Edinburgh Napier University

Edinburgh Napier University
Motto	Latin: Nisi sapientia frustra[1]
Motto in English	"Everything is in vain without knowledge" (echoing the motto of the City of Edinburgh, Nisi Dominus frustra "Everything is in vain without the Lord").
Established	1992 – granted University Status 1964 – Napier Technical College
Type	Public
Chancellor	Tim Waterstone
Principal	Prof. Dame Joan Stringer DBE
Admin. staff	1,660
Students	17,793
Undergraduates	14,927
Postgraduates	2,866
Location	Edinburgh, Scotland
Turnover	£900 million (GBP, 2008/09)[2]
Website	http://www.napier.ac.uk

Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.

History

Edinburgh Napier University opened its doors to students as Napier Technical College in 1964, taking its name from John Napier,the inventor of logarithms and the decimal point, who was born in 1550 in the medieval tower house of Merchiston Castle(the site of the University's Merchiston campus). His statue stands outside the entrance to the main building on Craighouse Campus today. In 1966, it was renamed Napier College of Science and Technology. Three years later, it merged with the Sighthill-based Edinburgh College of Commerce to form Napier College of Commerce and Technology, which became a Central Institution in 1985.

The college was renamed Napier Polytechnic in 1986 and in the same year acquired the former Hydropathic hospital buildings at Craiglockhart. In June 1992 the institution officially became Napier University. At a ceremony witnessed by over 700 staff and students, Lord James Douglas Hamilton and the then Principal, Professor William Turmeau, unveiled the new University sign at Merchiston. In 1994, Napier University acquired its Craighouse campus. In 1996, the university gained a new Faculty of Health Studies through a merger between the Scottish Borders College of Nursing and Lothian College of Health Studies.

In February 2009 the University launched its new title, Edinburgh Napier University, to reflect its location in Scotland's capital city.

Edinburgh Napier was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize 2009 for Higher and Further Education. The award was made for 'Innovative housing construction for environmental benefit and quality of life', recognising the contribution made by the University's Building Performance Centre towards improving sound insulation between attached dwellings.

The motto of the University, Nisi sapientia frustra (meaning "Everything is in vain without knowledge") echoes the motto of the City of Edinburgh, Nisi Dominus frustra (meaning "Everything is in vain without the LORD"). Edinburgh Napier's Tartan was launched at the same time as the name change in February 2009. Previously the university used the Clan Napier Tartan; the Chief of Clan Napier welcomed the new University tartan.

Courses and students

Edinburgh Napier is one of Scotland’s top universities for graduate employability (HESA 2009/10). The courses offered are accredited by 94 professional bodies. In 2009/10, 93.3% of postgraduate students were in work or further study within six months of graduating.

Edinburgh Napier offers subjects including engineering, computing, nursing and midwifery, science, business courses, timber engineering and transport studies. It offers a range of creative courses, including film, graphic design, acting, publishing and product design. Its journalism courses recently became Scotland's only BJTC accredited course^{[citation needed]}.

Edinburgh Napier's Business School has achieved Chartered Management Institute (CMI) certification^{[citation needed]}. The University was also named the best University in Scotland for graduate level employment according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2007^{[citation needed]}. The School of Computing at Napier University is the largest computing department in Scotland^{[citation needed]}.

Screen Academy Scotland is one of only two dual-status Skillset Film & Media Academies in the UK^[3]. A collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art (eca), the Academy is recognised by the industry as a UK centre of excellence in film practice education. Patrons of the Academy include Sir Sean Connery, Dame Judi Dench and Brian Cox with Tilda Swinton an ambassador.

UK University rankings

	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005
Research Assessment Exercise[4][5]				109th
Times Good University Guide	66th	65th	64th	67th	79th	82nd	90th=
Guardian University Guide	55th	43rd	49th	55th	–	66th	59th
Sunday Times University Guide	76th		64th=	95th	71st	93rd[6]	90th[6]
The Complete University Guide	74th	72nd	77th	71st
The Daily Telegraph					71st

Campuses

The university is based around its Merchiston, Craighouse, Craiglockhart and Sighthill campuses. There are also smaller medical campuses at outside the city in Melrose and Livingston's St John's Hospital at Howden. Other notable Edinburgh buildings have been incorporated, including the former Parish Church at Morningside.

Sighthill Campus The Sighthill Campus opened to students in the Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences in January 2011. The campus includes a five storey learning resource centre, 25 specialised teaching rooms including clinical skills laboratories, an environmental chamber and biomechanics laboratory, a crime scene scenario room, three IT-enabled lecture theatres and seminar rooms, a clinical skills suite and integrated sports facilities. The campus has received the BREEAM excellence rating. This sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design.

The Sighthill campus is also home to a new sports facility which includes a biomechanics laboratory and an environmental chamber which can recreate high altitude conditions with controllable temperature and humidity levels to simulate varying climatic conditions.

Craiglockhart Campus

Craiglockhart Campus

The Craiglockhart Campus is home to The Business School. It incorporates the Craiglockhart Hydropathic Hospital buildings which were for a time known as Craiglockhart War Hospital, where First World War poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were treated. This campus is the home of the law and business courses and is also operates as a conference centre. The Craiglockhart Campus was refurbished in 2004 and contains two lecture theatres, language labs and computing facilities.

Merchiston The Merchiston Campus is home to the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Creative Industries. It is built around the refurbished shell of Merchiston Castle, the family home of John Napier, after whom the University is named. Merchiston Castle is also the ancient seat of Clan Napier. It also incorporates the 500-seat Jack Kilby Computing Centre, named after the inventor of integrated circuits and the handheld calculator.

Napier Students' Association (NSA) is located nearby on Merchiston Place in a converted house. It houses the student bar for Merchiston Campus. The union building also contains the office of the sabbatical officers and Independent Student Advice Service advisors.

Merchiston campus (2004)

Craighouse Campus The Craighouse Campus is based around the former Thomas Clouston Clinic which was a psychiatric hospital until 1990. This campus is home to School of Arts & Creative Industries courses as well as the Ian Tomlin School of Music. The campus was sold to The Craighouse Partnership in March 2011 for conversion into flats^[7] The university plan to occupy the campus until 2013.^[8]

Research and knowledge transfer

Edinburgh Napier has nine dedicated Institutes of Research and Innovation:

• Edinburgh Institute
• Employment Research Institute
• Institute for Science & Health Innovation
• Institute for Creative Industries
• Institute for Informatics & Digital Innovation
• Institute for Product Design & Manufacture
• Institute for Sustainable Construction
• Forest Products Research Institute
• Transport Research Institute

Environmental credentials

Edinburgh Napier has been ranked the top university in Scotland for its environmental credentials by the People and Planet Green League 2010^{[citation needed]}. The university was also awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in 2010 for achieving a 19% reduction in carbon emissions between 1 August 06 – 31 July 2009^{[citation needed]}.

Partners

The Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife and Borders Regional Articulation Hub (ELRAH), led by Edinburgh Napier, comprises 15 university and college partners. The project was established in early 2009 and funded by the Scottish Funding Council. 1,161 undergraduate students joined Edinburgh Napier directly from a Scottish College in 2009/10.

Edinburgh Napier also has articulation agreements and partnerships to deliver courses with higher education institutions in China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. The university also has offices in Beijing and Hyderabad.

Edinburgh International College

In 2010, the University announced a collaboration with global education provider Navitas to found Edinburgh International College (EIC), an on-campus associate college. EIC provides degree level and Pre-Masters pathways in a range of subject areas, including Accounting and Finance, Business, Tourism and Computing.

Students' association

Edinburgh Napier University's students' union is called Napier Students' Association.

The student newspaper, Veritas, is published monthly. It was founded as a tabloid newspaper in 1993 by Neil McIntosh. Past Veritas editors include Craig McGill and Gareth Mackie.

The Students' Association supports a variety of sporting and cultural societies.

Academic structure

Edinburgh Napier University comprises three main faculties:

• The Business School comprises:
  • School of Management & Law
  • School of Accounting, Economics & Statistics, and
  • School of Marketing, Tourism & Languages.

• The Faculty of Engineering, Computing & Creative Industries comprises:
  • School of Arts & Creative Industries
  • School of Engineering & the Built Environment, and
  • School of Computing.

• The Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences comprises:
  • School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Care
  • School of Life, Sport & Social Sciences

Office holders

Edinburgh Napier University's Principal and Vice-Chancellor is Professor Dame Joan Stringer DBE.

The Chancellor is Tim Waterstone, founder of Waterstone's bookshop and chairman of HMV Media Group. He succeeded Napier's first chancellor, the late Viscount Younger of Leckie in August 2007, following his death in January 2003.

Professor George Borthwick CBE is chairman of the University Court and Dr Gerry Webber holds the position of University Secretary & Registrar.

Edinburgh Napier has three Vice Principals:

• Vice Principal of Strategy, Resources and External Relations – Professor John Duffield
• Vice Principal of Commercialisation – Professor Robin Mackenzie

Faculty Deans:

• Dean of the Business School^[9] – Professor George Stonehouse
• Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computing & Creative Industries^[10] – Sandra Cairncross
• Dean of the Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences^[11] – Professor Morag Prowse

Alumni

See also: Category:Alumni of Edinburgh Napier University

• Catriona Shearer, BBC Reporting Scotland anchor
• John Andrew Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP
• James Boyle (broadcasting), arts supremo (honorary doctorate)
• Moray Callum, Scottish automotive designer
• Jim Dobbin, English Labour MP
• Tom Harris, Scottish Labour MP
• Craig McGill, writer, media analyst and PR consultant
• Tavish Scott, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP
• Gordon Smart, Journalist and showbusiness editor at The Sun
• Kyle Traynor, Scottish rugby union player
• Paolo Buoni, Promoter of Renewable Energy technologies in Europe, Director of the European Energy Centre
• [[Alan Fisher}=]] Journalist - Senior Correspondent, Al Jazeera English

See also

• Scottish universities
• Fresh Air (Edinburgh)

References

1. ^ "The Napier Estate: past and present" (PDF). Napier University. 2007. pp. 28. http://www.napier.ac.uk/aboutus/history/Documents/CampusHistory.pdf#page=28. Retrieved 21 January 2009. 
2. ^ Napier University. "Napier University News Centre". Archived from the original on 19 February 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060219182017/http://www.news.napier.ac.uk/background/. Retrieved 15 March 2006. 
3. ^ http://courses.skillset.org/pick_the_tick/skillset_academy_network/skillset_film_academies
4. ^ Times Higher Education Table of Excellence
5. ^ Guardian RAE tables 2008
6. ^ ^{a b} "The Sunday Times University League Table" (PDF). The Sunday Times (London). http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug2006/stug2006.pdf. Retrieved 3 November 2007. 
7. ^ http://news.scotsman.com/education/Napier-Uni-campus-sold-for.6740247.jp
8. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12861032
9. ^ http://www.napier.ac.uk/nubs
10. ^ http://www.napier.ac.uk/fecci
11. ^ http://www.napier.ac.uk/fhlss

Bibliography

• Napier University. "History of Napier University". http://www.napier.ac.uk/aboutus/history/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved 4 July 2008. 
• http://www.gashe.ac.uk:443/public_docs/isaar/C1190.html