Edinburgh Napier University

Background

Edinburgh Napier University is a dynamic, innovative and forward-looking institution dedicated to supplying educational services which are relevant to the needs of today's students and employers.  

By offering creatively designed courses, flexible study methods and accessible routes to higher education we equip our graduates for success in a competitive job market.

Queen's Anniversary Prize Winner

We have been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for 2009.
 
This is the first occasion in the history of the University that we have received this highly prestigious prize, which is awarded biennially to reward universities and colleges that demonstrate work of a world-class standard of excellence.
 
The award was made in recognition of the outstanding contribution to knowledge exchange made by the Building Performance Centre for a project involving sound insulation between attached dwellings and the development of Robust Details for use in the Building Standard Regulations. This recognition complements the world-leading classification awarded to Architecture and Built Environment during the Research Assessment Exercise 2008.
  
The prize will be presented by Her Majesty The Queen at a national honours ceremony to be held at Buckingham Palace Palace in February 2010. Full information is available via the 'Edinburgh Napier awarded Queen's Prize' press release.

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Our purpose

We will deliver what our customers want – in accessible, flexible and creative ways – inspiring confidence in our students and staff and with the employers and communities we serve, both home and abroad.

It is our vision to be established as one of the leading, modern professional universities in the United Kingdom by 2015. We will have an international reputation for the employability of our graduates and for expertise which can be used to directly enhance the lives and prospects of people and their communities. View more information on our strategy.

Our teaching

• Our students can choose from a portfolio of over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
• Courses are relevant and accessible to meet individual aspirations and can be studied in a number of flexible ways - full-time, part-time, distance learning and via the Internet.
• We are committed to providing lifelong learning opportunities through our Summer School, short courses and personal interest programmes.
• The national 2006 Quality Assurance Agency review reported a positive student experience at module and programme level supported by enthusiastic and motivated staff.
• All students have the opportunity to gain credit from work based learning or placements, as well as volunteering and work in the community. These are through accredited modules based on the completion of agreed learning outcomes

Research & consultancy

Edinburgh Napier University has over 40 research teams operating across the University with a reputation for working closely with industry and business e.g. Transport Research Institute (TRi) and the International Teledemocracy Centre.

Commercially, the University has developed a number of successful spinout companies attracting substantial funding. These include CardioDigital, Micro Emissive Displays, Surfactant Solutions and Freelight Systems.

We are also Scotland’s leading University in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (formerly the Teaching Companies Scheme), helping companies to access knowledge and skills from Higher Education institutions.

Our partners

Edinburgh Napier University has developed strong links with:

• The Further Education sector in Scotland to allow students to progress from certain colleges to degree programmes here.
• International organisations, through articulation agreements and partnerships to deliver courses with Higher Education institutions in China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Edinburgh Napier also has an office in Beijing, China
• Professional bodies (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, CIM, DMA) to deliver their accredited qualifications
• Employers to enable students to undertake work placements and live projects as part of their course requirements
• Community groups to widen accessibility for non-traditional learners to Higher Education.

Our students

Academically the University is organised in 3 faculties and our 15,691 students are divided between them as follows:

Graduate employment

Edinburgh Napier has been rated as a Top 10 UK University for Graduate Employability (HESA 2009). In the academic year 2007-08, 97.4% of Edinburgh Napier graduates went into jobs or further study within 6 months of graduating.

Our graduates are confident and valued by employers, for their job skills as well as their subject knowledge. Our student body is diverse and cosmopolitan, and is made up of about 22% international students, 12% EU students and 66% UK students.

Student body

As well as encouraging international students to study in Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University has almost 2,000 students studying on a number of programmes delivered in China, Hong Kong, India and Malaysia. Edinburgh Napier University was the first UK university to open a representative office in Beijing and plans to establish joint campuses in mainland China.

About 29% of our students study on a part-time basis. We also have a growing community of students who are in full-time employment and update their professional and technical skills by attending one or more of a wide variety of courses on offer at the University which provide opportunities for continuous professional development.

Our staff

We have a total of 1,867 members of staff with 879 academic, 817 support and senior management, 106 technical and 65 research personnel.

Our alumni

Edinburgh Napier University also has 42,000 active graduates who play a dynamic role in University life as volunteers, supporters and donors. Some of our well-known graduates include film director Lynne Ramsay, photographer Colin Baxter, MSP  Tavish Scott, BBC broadcaster Catriona Shearer, photographer David Eustace and and Liz McAreavey, entrepreneur and restaurateur.