SRUC - Chair

Introduction

It is one of the great privileges of my life to lead this outstanding institution. As we face the complex and layered challenges of climate change, feeding a growing and ageing global population and creating sustainable and resilient economies, the need for organisations that are driving the skills, research, innovation and business engagement to address these issues is critical.

SRUC is ambitious, connected, responsive and expert. We are a small, specialist institution with pan-Scotland locations and a global reach. Formed in 2012, but built on a history of over 100 years, we are a young institution with a long heritage.

We are quite unlike any other institution, with a tertiary education model (from FE to PhD), a world-class research base and unrivalled extension, knowledge exchange and consultancy services. Therefore we are uniquely placed to respond to the global challenges facing us collectively, and we have the strength, courage and audacity to do it.

Our vision is to become Scotland’s Enterprise University at the heart of our sustainable natural economy. Our central purpose is to promote greater sustainability of our natural resources, and of the sectors that build the skills to deliver this for the benefit of Scotland as a whole. This sense of purpose brings new colleagues to work with us, students to join our courses and programmes, and partners to collaborate with us. We believe that this passion and commitment has brought new Board members to join us in recent years and we hope it ignites a flame for you too as a potential new Chair of the SRUC Board.

Sandy Cumming CBE will retire as SRUC Chairman from April 2022, having completed his term of office, and we are seeking to appoint a new Chair to lead the Board of SRUC into this new era for the institution and indeed Scotland. We are looking forward to building on Sandy’s outstanding leadership to continue and indeed accelerate our ambitious growth plans, supported by the Board’s collective networks, influence, advocacy and partnership.

SRUC has taken huge strides in recent years, including securing more than £20 million from UKRI to create a digital twinned dairy in our Barony campus, winning the Queen’s Anniversary Prize and advancing to the scrutiny stage of gaining Taught Degree Awarding Powers. Our place-based mission is reflected in our investments that include: a new Rural Veterinary Innovation Centre in Inverness, a food hub (Seed Pod) in Craibstone and the UK’s first Tertiary Vet School. In all of this and more, we have been supported by a Board that is engaged, committed, energetic and generous.

We are ready for the next stage in our story, and we look forward to working with a new Chair who has the courage and passion to make this happen with us.

Wayne Powell
Chief Executive and Principal – SRUC