Peter Mathieson is well-versed in the University’s extraordinary heritage. “We describe ourselves as the oldest truly civic university in the English-speaking world,” he says. “This is because the five that are older than us were created in some way by the Church, whereas Edinburgh was founded by the town council.”
As he begins his seventh academic year as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of this ancient institution, what are his reflections so far as well as his hopes for the future?
“When I first arrived at the University, several colleagues said to me, ‘I’m not going to tell you about my teaching because I know you don’t care. All you care about is research.’ This was not only untrue, it showed me that we needed something of a reset.
“While the University’s research is incredibly precious – and contributes hugely to our international standing – there needed to be a comprehensive culture change in the way we approached teaching and learning and the ways in which they were assessed and excellence incentivised/rewarded. Work was also needed on the student experience here in Edinburgh.”
A fresh approach
The extent to which teaching excellence is now recognised and rewarded is perhaps best illustrated by the changes in the University’s promotions procedures: staff can now be promoted based on teaching excellence alone, and external advisers have commented on this change. The University had never had its own teaching and learning conferences: these started in Peter’s first year here (co-designed by him with Charlie Jeffery during the one year period before Peter arrived) and the first iteration had as its guest speaker Professor Amy Tsui who had led the curriculum transformation at the University of Hong Kong where Peter was President before he came to Edinburgh. “I felt that Edinburgh could learn from Hong Kong’s experience, and so it proved: Amy’s presentation was very warmly received”. Edinburgh had not previously had a Vice-Principal for Students: Peter established that new post soon after he arrived and Colm Harmon was duly appointed.
Under Peter’s direction, Colm and colleagues across the University implemented a new Student Support Model – an initiative that has since been replicated by numerous other institutions – offering students more comprehensive and sustained support throughout their studies. The University has increased investment into hardship funds by more than 50 per cent, as well as enhancing counselling services and other support centres.
“We’ve also invested heavily in new buildings primarily aimed at students,” he says. “The Nucleus at King’s Buildings, for instance, is a study space, but also has a careers service, catering, a library, as well as numerous teaching spaces. Our state-of-the art Wellbeing Centre and works to improve our students’ union are all examples of the University putting its money where its mouth is.”
The impact of these changes will take time, Peter acknowledges: “When we look at the markers of student satisfaction, there are some improvements with postgraduates, but not much evidence so far with undergraduates. That is a worry, but I remain convinced that we’re doing the right things. I will continue to strive to address these issues and am very proud of what we have achieved so far.”
Community connections
The University’s links to its community have also deepened in a number of ways. “I don’t see any tension between our relevance internationally and locally. Both are very important,” he says. “Our relationship with the city and the region has improved dramatically. This is partly through support from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which helped to fund capital projects such as the magnificent Edinburgh Futures Institute.”
The former Royal Infirmary recently opened as a home for interdisciplinary research, teaching and collaboration. “This project is a great illustration of our connection to the city, as everybody in Edinburgh has a story associated with the building, and we remain steadfast in our promise for it to be open to all.”
“Beyond that, the UK and Scottish government-funded City Region Deal has enhanced relationships with the other universities in the city, with Edinburgh College and with councils going as far as the Borders and into Fife. We have a much more joined-up regional identity now.”
Challenging decisions
Of course, like all of us, Peter was faced with innumerable unknowns when the global pandemic hit in 2020. Unlike most of us, he had ultimate responsibility for a centuries-old university, with a community of more than 60,000 students and staff. He recalls the tough decisions he and colleagues had to make.
“In the early stages, we didn’t know how long this would last or how bad it would be. We looked at what would happen if no international students were able to come for years, and the numbers were scary. We knew that unless we adapted the University, we would be storing up significant problems for the future.”
Peter and his senior team acted quickly, suspending the capital building programme, moving all teaching online, cancelling first and second year exams, and suspending promotions and pay rises for a year. “None of this made us popular”, he reflects. “However, I think everyone accepted that we had to take these steps in order to secure the future of the University.”
He was thoughtful about the language that was used at that time. “I never talked about a recovery plan. That would imply that you were trying to get back to where you were – we recognised that to emerge from these difficult circumstances, the University would probably be changed. That took a huge effort from everybody. So, we called it Adaptation and Renewal. Although they are only words, that was quite significant because it represented our philosophy and our goals.” Others copied, including the City Council.
Opportunities taken
In 2023, Peter received a knighthood for his services to higher education. “I have to say that I was – and still am – surrounded by fabulous colleagues who help and advise me. However, of course there are times when someone has to make tough decisions and I am happy to do that to drive things forward. I’m nothing if not consistent – my wife calls me stubborn, but my daughter calls me consistent and I prefer consistency to stubbornness.”
Peter had a distinguished career in medicine before progressing into senior leadership roles. “I still think like a physician and try and bring a diagnostic and therapeutic approach to my job. In any given situation, I ask myself: what’s the problem here, what’s the diagnosis, what intervention are we going to make, and how are we going to measure whether it’s successful or not? That’s very much the way medicine works.”
What would he say to anyone keen to follow a career such as his? “To anyone contemplating going into medicine, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons: not because your parents, or a teacher, or loved one thinks you should. You do it because you want to do it, and that should be true of any career.
“In terms of the second half of my career in leadership roles, for me, it happened by accident, but I took opportunities and have found it fulfilling. The worst thing about having ambitions is if they remain unfulfilled. If someone has the aptitude and the desire, they should absolutely aim high.
“I went to a state school in a part of the country where university aspiration was low and I managed to get a place at medical school. I enjoyed my medical career and was successful in it. So, my message would be to take the opportunities you get and make the most of them.”
What next?
With the start of the academic year underway, what are his priorities for this and future years?
“As well as our continued strong focus on student experience, I want to make sure that people understand that research is still of utmost importance. There are also some very serious financial challenges right now and I will be leading the critical task of making sure the University navigates those.
“The new UK government has made positive noises about international students and the importance of universities – so I would like to see these words turned into actions.
“I met with the Secretary of State for Scotland recently to discuss recent questions around funding for the exascale supercomputer.”
A decision had been made to house the supercomputer – which would process a billion billion computations a second – at Edinburgh. “This was not just a nice piece of kit for computer scientists to play with,” Peter asserts. “This is a crucial part of national infrastructure. It allows data to be used for things like vaccine design or infectious disease control, also drug design, healthcare delivery, water security, understanding crops and understanding of farming. Its importance cannot be overstated.
“Our current supercomputer, albeit very powerful, is going to be obsolete very soon. Other countries are building better computer capabilities, and the UK runs the risk of being left behind. I will be doing everything in my power to try to ensure that the UK government makes the right decision for the country.
Personal reflections
“On a more personal note, graduations are always my favourite time of year. For those who studied throughout the pandemic, I tell them that they will be remembered for being extra resilient. While all students face challenges, these graduates have faced many more than their predecessors, and I am proud to be part of their celebratory moment.
“I also want to encourage people to remember each other’s humanity. While we may differ in our opinions, or disagree with decisions that are made, we should communicate our viewpoints with respect.
“For my part, I try my best, I work hard, and I know I don’t always get everything right. I accept that criticism goes with the job, and I do listen to it. However, I have a wife and family that care and sometimes worry about me. Our jobs are not our whole lives, and we must treat one another with compassion, wherever or whenever that may be.”
Image credits: Neil Hanna
