Celebrating ten
years at the
Musselburgh
campus
In October 2017, the University celebrated the 10th
anniversary of its move to its purpose-built campus.
T
EN YEARS AGO, QMU welcomed its first cohort of new students
to its newly built campus, situated by the east of Edinburgh, in
Musselburgh.
Over the last decade, QMU has responded to our fast changing world with
agility, positivity and a practical approach.
Dr Olivia Sagan
Head of Division of Psychology and
Sociology
Since relocating, the University has seen its student numbers grow, and has
moved up the rankings in terms of research output. Currently, QMU is ranked top
in Scotland and third in the UK for employment of our undergraduate leavers.
QMU’s vision is to be ‘a university of ideas and influence’, and over the last ten
years its reach has extended with graduates using the skills and knowledge they
have acquired at QMU to make a positive influence on the lives of individuals and
communities in Scotland, the UK and internationally. In addition, the University
has seen increasing numbers of students study for its degrees through partner
institutions abroad, including Nepal, India, Singapore and Greece.
Dr Sagan is a chartered psychologist and
former psychodynamic counsellor with 20 years’
experience of working with adults with long term
mental health difficulties. She has extensive
At its new campus, and through partnership with East Lothian Council, the
experience working with trauma and distress
University
became the first Scottish university to host a Business Gateway. This
within specific populations, including refugees,
development is part of a much wider programme of work to foster entrepreneurship
the homeless, women experiencing chronic
and support the Scottish economy.
depression, individuals with eating disorders
Alongside this, the University has also implemented ground-breaking initiatives
and people with combined physical and
to demystify higher education and to encourage widening participation, including
mental illnesses. She is regularly involved
the Children’s University and the South East Scotland Academies Project.
in overseas humanitarian work. Olivia’s
phenomenological, user-led research
The attractive landscape around the campus buildings has matured. The grounds
explores the strategies that people
have become a haven for wildlife, and students and staff enjoy sharing the gardens
develop over time through which they
with the local community.
make meaning of their mental health
To mark the 10th anniversary, the University ran an exhibition on campus celebrating
difficulties and life experiences.
the stories of some of its current students and graduates who have experienced studying
Her projects to date have included
at the new campus. These stories were shared via QMU’s social media and you can also
longitudinal studies of the ways in
see some of them highlighted in the ‘Where are you now?’ section on pages 26 - 29 of
which adults with severe mental
this magazine.
illness and limited verbal ability
Discussing
this anniversary, Dr Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of QMU, said: “The 10th
have employed autobiographic
anniversary
has
offered us the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved in the last
writing and visual art making
10
years,
both
at
home as well as globally, and to reconnect with our alumni and share their
outside of the clinical domain.
success. The anniversary also presents us with the chance to express our gratitude to our new
community which has embraced and supported QMU, helping us put down strong roots in East
Lothian. By building strong partnerships locally, we are all more than a sum of our parts.
“Our move to our new campus and our QMU150 strategic plan have helped us develop a new
found confidence, allowing us to become more ambitious in our outlook and helping realise our vision
of being known as a university of ideas and influence.”
Dr Butt concluded: “Whether you are a QMU alumni, current student, friend of QMU or are new
to the University, please do connect with us on social media and learn more about the QMU
story. Our Alumni Relations team is also keen to hear about the success of our
graduates, so do share your news and achievements with us by emailing
E: [email protected] ❒
QMYOU / 10 Years On Campus
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