22 Oct Interview with Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of St Andrews, Scotland
Scotland’s tertiary education sector has long been a benchmark of academic excellence, fusing centuries of tradition with bold innovation. 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?
I am speaking as principal and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews, and as president of Universities UK, which represents 140 leading UK universities. This gives me both a Scottish and UK-wide perspective. Scottish universities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews, operate globally and attract many international students — nearly half of our student body is international and about 18% come from the US. Scotland has a strong reputation for high-quality teaching and constant improvement. Recently, the National Student Survey ranked St Andrews first in the UK for teaching quality and student satisfaction, ahead of Oxford and Cambridge.
A distinctive feature of Scottish universities is the four-year undergraduate degree, which allows students to study a broader range of subjects. This structure aligns well with the expectations of European and US students and offers flexibility that is less common in England’s three-year model. Our teaching is highly personalized and deeply research-informed, reflecting Scotland’s outward-looking, high quality education system.
The challenges facing Scottish universities are similar to those in England. Despite structural differences, both systems have suffered from chronic underfunding for about 15 years, with government funding for teaching and research failing to keep pace with costs. As a result, universities have become heavily reliant on higher fees from international students — especially in Scotland, where local students do not pay tuition fees. This international funding has helped sustain the sector for the past decade but creates a clear vulnerability: if international student numbers fall, the financial model is immediately at risk. Combined with pressures like the cost-of-living crisis and wider economic instability, this leaves our university system — a tremendous national asset — on fragile ground. It truly is a jewel in the crown, but one whose future depends on fixing this funding imbalance.
Founded in 1413, the University of St Andrews remains one of the UK’s most storied academic institutions. In 2024, it topped both The Times and The Guardian university rankings. The university is going through a major estate overhaul under its ambitious modernization strategy, including the Eden Campus and a revitalized town-center site. What makes St Andrews stand out in 2025 and how is the university carving a distinctive path in the crowded UK higher education landscape?
As a historic university, we deeply value our traditions — but ours is not just a story of survival, it’s one of leadership and renewal. We see our students as global citizens and believe great institutions must evolve to stay relevant. St Andrews offers students highly personalised tuition, taught by leading researchers who know them by name. We keep teaching and research closely connected, providing an outstanding student experience in a beautiful, safe, coastal setting just an hour from Edinburgh.
We are also investing in the future. Our Eden Campus drives applied research and innovation, with facilities like a hydrogen accelerator and battery lab that link academia with industry. We are running a $400 million campaign “Making Waves” to upgrade our estate — combining our renowned School of International Relations with our new Business School at New College in the historic heart of St Andrews. This will uniquely connect global perspectives with modern business challenges. Another major project is our Digital Nexus building, a new home for Computer Science, expanding our strong work in artificial intelligence. In all this, we aim to stay distinctive: combining tradition, quality, safety and a forward-looking, world-class student experience.
In late 2024, St Andrews refreshed its financial strategy. What are the key priorities under the new roadmap and what steps are being taken to deliver results?
It is vital for us to stay competitive while keeping our financial base secure. Unlike some universities, St Andrews hasn’t faced large-scale redundancies or course closures because we run a prudent, well-managed budget and expand only when we can afford to. We also have a strong tradition of effective fundraising, supported by loyal alumni, donors and royal associations — similar to Oxford and Cambridge.
This funding helps us endow academic chairs, offer scholarships and invest in major capital projects, without relying on it for day-to-day operations. We are also expanding revenue streams through digital and online courses, micro-credentials and lifelong learning opportunities. We believe traditional degrees will always have a place, but flexible, high-quality online learning is essential for the future. Our focus is clear: secure finances, strong fundraising, innovation and an outstanding educational offer for all stages of life.
Tell us about the executive education program you launched in February: how does it help close the national skills gap and support professional upskilling for tomorrow’s workforce?
Upskilling and reskilling the workforce is vital, both regionally and globally. St Andrews sits between Fife and Tayside regions with clear needs for stronger digital skills and data literacy. We aim to help meet this need through our expertise in data science and we are expanding our offerings in this area. We also want to reach professionals worldwide who need new skills. For example, we were one of the first UK universities to offer a full degree in Sustainable Development and we are now developing online modules from this program to support people adding sustainability to their careers.
Other areas, such as medicine and infectious disease, also offer opportunities for us to share our strengths through flexible courses. Like many universities, we are focused on matching our expertise to real needs — locally and globally.
From the Innovation Fellowship to startup accelerators, how is the university building a vibrant entrepreneurial culture and which recent success stories best reflect this drive?
Entrepreneurship is now an integral part of UK universities, though it came later than in some countries. I have seen how important it is to embed entrepreneurial skills into the core curriculum for all students — not just scientists, but also those in the arts and creative subjects. At St Andrews, we run an Entrepreneurship Centre to help students develop ideas for spinouts and startups.
We also use innovative models like vertically integrated projects, where undergraduates and postgraduates work together with academics on real-world projects, often with entrepreneurial potential. It’s vital that students gain practical skills, work collaboratively and see entrepreneurship as a mindset open to everyone. Many of our students — especially our female students — have excelled in global competitions, securing funding for their ventures. Embedding entrepreneurship across disciplines and ensuring it’s accessible to all is now central to our approach.
How are new trends in digital tech influencing curriculum design and what career pathways, such as the new Digital Education program, are opening up for students?
This field is evolving rapidly. We are currently recruiting for a new endowed chair in Artificial Intelligence — the Johann and Gaynor Rupert Chair — which will strengthen our leadership in cutting-edge AI research. Our focus is on how AI and human intelligence interact: how AI can handle tasks humans do now and how that frees people to work more creatively. At its core, a university is about people, so we see our role as guiding how AI and human insight can best work together. We aim to bring this research directly into our teaching, ensuring students gain up-to-date skills and understanding in this vital area.
With almost half of its student population coming from abroad, St Andrews has a truly global outlook. The US remains a cornerstone of your internationalization strategy, not only as a student source but also as a key research and investment partner. Which international markets are gaining momentum in 2025 and how has St Andrews evolved its global engagement since the pandemic?
We have staff and students from about 135 countries, giving St Andrews a distinctive demographic compared to other UK universities. North America, especially the US and Canada, is a key market for us. China is important too, though less so than for some other Scottish universities. Europe remains strong for us, even post-Brexit. Although EU students now pay international fees, our courses continue to attract many, particularly from Germany and Italy.
We are also focusing on India, where a growing young population and strong economy mean more students are looking to study abroad. It is vital that the UK remains an attractive destination for them — the post-study work visa is a big draw, especially since it doesn’t require sponsorship. Overall, we pride ourselves on welcoming international students, supporting them well and ensuring our courses stay relevant and appealing in a global market.
Given the tensions between the Trump administration and some US universities, along with budget cuts affecting research, how is St Andrews positioning itself to collaborate with North American markets on research and development?
There is a lot of disruption at the moment, but we have no wish to exploit it — we value our strong relationships with US universities, such as our long-standing partnerships with Emory and the joint program with William & Mary. These ties, built on exchange and collaboration, are very important to us. It is likely we will see more US students applying to study abroad for political reasons and some US academics may also look for opportunities overseas. We already see signs of this.
For us, this is about supporting our academic partners and colleagues, not taking advantage. Academia should keep channels open in difficult times, helping institutions and people stay connected and recover stronger. That is part of our mission and responsibility.
What is your final message for the readers of USA Today?
Scotland is an extraordinary place, known for building strong relationships across enterprise, tourism, academia and cultural exchange. It is well worth getting to know better.