21 Oct Interview with Richard Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
What gives Scotland’s tertiary education sector its competitive edge on the global stage in 2025 and what has powered its impressive momentum over the past five years?
Scotland’s higher education sector is remarkably diverse, both in the size and type of its institutions. With 19 universities serving a population of just 5.4 million, some might say we have many, but this has helped us attract students from around the world. Scotland’s long history of excellence in innovation, the arts, sciences and medicine continue to draw talent globally.
We offer everything from specialist institutes in art and music to modern, technology-focused universities like Heriot-Watt, which has deep expertise in business and technology. This diversity is a real strength, helping our universities maintain strong positions in league tables and attract additional income, despite funding challenges for Scottish students. Each university is unique. Our strength lies in this diversity and in each institution following its own distinctive path.
What are the biggest challenges universities are grappling with in 2025 and how are Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions responding to ensure a more resilient, future-ready education ecosystem?
Having the right scale to match our income is vital. Like all UK universities, we faced challenges when international student numbers dropped two years ago due to visa changes and concerns about how welcome students would feel in the UK. Fortunately, things are improving and the UK is becoming more attractive again for international students. We are recalibrating our budgets and staffing to stay resilient, with quality remaining the top priority for all Scottish universities. Each university will adapt differently — Heriot-Watt, for example, benefits from its diversified model.
One of Scotland’s real strengths is the high level of collaboration between universities, which is less common in parts of England. In fields like physics, quantum technology, engineering and chemistry, we share expertise and create strong research partnerships. This spirit of cooperation reflects the welcoming, supportive character of the Scottish people and is something we are proud to share.
In 2025 Heriot-Watt University climbed 17 places in the Complete University Guide to rank 25th in the UK and 3rd in Scotland. For our USA Today readers, can you share what sets Heriot-Watt University apart within Scotland’s competitive higher education sector?
Like all Scottish universities, we are a charity — our success is measured by our impact on society, not profit. There are no private universities in Scotland. We focus on producing highly employable graduates and making a real difference for businesses and communities. At Heriot-Watt, employability is central to what we do. We look for students with a strong sense of purpose and help them build not just knowledge, but confidence, mindset and personal resilience.
This focus puts us first in Scotland for graduate employment, with the highest-paid graduates in the country and second in the UK for postgraduate employment. Heriot-Watt is a business and technology university with a unique global model. About half our students are postgraduates and 40% study while working or from home, echoing our roots as the world’s first night school in 1821. Only a third of our students are based in Scotland — two thirds study abroad through our campuses in Dubai and Malaysia.
What are the most transformative infrastructure projects now underway, including the Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling and the robotics development hub? What impact will these investments have on the student experience and regional industry?
Looking ahead, we want people to see Heriot-Watt through four key lenses: our Global Research Institutes. These are multidisciplinary hubs focused on AI and robotics, healthcare technologies, net-zero living and marine and earth sciences. Each brings together education and research across disciplines to tackle major global challenges in partnership with industry. For example, in AI and robotics, we help apply AI across sectors, from sports science to elderly care and small business, combining expertise in math, computing, psychology, engineering and finance.
Our strategy is to focus our strongest research and teaching where we can have the greatest impact. In healthcare, for instance, we bridge the gap between scientific breakthroughs and real-world use by scaling technologies so they can benefit people at scale. Whether it’s using quantum tech to develop new cancer sensors or advancing net-zero solutions, we stay mission-driven, collaborative and focused on delivering real benefits to society.
In May, Heriot-Watt won the Outstanding Engagement with Business Award. How central is collaboration with local and global industries to your strategy for skill-building and economic resilience?
We have always worked closely with business and industry. Today we have partnerships with over 1,400 companies covering education, research and skills development. One area we have pioneered, alongside two other Scottish universities, is graduate apprenticeships. These allow employees, whether just starting out or already experienced, to earn their bachelor’s degree while working. They study partly online, partly on campus and complete the same exams as full-time students. We now support over 300 companies in Scotland through this model, helping employees upskill while staying in work. It keeps us closely connected to employers’ needs and ensures our graduates have the skills businesses want.
How would you describe Heriot-Watt’s current R&D strengths compared to other leading institutions in the UK and beyond?
One of Heriot-Watt’s unique strengths is brewing and distilling — we have been teaching it for over a century. Many industry leaders, from BrewDog founders to master brewers in the USA and distillers in Scotland, China, Japan and India, trained here. Looking ahead, we are expanding this area to help the industry become more sustainable, from energy use and packaging to cooling, transport and the full lifecycle of drinks production. For example, the whisky sector still has major sustainability challenges and we are working with partners and alumni to drive real change through education and research.
Another area of strength for us is lasers and quantum technology. We have been leaders in optical physics for 60 years, applying it in fields like radar, defense and advanced engineering. Our quantum technology group is our largest research cluster by size, income and impact. It has also been successful in spinning out technologies that have attracted international interest, including acquisitions by American companies. Our Orkney campus, in Scotland’s northeast, gives us unique expertise in energy systems. While we have a legacy in petroleum, we now focus strongly on transition engineering and marine renewables, including tidal energy — harnessing sea tides to generate electricity. This has led to spin-outs developing new turbine technologies. We are also active in sustainable fishing technology, helping communities and governments manage fishing in ways that protect marine life while meeting global food demands.
Heriot-Watt has placed climate action at the heart of its strategic roadmap, aligning its Global Environmental Sustainability Strategy with Scotland’s 2045 net-zero ambitions. What recent infrastructure changes or strategic shifts best demonstrate your institution’s commitment to sustainability?
We have set out 10 commitments to help drive progress towards a net-zero world, with education at the heart. We want all our staff and students to understand their own carbon footprint so they can see where they can make a difference. Another key commitment is thought leadership. The shift to a green economy requires new economic and financial models. Through Panmure House — the last home of the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, now our research center — we are exploring green finance and policy. Supported by partners like Baillie Gifford, our researchers and our Adam Smith Professor are shaping ideas on how tools like sovereign wealth funds can help build a sustainable future.
Heriot-Watt is a pioneer in transnational education. Amid shifting global enrolment trends, the university is redoubling its outreach to key markets including the US. What makes the university a standout choice for US students?
We are proud to have thousands of alumni in the USA, especially in New York, Houston and California. Many come from finance and engineering backgrounds, with Houston focusing on energy engineering. Brewing and distilling also attract many US students. These fields remain key strengths for us. Currently, we are collaborating with the University of Houston on energy transition research, exploring the hydrogen economy’s impact in the US, UK and Scotland.
We are currently exploring new collaborations in whiskey distilling with two US centers. Quantum technology will be vital for both the US and UK, especially for alternative communication methods beyond satellites. We see strategic opportunities to collaborate on deploying quantum tech in healthcare and communications.
Universities are long-term anchors in society, maintaining friendships and connections beyond political changes. Despite current geopolitical tensions, institutions like Heriot-Watt and Harvard will continue fostering goodwill and collaboration that outlast governments. While fewer international students may currently choose the US, this opens opportunities for countries like Scotland. Although I value the US for its research and partnerships, we are eager to strengthen ties and collaborate even more closely with American universities despite political challenges.
Since taking the helm in 2015, you’ve steered Heriot-Watt through a period of unprecedented expansion anchored in digital innovation, global collaboration and sustainability. How would you summarize your ambitions and your vision for the university going forward?
A university thrives only if its people do. At Heriot-Watt, we prioritize our people, purpose and vision. Our staff value our clear values, cultural diversity and global presence, which drives strong commitment despite financial pressures. We have grown research income significantly, earning eight UK doctoral training centers last year — 10% of the UK total — a testament to our high-quality research despite being a small university.
We also focus on widening access. Through initiatives like Graduate Apprenticeships, refugee education in Lebanon, scholarships for women in rural Africa and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Asia, we have created new pathways. Last year, 32% of our students enrolled through these efforts. As a charity, we don’t do this for profit but to expand inclusion globally. That impact makes me very proud. We have improved our research ranking in the QS global survey, which is encouraging. We are about to finalize our 10-year strategy through 2035, focusing on employability, partnerships and strong leadership. Our goal is to remain agile and value-driven, with clear intentions and effective execution—all centered on our people and values.
What is your final message for the readers of USA Today?
Heriot-Watt is a leading business and technology university, distinguished by having the highest percentage of graduates who become CEOs, managing directors and entrepreneurs among Scottish universities. Recent global surveys confirm we lead Scotland in placing alumni in corporate C-suite roles. Our university’s purpose is reflected in the global leadership success of our graduates.