News
NEW SCOTTISH ETHICAL FINANCE HUB
Heriot-Watt’s School of Management and Languages has been chosen to partner a new Scottish Ethical Finance Hub (SEFH), backed by leaders in the financial sector and the Scottish Government. The Hub will allow Scotland to capitalise on the increased global profile of ethical finance and help it progress towards becoming a worldwide industry leader in the field. It will be led by Dr Robbie Mochrie, Associate Professor of Economics.
Explaining the significance of SEFH, Dr Mochrie commented: “Since the crash in 2008 there has been growing international demand for more ethical financial practices, whether that’s developing rules that people can sign up to, or principles and behaviours that are considered ethical. The SEFH concept grew from a series of discussions, initiated by the Islamic Finance Council UK, which involved representatives from banking, asset management, faith groups, academia, government and the third sector.”
Supported by £50,000 of funding from the Scottish Government, the Hub will aim to be a ‘critical friend’ of the financial services sector and use Heriot- Watt’s academic expertise to develop a model of more ethical practice that could make a real impact internationally.
PhD student Ross Grant showing seismic data from the North Sea to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Business and Enterprise, Matthew Hancock
CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH CENTRE OPENS IN 2016
The University’s new £20 million Lyell Centre will open in 2016, bringing together over two hundred British Geological Survey (BGS) and Heriot-Watt scientists to develop cutting- edge research and innovation at the interface of geosciences, life sciences, computing, mathematics and engineering.
The Centre’s work will focus on the intersection of the earth and marine sciences aiming to find pragmatic solutions in the areas of energy supply, environmental impact and global climate change, where inputs have traditionally been polarised. Its work will be both socially and industrially relevant at national and international levels.
The BGS, a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), is the nation’s principal supplier of geological expertise and information for decision making at governmental
and commercial levels. Commenting on the BGS relocation, Professor John Ludden, Executive Director of the British Geological Survey, said: “I view the creation of the new Centre as an extraordinary opportunity to broaden our science base by partnering in key areas with Heriot- Watt University, in particular in geology and geophysics related to energy, urban renewal and the sea-floor.”
The project benefitted from an additional funding boost of £500,000 from two leading philanthropic charities during 2015. The Garfield Weston Foundation is providing support to advance understanding of the balance between the energy needs of a growing global population and the need to conserve and protect earth and marine habitats. A donation from the Wolfson Foundation will be directed towards a key aspect of the Centre – a 50,000 litre climate change research aquarium.
www.hw.ac.uk
9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36