Universities UK (UUK) have elected Professor Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School Of Art, as the New Chair of its Specialist Institutions’ Forum (SIF) The Glasgow School of Art can announce today, 21 February 2024.
Universities UK represents the collective voice of over 142 universities, providing a forum to exchange insights, foster collaboration and influence policy. As chair of the Specialist Institutions’ Forum Professor Macbeth will work closely with the leaders of a diverse range of institutions, from the arts through to medical, veterinary and technological sciences, to develop policies and responses and share good practice on a range of issues such as funding, inclusion and diversity, and international recruitment.
“I am very honoured to have been elected as New Chair of Universities UK’s Small Institutions Forum. Small institutions are a distinctive and influential part of the UK’s higher education sector, globally recognised leaders in our disciplines with international reach and significant civic, professional and community impact.” says Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School of Art.
“Yet we are often less visible, acknowledged and understood as an important part of the UK’s HE sector. I look forward to working with UUK, colleagues across the sector and with Governments of the UK’s four regions to ensure that contribution, opportunities and challenges facing specialist institutions are understood, ensuring we can individually and collectively thrive.”
“UUK is looking forward to working with Professor Penny Macbeth in her new role as Chair of the Specialist Institution Forum. Penny brings extensive experience as a leader of one of the UK’s leading university-level institutions for the visual creative disciplines. Her extensive knowledge of specialist institutions will be of great value to the members of the SIF and to UUK’s wider work.” Stephanie Harris, Director of Strategy, Insight and Member Engagement at Universities UK.
Further information about Universities UK and their work can be explored at universitiesuk.ac.uk
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Notes For Editors
UUK Specialist Institutions’ Forum
The Specialist Institutions’ Forum brings leaders of specialist institutions together to develop policies and responses and share good practice on a range of issues such as funding, inclusion and diversity, and international recruitment. Specialist institutions offer higher education courses and expertise focused around one specialism. The forum brings together the specialist institutions membership to consider shared policy issues. Although membership institutions represent a diversity of specialisms they share a great deal in common. Most are small in size and offer vocational programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA)
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3200 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art and innovation in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1500 students annually.