 40-year lease agreement with the University, representing a shared commitment to the long-term management of the Garden, and enabling new opportunities for investment as well as increased community involvement.
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August 2023
The National Student Survey 2023 results showed that St Andrews students are more positive about their education than students at any other mainstream university in the UK. Thousands of undergraduates across the country completed the survey which covers teaching quality, assessment and feedback, support for mental health, and facilities.
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September 2023
The University and Kingdom Initiatives celebrated the handover of 22 new affordable homes in town as the first phase of this pioneering project at The Grange, which offers affordable housing for postgraduate students and University staff.
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October 2023
Professor Colin Vincent, a former Master, Acting Principal, and Head of the School of Chemistry at the University, officially opened the Centre for Battery Technology at the Eden Campus. The Centre is a world leader in the production of commercial scale batteries and provides a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship that will generate new solutions to current energy problems, and help achieve a sustainable and low-carbon future.
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November 2023
A project between the University and bus giant Stagecoach offering 75% off bus travel during the cost-of-living crisis reached the milestone of saving students and staff almost £700,000 in fares and cutting the carbon footprint for those travelling for work or study by 614 tonnes in just 12 months.
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December 2023
The Principal hosted a drop-in reception in the Churchill Room in the House of Commons, where members of staff from across the University had the opportunity to discuss the University’s current and future projects with MPs and members of the House of Lords.
Diverse St Andrews
In January, we launched a partnership with Peppy, a multi-award-winning digital health platform, to provide staff and their partners with access to free, confidential and personalised support on Menopause and Men’s Health. Via a smartphone app, staff can access video consultations, group chats, one-to-one messaging (facilitated by an expert practitioner), live events, tailored courses featuring video tutorials and practical advice, mental wellbeing support, and a library of resources.
The following month, an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Project Fund was introduced to support staff and students with funding for projects that will enhance equality and inclusivity across the University. Grants of up to £2500 are available for activities such as research projects, networking events, and workshops and outreach activities.
In March, the School of Medicine received a silver Athena Swan Award, followed by silver for the School of Computer Science in October. All our Schools have now achieved an award from the gender equality framework, with four at Silver and one at Gold, with the University on track to achieve a Silver Athena Swan institutional Award early in 2024.
Meanwhile, following the independent consultation to review the University’s approach to race and ethnicity and the staff survey on race in 2022, an application for a bronze award under the Race Equality Charter framework is also being prepared for submission next year.
In June, an updated version of the Staff Disability Policy was published following consultations with trade unions and staff, including feedback from our Staff with Disabilities Network. Around 5% of current salaried staff at the University have declared a disability.
In September the University’s LGBTQI+ Employee Network relaunched with a monthly programme of events. The network works with University leadership on policy consultation and advocacy and, along with the Students’ Association sub-committee Saints LGBT, organises St Andrews Pride each April.
In the same month, as part of our commitment to gender equality and improving terms and conditions for employees, we made a series of enhancements to our family friendly policies, including an increase in paid maternity leave from 16 to 22 weeks, removal of the requirement to return to work to receive enhanced pay, paid time off for fertility treatment, and enhanced neonatal provision.
In October, Vice-Principal (People and Diversity) Dr Rebekah Widdowfield launched the People strategy, outlining actions around recruitment and induction, career and skills development, recognition and reward, a supportive culture of health and wellbeing, and effective and inclusive leadership. Our Diverse action plan, which outlines the actions we will take towards the strategic vision of making St Andrews a beacon of inclusivity, was also published.
The following month, St Andrews became the first university in the UK to receive the EmilyTest Gender-Based Violence Charter Award developed by pioneering charity EmilyTest. The Charter Award equips the University with a hallmark that demonstrates its commitment to achieving a campus that is responsible in tackling gender-based violence.
Digital St Andrews
Our tailored online postgraduate courses are designed to allow students the opportunity to study wherever they are in the world as part of our international and diverse student body. The online programmes offer a range of study options from 1 to 3 years and in 2023 we launched Data Science and Data Literacy for Social and Environmental Justice with further exciting offerings to come in 2024 in the form of Digital Art History and Digital Humanities.
No matter where their location, our students are part of the St Andrews community. Our online cohort has access to library resources and can chat to library staff online. There is a wide selection of University events that can be attended virtually, including concerts, and events, as well as sports classes and one-to-one musical tuition. Access to Student Service workshops and courses is also available online, and students can connect to the Chaplaincy through our livestreamed services.
Meanwhile, our short courses continue to be developed, and we welcomed our first cohorts in early 2024. The online, pre-recorded programmes are offered in different subjects, multiple times a year, and focus on offering relevant, industry-led courses that allow people to prepare for new challenges in the workplace and stay up to date with industry developments.
These self-paced online programmes are being delivered by our world-leading academics and are aimed at those who want to develop their professional skills. The offering includes courses on financial technology, machine learning, data analysis, and modernist art.
Reflecting its internationally diverse nature, our alumni community has a vibrant online presence, connecting through several activities and platforms. The Kaleidoscope Alumni Network, launched in 2022, promotes discussion and connections among our diverse communities to inspire and effect change in society. Our Saint Connect e-mentoring platform matches undergraduates with alumni for advice and career support, and hosts a series of online community events with attendees from across the world.
Closer to home, in line with our strategic aims, the number of research activities underpinned by digital research methods continues to increase. Conversations with our research community have begun on what digital tools and facilities they need digitally to empower their world-class research. A significant enabler of this is the University’s new high performance computing facility, scoped in partnership with the research community in 2023 and due to be installed in summer 2024. This facility represents a significant improvement in computing power and will allow St Andrews researchers to run state-of-the art simulations, and open new avenues of research in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
In May, we expanded our open training programme for all staff to include access to the online learning platform LinkedIn Learning, with more than 16,000 courses to choose from. This resource helps to enable self-directed development and enhances our existing training provision, increasing accessibility and availability and supporting digital competence across the University.
Sustainable St Andrews
To enable the inclusion of sustainability in the University Strategy, and our journey towards Net Zero 2035, supportive leadership structures were put in place. These include an academic network tasked with deepening the work of our Schools on sustainability, and a delivery team that will build momentum around key initiatives, as well as an advisory board that furthers the longsighted guidance that the Environmental Sustainability Board gave prior to sustainability becoming a Strategy theme.
A major advance was made with the latest Annual Sustainability Report, the first comprehensive university-wide report on sustainable St Andrews. The report aligned all initiatives under the Sustainability strategic theme with the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainable development (UN SDGs). The UN SDGs provide a comprehensive framework to tackle local, national, and global challenges. Additionally, an internship opportunity facilitated by the Proctor’s Office allowed for an assessment of the alignment of School modules with the UN SDGs, spearheaded by student Anya Polatajko with support from Dr Gosia Mitka and Dr Rehema White.
In March it was confirmed that St Andrews had been awarded one of the three new Alliances for Research Challenges (ARCs) by the Scottish Funding Council. The Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes, and Livelihoods will be run by the Centre for Energy Ethics and will include the universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh as our partners, as well as business partners, third-sector collaborators, policy makers, and people from across Scotland.
St Andrews’ growing reputation as a centre of excellence in green hydrogen took some important steps forward in 2023. In September, following a successful collaboration during COP26 in 2021, Angel Trains - the UK's largest rolling train stock company - donated a hydrogen electrolyser to the University, a facility which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. In December, the Wolfson Foundation approved a donation of £2m to advance St Andrews Green Hydrogen Accelerator project. The Eden Campus now provides a unique environment for advancing this research, with access to a renewable energy supply, green hydrogen from the electrolyser, and abundant sources of biogenic carbon dioxide from our biomass power plant.
The University received funding from the Scottish Government's Helping Nature Fund to restore wildlife habitats along the Fife coast. Collaborating with various partners including local councils, businesses, and conservation organisations, the University will undertake restoration activities at 30 coastal sites, contributing to nature conservation efforts in the region.
Transition University of St Andrews' gleaning network, featured on the BBC Landward programme, engages volunteers to collect surplus vegetables from local farms, redistributing them to community fridges and cafes. This initiative, along with promoting homegrown fruit in schools and hosting online cooking clubs for families, emphasises sustainable, vegetarian meals.
And in November, the University celebrated the 25th anniversary of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment. The Prize was awarded to Alianza Ceibo, a group empowering Indigenous communities in the Upper Amazon to conserve their rainforest territories and sustain their cultures.
Entrepreneurial St Andrews
2023 was a significant year for the University’s Eden Campus, a centre of excellence for renewable technologies and innovation which brings those involved in world-leading research and development together with local businesses and start-ups operating within the green supply chain.
The Eden Campus is home to St Andrews Innovation, which connects industry with our student and staff community to harness a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Entrepreneurship Centre is a key part of this ecosystem, providing start-up and spin-out opportunities, entrepreneurship training programmes, events such as Lunch and Learn workshops, and regular pitching sessions. The Centre also provides support to University start-ups and spin-outs.
Among the successful spinouts is Lightwater Sensors, led by Dr Ross Gillanders from the School of Physics, which develops portable, optical chemical sensing that enables real-time detection of polluted water. In 2023, Lightwater Sensors received £200,000 from the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Spinout Fund. Another spin-out, EaST Imaging, led by Professor Eli Zysman-Coleman in the School of Chemistry, was awarded £35,000 from the ICURe Explore programme to support work on next-generation fluorescence emitters for bio-imaging applications, with a focus on infectious diseases.
The Entrepreneurship Centre also supported 14 student start-ups throughout the year, including two companies awarded funding by Scottish Edge, Scotland's biggest business funding competition. Jake Bill, a fourth-year Management and Sustainable Development student and co-founder of Klank, a music-booking service that connects musicians with events, was awarded a £10k support package, while fourth-year Philosophy student Will Ringham received a £65k award for his company Casknet, a digital register for Scotch whisky casks which provides assurance about provenance.
In October, the Principal unveiled the Colin Vincent Centre for Battery Technology - the first of its kind in Scotland. Named after Professor Vincent, a former Master, Acting Principal, and Head of the School of Chemistry, the Centre will be a world leader in the production of commercial-scale batteries and a showcase for research in the vanguard of new sustainable battery chemistries at St Andrews. Facilities include an ultra-low humidity environment – or dry lab -enabling scientists to develop power for the next generation of batteries and energy storage.
The following month saw the opening of the new Rapid Prototyping Centre (RPC), also at the Eden Campus. The aim of the RPC is to foster academic and industrial collaborations in and around Fife and beyond and to provide a solid place to build a highly skilled workforce enabling individuals to develop the latest technical skills in sustainable design and manufacturing. The Centre is available by appointment to all staff and students within the University, entrepreneurs, and local businesses looking to turn their ideas into prototypes, products, or services.
Socially Responsible St Andrews
In 2023, the University Community Fund supported 49 grassroots organisations and projects across Fife, awarding a total of £85,000.
Projects supported include the Dino Club, a wraparound childcare provider based in Newburgh, funding materials and enabling children to access STEM education opportunities at no cost to all children in the local community; Fife Gingerbread, which supports lone parents and underprivileged children, providing bus tickets, attraction tickets, food and play equipment; and St Andrews Environmental Network received a grant to support residents in Fife living in fuel poverty.
In August ‘The Grange’, a pioneering project between the University and Kingdom Initiatives, opened its doors to its first residents. It will provide a mix of 61 houses and flats for affordable rent. The development highlights a joint commitment by the University and Kingdom Housing Association to enhance the lives of postgraduate students, academics, and other staff through thoughtfully designed, affordable housing.
The success of the University’s pioneering partnership with bus operator Stagecoach surpassed all expectations in 2023. Offering students and staff 75% off bus tickets across East Scotland, this scheme provides financial support during the cost-of-living and energy crisis and helps the University meet ambitious net-zero targets. During the year staff and students not eligible for the Scottish Government’s free travel for under-22s have saved almost £700,000 in travel costs and saved 614 tonnes of carbon. The unique partnership has received national recognition, reaching the finals of the UK Bus Awards. The discount was extended into 2024.
Throughout the year, the University’s Scotland’s Future Series continued to provide staff and students with a platform for contributing to and facilitating discussions and debate on issues pertinent to the country’s future.
Supported by the Principal’s Office, the £35,000-fund provided funding for 16 projects including the interdisciplinary project led by the Creating Impact through Enterprise Education (CItEE) team. Outreach has included involvement in the Edinburgh International Book Festival as well as events in parliament. Scotland’s Future podcast series provides a showcase for many of the projects, including discussions on widening access for care experienced students, and an interview with a former St Andrews student at the forefront of a campaign to scrap Scotland’s controversial Not Proven verdict.
As a University of Sanctuary, we continue to work closely with the Council for at Risk Academics (Cara), and since 2022, the University has welcomed two new Cara Fellows and their families from Afghanistan and Russia. In April, the Global Office organised the second annual Sanctuary Lecture, which was delivered by Councillor Roza Salih, who co-founded the Glasgow Girls with fellow pupils from Drumchapel High School to stop dawn raids and the detention of children by the UK Home Office.
The Students’ Association Campus Larder launched in October of 2023, and is open to all staff and students. Introduced following the work of the University’s cost-of-living taskforce, comprising students and staff, the Larder provides basic items and food for free, from milk and cereal to biscuits, pasta, to washing detergent and toiletries. The Larder stocks many international food products to support our diverse student community.
People make St Andrews
Highlighting just a few of the personal, professional and team achievements of our staff and students in 2023:
- Dr Fiona Whelan, Assistant Director (Accessibility and Inclusion) in Student Services, provided evidence at the Scottish Parliament to the Education, Children, and Young People Committee for a proposed bill relating to transition support for disabled young people in Scotland.
- Top teachers at the University were recognised by colleagues and students as part of the 2023 Teaching Excellence Awards.
- Dr Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer in Sustainable Development, was named a 2023 recipient of the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.
- Poet, memoirist, and novelist John Burnside, Professor of Creative Writing, was the winner of the prestigious 2023 David Cohen prize for literature.
- PhD researcher Haotian Chi, School of Biology, discovered a new molecule, previously unknown to science, that acts as a ‘distress signal’ when viruses are detected.
- Dr Rosa Filgueira, Lecturer in the School of Computer Science, and Dr Victoria Miyandazi, Research Fellow in the Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research, are among the first members of the new UK Young Academy, a network of early career researchers and professionals established to help tackle local and global issues and promote meaningful change.
- Alumna Dr Janis Wong has been awarded the Stefan Rodotà Award 2023 by the Council of Europe Committee of Convention 108 for her PhD thesis on data protection completed at the University.
- Jim Campbell from the Career Management team was invited by the Scottish Government to participate in consultations for the development of Scotland’s international education strategy after participating in research for the The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory paper entitled International Graduate Routes: Narratives from the UK job market.
- Professor Victoria Donovan, from the School of Modern Languages, received a top European Heritage Award at the Europa Nostra Awards 2023 for her work on digitally preserving important Ukrainian heritage.
- 2023 Geography and International Relations graduate Laura Hampton raced 40,000 nautical miles around the world onboard a 70ft ocean racing yacht as second-in-command to the skipper of a 22-strong crew.
- The University of St Andrews Performance Golf Team won the British Universities & Colleges Sport National Final for the second year in a row.
- Professor Bill Austin from the School of Geography and Sustainable Development was appointed Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council Peer Review College.
- Chief Information Officer Steve Watt was recognised as one of the top 100 IT leaders in the UK by the media brand Computing.
- Dr Rebekah Widdowfield, Vice-Principal (People and Diversity), and Professor Paul Hibbert from the University of St Andrews Business School, were appointed Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS).
- Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Sally Mapstone was appointed President of Universities UK.
- PhD student Q Mannivannan won this year's Kavya Prize for non-fiction literature with their piece ‘The Physics of It’.
- In her role as Director of the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods, Dr Mette High, participated in a cross-party Committee hearing in Westminster on the opportunities and challenges faced by researchers in Scotland.
- Professor Jens Timmermann, Chair of Moral Philosophy, was elected to the Academia Europaea. The Academia Europaea is the Pan-European Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Letters, and its members are scientists and scholars who collectively aim to promote learning, education, and research.
- Karen Solie, Lecturer in Creative Writing in the School of English, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to support her work toward a hybrid-genre collection of poetry and essays.
- The St Andrews undergraduate student team was victorious in the Universities Business Challenge 2023, coming out on top at the Grand Final for the first time in the competition’s 24-year history.
- Emeritus Professor of Physical Geography, Colin Ballantyne, was awarded the 2023 James Croll Medal, the highest award of the Quaternary Research Association (QRA), in recognition of a lifetime contribution of original research in the field of Quaternary science.