SAHA Celebrates Scottish Research Excellence

Jamie Locke-Jones
Monday 14 November 2022

Last month the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA) launched a collection of impact case studies selected from universities across Scotland. The booklet celebrates projects that harness the formidable research acumen found in Scotland to deliver often transformative change to communities both at home and around the world. 

Click to view the full booklet.

The University of St Andrews case studies included in the booklet draw from those submitted for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. REF is a system which assesses research at UK Higher Education Institutions by discipline, based on three elements: outputs, impact, and environment. According to REF 2021, over 88% of research from St Andrews is considered world-leading or internationally excellent, with the overall quality of our research increasing by 5.7% since the last REF cycle finished in 2014. This ranks St Andrews as the third best university in Scotland for research quality overall. 

The St Andrews research pages and Research Blog have covered the outstanding work included as part of our REF submission in detail over the past year, and all of the case studies in the new SAHA booklet have accompanying blogposts. The three St Andrews case studies cover the Schools of Art History, Modern Languages, and English; click the links below to learn more about the projects on our blog.

The Creation (and Re-Creation) of Contemporary Female Heroines at the Centre of New Plays for the Theatre

Improving Our Understanding of Positive Change in Post-Genocide Rwanda

Reinterpreting Three-Dimensional Illustration In and Beyond the Early Modern Printed Book

View the full booklet to see how work at St Andrews complements research done at other Scottish universities. The booklet shows the diversity of research from across Scotland, illustrating how a variety of disciplines can help to provide solutions to issues as varied as dementia care, endangered languages, public-military relations and the legacy of slavery. 

Upon the booklet’s launch, Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, said: 

It was inspiring to read about the wide-ranging and diverse work of the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance. The strength of Scotland’s world leading research clearly shines through. These impact case studies demonstrate the significant impact Scotland’s Arts & Humanities research has on our society in driving positive intellectual, creative and social enrichment.  The booklet provides a useful snapshot of the work of the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance in transforming policy and practice, shaping public opinions and delivering real benefits to people across Scotland and globally.”

SAHA was established in 2019 to provide a collective voice for the arts and humanities. It marks a collaboration between Scottish universities, including St Andrews, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities. The Alliance works with similar institutions in Europe and North America to help governments and the general public understand the full benefit of arts and humanities research on everyday life, both economically, intellectually and socially. Read more about SAHA on their website.