UHI hosts Deputy First Minister to promote entrepreneurship in Scottish education
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) hosted Kate Forbes’ final official engagement as Deputy First Minister on Monday 23 March, as leaders from across Scotland’s colleges and universities gathered in Inverness to strengthen enterprise and entrepreneurship education.
Held at the Life Sciences Innovation Centre on Inverness Campus, the Scottish Entrepreneurial Educators Network (SEEN) event brought together principals, vice-principals, academics, and practitioners to explore how institutions can better equip students with the skills, mindset, and confidence to turn ideas into real-world impact.
Hosted by UHI in partnership with the Scottish Government and SEEN, the event also welcomed representatives from Interface, Converge and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, highlighting the importance of collaboration across Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Opening the event, the Deputy First Minister said:
“This is my last engagement as Deputy First Minister, and there is something extremely fitting about it being here with students, with educators, and with the future.
“When we look at Scotland’s future, whether addressing major societal challenges or driving economic growth, it all comes down to entrepreneurship. It is about how we support the next generation to take their ideas and translate them into real-world impact.
“What is particularly powerful about the work happening across our colleges and universities is that entrepreneurship is not treated as a niche activity, but as a mindset embedded across disciplines. By equipping students to be problem solvers, we are helping shape Scotland’s future.”
Throughout the day, delegates explored how entrepreneurial thinking can be embedded across teaching, research and external engagement, ensuring students in all disciplines develop the creativity, resilience and initiative needed to respond to real-world challenges.
Professor Brian Williams, Deputy Principal Academic and Research at UHI, said:
“For many of us working in education, what drives us is a sense of purpose and the opportunity to make a difference. Events like this show the value of institutions coming together, setting aside competition to recognise the importance of entrepreneurship for Scotland and for our regions.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business. It is about problem solving, creativity and the confidence to identify and act on opportunities. Embedding that mindset across all disciplines is essential if we are to deliver the kind of change our students, communities and economy need.”
The event was organised by Darlene Russell, Knowledge Exchange, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager at UHI; Nick Fannin, Head of Enterprise at Edinburgh Napier University, and Alison Price from Enterprise Evolution, with support from the SEEN steering committee representing the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Robert Gordon University and South Lanarkshire College.
SEEN is a Scotland-wide initiative, supported by the Scottish Government, that connects and supports educators to embed entrepreneurial approaches across Scotland’s tertiary education system.
➕ Find out more about the Scottish Entrepreneurial Educators Network