Robert Gordon University STRATEGIC STATEMENT:
RGU and its Region
RGU’S Mission and Vision RGU’s mission is to transform people and communities. It does this by ensuring that our discovery of knowledge and our dissemination of scholarship have the greatest possible economic, social and cultural impact.
RGU’s vision is to be recognised, in Scotland and beyond, as a distinctive university leading and shaping the debate on the future of higher education and placing students at the centre of the education it offers. It will be known for the impact of its teaching, scholarship and translational research, the employability of its graduates, its influence in the region and nation, its growing global profile, and its strong interdisciplinary focus on a small number of key questions and issues of concern to the local and global community. It will achieve its goals in partnership with academic, voluntary, public and business organisations that share its ideals and aspirations.
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RGU’s VISION FOR ITS ROLE IN THE REGION is to be recognised for stimulating and shaping positive strategic change in the region’s development. We will continue to ensure our graduates are highly employable and that we engage supportively with local partners in the private, public and third sectors with whom we share mutual interests. In addition, we will increasingly apply our knowledge and skills to areas where we can stimulate and shape the region’s economic, cultural and social development.
Our Track Record RGU values and nurtures its roots in the north-east of Scotland, while operating increasingly on an international canvas. The university has a track record of making a significant contribution to the region, particularly in terms of the positive difference we make in economic development, health and wellbeing, and cultural development. RGU works in partnership with many organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors. An independent economic impact study observed that ‘this partnership approach will help to ensure that Robert Gordon University contributes to … longer term competitiveness and sustainable growth’.
Beyond our role as a large employer, we make a difference economically by:
We make a difference to the health and wellbeing of the region by:
We make a difference to the creative and cultural development of the region by:
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retaining and attracting individuals who develop their knowledge and skills and become highly employable graduates who go on to contribute to organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors
• maintaining a strong partnership with NHS Grampian
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developing creative professionals from arts and architecture through digital media and fashion to journalism and librarianship
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leading research activities which focus on creating entrepreneurial activity and economic value from the creative industries.
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providing student placements and other activities which transfer knowledge from the university to add value to organisations and the region
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supporting the international ambitions of the region, primarily through the contribution of a skilled workforce to support the international oil and gas sector.
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delivering the initial and ongoing development of practitioners in a range of health and social care professions, including pharmacy, nursing, midwifery, social work, occupational health, physiotherapy and radiotherapy
making services directly available to the local community. These include a medical centre, RGU Sport and childcare facilities on our Garthdee campus.
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RGU has also played a significant role in widening access to higher education. Through its existing partnership with local colleges, particularly North East Scotland College, we have provided educational opportunities to individuals who otherwise would not have attended university.
Actions We recognise that many of the aspirations for development are expressed through the ambitions of our local councils, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council, as well as the Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Futures Action Plan. Having considered these ambitions and RGU’s strength and capabilities, we will aspire to make meaningful contributions in four key areas. Our partners have commented positively about their engagement in the process of developing this strategic statement. RGU is committed to continuing this dialogue to ensure we remain aligned to our region’s developmental aspirations. It is our intent to host an annual event for key players at our Garthdee campus, providing an opportunity to reflect on our previous year’s contribution and develop our future plans.
We will seek to make a significant contribution to stimulating and supporting the growth and diversification of the economy. Our immediate commitment: • significantly enhancing our capability to deliver value to the oil and gas sector through corporate partnerships,investment in new facilities and demand led programmes, and niche research •
working with Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Futures to lead the development of the economic potential of the creative industries
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creating a ‘hub’ to make it easy for the many small- and medium- sized enterprises and entrepreneurs, including the third sector within the region, to connect with RGU and benefit from services such as student placements.
Our longer term aspirations: • sourcing high value investors who will bring a stronger research and development presence to the region; as and when opportunities materialise we will engage with relevant partners to ensure the region secures maximum benefit from our initiatives •
recognising the importance our partners attribute to place making and place promotion, and the role these play in talent attraction in a globally competitive labour market; we will engage further with partners to explore further what contribution we might make.
We will nurture artistic and cultural organisations in the region to support cultural development. Our immediate commitment: • opening up the university’s cultural (whether physical or intellectual) assets on the Garthdee campus to a wider audience. •
acting as a hub for national and international cultural institutions wishing to undertake outreach activities in the north of Scotland.
Our longer term aspiration: • developing a visual arts and/or crafts festival of national significance. • assisting the articulation and development of a renewed cultural narrative for north-east Scotland. •
establishing international recognition for our digital media expertise through focusing on digital interactions, which represents a growing aspect of the digital media domain that encompasses the opportunities arising from the way we interact as a society through and with digital technology and content.
We will share our knowledge, resources and skills with the public and contribute to public debate and discourse on relevant issues. Our immediate commitment: • enhancing the public engagement with the university’s scientific and technology heritage and future impacts. • delivering an engaging public lecture/event programme, open to all. • addressing at least one topical issue faced by the region each year, contributing to debate and action Our longer term aspirations: • developing connections from the Garthdee campus to the wider network of core paths in the region.
We will seek to continue contributing to the region’s social wellbeing by: • adapting the courses we offer to ensure they meet the changing needs of the health and social care workforce
• working with the third sector
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continuing to work with the newly formed North East Scotland College to grow the number of articulating students as well as increasing our share of MD40 students.
Produced by The Gatehouse - Design & Print Consultancy at Robert Gordon University
This strategic statement is part of a series which provides information on the university’s priorities in particular areas and reflects the university’s strategy: A Clear Future for a leading university in a new era. It has been developed after a period of consultation which involved meetings with a series of external stakeholders.