Higher aspirations

SCOTLAND IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SEATS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. DANNY BLYTH INTRODUCES THEM AND LOOKS AT HOW PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SHOULD PROCEED

On first thoughts, there mightn't be too much to link the Dalai Lama with golfer Seve Ballesteros. However, somewhere in the home of each hangs an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews.

This is quite salutary really. Education in Scotland has always combined lofty spiritual ideals with a respect for the more practical aspects of existence.

Just as Scotland has produced students such as Adam Smith, who went on to pioneer thought on political economy, she has educated the likes of engineers Watt and Stevenson. And today, traditional academic disciplines rub shoulders just as much with engineering – and even golf – at Scotland's universities.

It's never been a straight choice between cerebral innovation and nuts and bolts. There's a particular tradition of the ‘Lad o' pairts' (lad of parts), in which students are encouraged to broaden their knowledge by doing more than just sticking to their core discipline, with the end goal to nurture a more rounded person.

Scotland continues to take pride in its education system, which has evolved distinctly from that of the rest of the United Kingdom. And this pride is certainly evident in a tour of the university towns and cities of the country.

The seats of learning tend to be well respected by local people – their landmark buildings, ancient or modern, generally accepted as central to the local heritage. In Scotland, there's no great division between town and gown.

The University of St Andrews serves as a prime e...

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• By : Danny Blyth
• In : Contemporary Scotland
• Issue : 8
• Page : 36
• Words : 1,692