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On August 11, TUED convened its latest Global Forum, to take up the question: “COP26: What Do Unions Want?”

The Forum saw contributions from COP26 host national center, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC), the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), Trade Union Confederation of the Americas(TUCA), the UK’s Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), and Public Services International (PSI).

Nearly 150 participants joined the call, from 69 unions in 40 countries around the world.

The forum opened with remarks from Roz Foyer, General Secretary of the STUC. As the national trade union center for Scotland, with 40 affiliated unions as of 2020, the STUC represents over 540,000 trade unionists. Based in Glasgow, STUC will play host to trade unionists from around the international at COP26, in partnership with the UK’s TUC. (The recording of Foyer’s full contribution is available here.)

Foyer began by highlighting the STUC’s domestic campaigning priorities in Scotland in preparation for COP26, noting that these “chime in very closely with the TUED approach”:

We are first and foremost striving at the peristiwa to build a genuine people’s recovery from the pandemic, and that people’s recovery that we are calling for is about calling for systematic changes to how our economy is organized, and really shifting the narrative around “private = good, public = bad.” And we’re also wanting to see our economy being rebuilt on a just transition. Everyone talks about a ‘just transition’ for workers, but we don’t believe that that just transition is being carried out by governments at this time. So we want to see a people’s recovery from the pandemic and a people’s transition to net zero.

The Covid crisis and the climate crisis have both brought into sharp focus the fact that the private sector and big business have proven themselves as being totally unable to meet the economic and social challenges that economies across the international now face. I think the writing was already on the wall when ordinary people through their governments were forced to bail out the banks during the financial crisis of 2010. And the latest incarnation of this are the various government rescue plans that we’ve seen across the international during covid, which, however necessary to save jobs in the short term, have really been largely focused on bailing out the bosses and the private sector.

So as we look forward to the berarti need to decarbonize and achieve net zero through a Just Transition, it’s quite unthinkable that this could be achieved without massive government intervention, and without the efficiency and accountability that can only be delivered by direct, public sector delivery.
Turning to preparations for COP26, Foyer emphasized that the STUC’s approach is to use COP26 as a campaigning and leveraging opportunity, and as a means to build awareness and working class power, and make demands to government which are rooted in the real material needs of working people in Scotland. Towards that end, STUC has identified three campaign priorities which they will focus on in the months leading up to COP26.

First, the STUC is calling for good quality jobs in renewables for Scottish workers:

We need to see real, good quality jobs in renewables. Scotland has nomer shortage of renewable energy. We have wind and wave power. We have a good transition on paper towards renewable energy. But our low-carbon and renewable energy economy is dominated by private and overseas interests. Apart from one single demonstration turbine off the coast of Scotland, all of Scotland’s offshore wind is controlled by private corporations or overseas governments at this time. And these companies are all too willing to offshore jobs and ship content — in terms of the hardware required for renewable energy projects — from the other side of the world. For us, this makes nomer sense from a social and an environmental justice perspective. It’s led to what’s called over here in Scotland the ‘Battle for BiFab,’ to bring work into our fabrication yards here in Scotland.

But rather than unions having to mount reactive campaigns based on whispers about the next contract from industry bosses, what we need is a publicly owned energy company and systems to build renewables, run energy networks, and coordinate upgrades, ensuring that renewables work isn’t off-shored halfway around the world, but that it is based on local supply chains, local skills and building local jobs and new industries for workers. And the market will not provide that; that needs to be done by big government.
Second, the STUC would like to see a street-by-street retrofitting program for conservation upgrades to buildings:

Two of our biggest cities here in Scotland — Dundee and Glasgow — have very high levels of housing which is unfit for use, and quite simply, if we want to reduce emissions, and create jobs, and tackle fuel poverty for our people, then this is the biggest single intervention that we could get our government here in Scotland to make. But currently, much of the retrofitting and much of our current construction sector is characterized by highly questionable employment practices such as bogus self-employment and the exploitation of migrant labor.

So to create good quality, unionized jobs and ensure that profits aren’t hoovered up by the rich, what we need are publicly owned and publicly delivered, street-by-street retrofitting programs here in Scotland. And we believe that this could be best delivered through Scotland’s local authorities — our local elected councils.

We need to take back control of our public transport — particularly of our buses — plus to pilot [i.e., test] free bus travel. In Glasgow where the COP26 is taking place there are high levels of poverty, plus half of all households don’t have access to a car. And yet our privatized bus network means that private companies benefit from government subsidies while cutting routes plus hiking up fares for those who can least afford it.

So whether it is for reasons of climate change, whether it is for cutting air pollution for our citizens, or for reasons of social inclusion, worker safety or supporting our clean, green domestic bus manufacturing here in Scotland, we would like to see publicly owned plus affordable bus travel.
Summarizing, Foyer emphasized that STUC believes it is campaigns such as these that “are rooted in the material needs of working people, which trade unionists, environmentalists plus community groups can rally behind, plus that would unite movements around class, climate plus community welfare.”

At the same time, she noted:

On the ground in Glasgow, it’s quite possible that we may see industrial disputes that coincide with COP26. Some of these could be linked to our refuse workers, who are dealing with cuts to rubbish [waste] services. We have Glasgow City Council workers here in the city who are dealing with severe cuts to community facilities, with 500+ jobs under threat at this time, as well as real-term cuts in pay for workers plus ongoing equal pay issues. Or we have our hospitality workers who will nomer doubt be asked to look after delegates on ‘zero hour’ contracts on the minimum wage. And of course, the STUC will be ready to stand with any group of workers who are in dispute with their employer, either during the COP or beyond.
Foyer also reviewed provisional plans for the STUC’s actions plus activities in the coming months plus during the COP (while noting that much remains uncertain around the COP itself due to Covid restrictions, plus specific plans may change).

Of special note, the STUC plans to organize a trade union bloc for the planned COP26 Coalition Mobilization on Saturday, November 6, plus will support the COP26 Coalition in its coordination of a People’s Summit, November 7-10. More data will be available in due course via the STUC website.

In preparation for the COP, the STUC will also host a conference on September 2, with partners in the Just Transition Partnership. Speakers will include Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, Asad Rehman, Executive Director of War on Want, plus TUEDCoordinator Sean Sweeney.

Following Foyer’s contribution, the Global Forum also welcomed contributions from:

Sam Mason, Policy Officer, PCS, active in COP26 Coalition’s Trade Union Caucus
Mika Minio-Paluello, Policy Officer, Climate & Industry, Trades Union Congress(TUC), UK
Alana Dave, Urban Transport Director at the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)
Barbara Figueroa, Sustainable Development Secretary, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA)
David Boys, Deputy General Secretary, Public Services International (PSI)

The Global Forum of Funders is ready to “unleash science” for sustainability, but political champions willing to work with global science plus funding communities are needed to realize its ambitions.

The second Global Forum of Funders has been convened by the ISC plus its partners with commitments from participants to engage with the open platform on a regular basis. The aim of the Forum, which brings together public, private, philanthropic, plus development aid sectors, is to carry ambition that will scale up efforts by funding communities supporting science for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants from more than 70 countries contributed to the virtual discussions held over three days.

Peter Gluckman, ISC President-elect opened the Forum, urging the funding community to support science that focuses on finding the needed solutions to the challenges of the global commons. He asked funders to dig deep plus reflect on their failures to date to effectively address the global commons issues plus be open to change. Failures, which included a lack of strategic analysis to determine priorities, resource limitations, or a promotion of competition over collaboration, could be addressed through greater investment in a range of social sciences, taking a genuine approach to transdisciplinary research plus promoting systems-based approaches.

Funders largely support disciplinary research, often duplicative plus predictable in result, rather than of intellectual innovation plus risk, plus most not really focusing on finding the needed solutions to the challenges of the global commons; the problems that will define our future.

Peter Gluckman, ISC President-elect
Former President of Ireland, Chair of the Elders plus ISC Patron, Mary Robinson gave a challenge to the virtual table of funders, suggesting they must provide the leadership to addressing inequalities through increased collaboration using mission-oriented research to achieve the SDGs as a matter of urgency. She also cautioned the use of “build back better”, a term used by the United Nations as part of the COVID recovery.

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2023 took place in Amsterdam in the Netherlands recently.

The annual knowledge and learning exchange is a key feature for the international social enterprise movement.

The SEWF brings entrepreneurs together to network, build new relationships, sharing best practice and to grow our collective influence.

The stated key aim of the SEWF is to “strengthen the international social enterprise movement to accelerate our transition to a new economy”.

This is something that will resonate with all social enterprises and social economy organisations and anyone who supports community wealth building and related initiatives.

The first event of its kind, the SEWF was founded in Edinburgh in 2008 with social entrepreneurs, policy makers and other with an interest in raising awareness of social enterprise to build fundamental social change.

With more than 400 delegates from 29 countries at this initial event, it’s since been hosted in places as diverse as Hong Kong, Ethiopia and New Zealand.

The approach is one of always being grounded in and led by people with local knowledge and experience.

SEWF23 was a milestone in Amsterdam’s journey to creating a wellbeing economy that prioritises people and the planet.

Over 2000 participants from 80 countries were represented this year, with over 70 Scottish delegates.

The event was opened by showcasing notable Dutch social enterprises Fairphone, the radical eco and worker friendly electronics company, Roetz-Bikes, Freshtable and Makers Unite.

One of the key themes this year was “Living and trading within planetary boundaries”, as well as trading and collaboration, equality and inclusion, migration and building a new economy.

The event included the launch of People and Planet First, a new initiative to unite social enterprises in the international ecosystem.

Social Enterprise Scotland is driving this international verification process in Scotland and encouraging our members to sign up for worldwide recognition.

The in-depth conversations, learning opportunities and sparks of new policy and business support ideas, can’t be underestimated.

These rare opportunities to gather in-person with people from very diverse backgrounds and cultures is so essential for our own ecosystem development.

What I found most interesting was hearing from entrepreneurs running social enterprises in Taiwan, the Netherlands, India and other places, who described identical challenges and opportunities to those facing us in Scotland.

It’s reassuring to get this intelligence and, while Scotland leads the way in so many policy and business support areas, we can always learn so much from others.

For example, procurement was inevitably a key theme. One conversation I had described how public sector commissioners could be encouraged to do social procurement with direct financial awards and incentives, as well as praising their efforts in social enterprise contracts with an annual award scheme.

There was a call to action to educate private sector businesses on how social enterprise can help them to achieve social and environmental aims, moving towards sustainable purchasing to benefit the business, beyond Corporate Social Responsibility.

We also saw Telos, who run the the Buy Social Europe programme, pledge to drive social procurement opportunities across Europe and elsewhere, by providing multinationals with social enterprise opportunities, building on the SEUK Corporate Challange.

Most notable at the SEWF this year was not just the usual brilliant diversity of speakers from across the globe but also hearing from the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

It was really inspiring to hear from so many young people who are tackling the climate emergency, poverty and many other key challenges head on.

Mindful of environmental impact, the in-person SEWF will now take place every two years, rather than annually, with an online event being held every year.

Social Enterprise Scotland is keen to continue building strong entrepreneurial relationships between Scotland and other countries.

We’re enthusiastic about supporting Scottish social enterprises to connect with and learn from entrepreneurs overseas and we look forward to another enlightening event next year.

Duncan Thorp, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Social Enterprise Scotland

With this year’s Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) now in the books, our Events and Marketing Manager Jo Seagrave reflects on the event in this latest blog.

Through a bursary programme supported by SEWF and the International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO), I had the privilege of supporting a Scottish delegation to attend and participate at SEWF 22 Brisbane and fringe events through 26th September – 5th October.

Having supported or attended every SEWF since 2014, I can honestly say this was the best international forum yet. Kudos to the SEWF and White Box Enterprise teams, and all others involved to bring together such a massive, successful hybrid event – 1,500 delegates in-person and the same, if not more joining online.

Stand out sessions for me were the fireside chats that kicked off each morning and ended each day.

After the opening ceremony formally welcomed by indigenous performers and singers, we heard from Laura Thompson, Clothing the Gaps in Australia, where we heard about her campaign to have the Aboriginal flag freed from copyright for all to use. You couldn’t help but be moved by Laura’s passion, tenacity and elation when the flag was finally freed. Learn more about the campaign.

At the end of day one, we heard from Dylan Alcott, Australian of the Year 2022. Dylan is one of the country’s most successful Paralympians and one of Australia’s most recognised advocates for people with disability.

He shared his experience and the many enterprises he has created to address inequality and help people with disabilities to achieve their goals in the workplace, sporting events and university. Dylan’s honesty and candidness was inspiring. Learn more about Dylan’s story.

On day two, the opening fireside chat was with young climate activist India Miro Logan-Riley of ActionStation in New Zealand. India spoke emotionally and defiantly of her desire for Maori communities to sustain and retain their land colonised in history, borne from her great grandfather’s story. Read India’s inspiring story.

The in-person event was closed with a fireside chat with one of Australia’s leading social entrepreneurs, Daniel Flynn of Thank You. Daniel’s determination and grit to change the international we live in for the better through innovation, disruption and impact was enviable.

His campaigns against supermarkets to stock his products, his fundraising endeavours and invitations to huge consumer produk companies P&G and Unilever to change the world. Read about the Thank you journey.

Increased diversity and inclusivity
What really struck me this year was the increasing diversity and inclusiveness of the event with a plethora of young and indigenous people on the stage storytelling and berbagi with such passion, emotion and bravery. Also, how seamlessly accessibility and sustainability had been woven through the event.

It was particularly awe-inspiring to see two of our young Scots, Aimee Spence at InspirAlba and Cameron Campbell of STAT SALUS face their fears to present and tell their stories on THE biggest social enterprise platform they will likely experience.

As a kelompok we packed in a lot with many attending fringe events including social enterprise study tours, the youth forum plus some joining the Rural Gathering in Beechworth.

Before parting ways, the kelompok met on Friday evening to reflect on their key takeaways plus giveaways at the event.

With some of our kelompok currently participating in the Rural Gathering I’m sure they’ll gain plus impart so much more, however key takeaways included the contacts made, participation in the youth forum, self-confidence in individual abilities plus the information plus experience they have to berbagi as well as gain.

They were also struck by how similar the issues we in Scotland plus our indigenous communities experience globally.

Key takeaways included chance meetings throwing up unexpected or unintended opportunities, an Australian entrepreneur mentoring request, plus meetings with local Australian networks Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC), Social Enterprise Australia plus Social Enterprise Network Victoria (SENVIC). These meetings demonstrated the speed plus scale of the Australian social enterprise sector movement in the past couple of years plus how else we in Scotland can learn plus progress.

The kelompok also shared valuable experiences, insights plus resources from Scotland including the Social Enterprise Ecosystem map plus the international Creative Social Enterprise Network in partnership with Social Enterprise Scotland plus Creative Social Entrepreneurs Club , recently launched on 29th September by Kim Wallace plus which already has international interest.

Prior to heading out to Brisbane, Aimee Spence, Cameron Campbell plus Finlay MacLennan told us what they were hoping to achieve. We look forward to following up with them on their return.

International networks
I can’t mention international networks plus using SEWF to build relationships plus explore business opportunities without name-checking Cameron Campbell of STAT SALUS. Cameron used SEWF as intended, arranging meetings in Sydney plus Brisbane ahead of attending SEWF plus seeking out contacts plus networking at every event throughout the course of the week. He is an ambitious start up to look out for plus whose energy plus enthusiasm rippled through the group.

The AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum is one of the key events in which our community of members, implementers plus stakeholders berbagi data plus learning on the evolution of water stewardship practice plus forge new directions through dialogue plus partnerships. Held in Edinburgh, Scotland, since 2016, it has become the must-attend event for the world water stewardship community.

We are looking forward to welcoming participants back to Edinburgh again on 24 + 25 June 2025.

To make sure you receive all our updates for the 2025 AWS Forum, subscribe to the AWS International newsletter.

Registration
General registration for the 2025 AWS Forum is now open. Please use the button below to register today!

Forum ticket terms & conditions
The AWS Forum has sold out very quickly in previous years, triggering a waiting list for tickets. We are anticipating a high level of interest again for the 2025 Forum, so please confirm your attendance as soon as possible to secure your seat.

Tickets are non-refundable, however tickets may be transferred to other colleagues within your organisation if you are no longer able to attend. If after claiming your free ticket you find that you are no longer able to attend AND you are unable to transfer your ticket, please return it as soon as possible using the form at the bottom of the page, so that we may offer your seat to someone else.

The 2025 Forum will focus on in-person participation. Recordings of selected sessions will be made available to registrants plus AWS Members post-event.

Forum Dinner
We invite all Forum participants to bergabung us on Tuesday, 24 June at the Kimpton Hotel in Charlotte Square for a drinks reception at 18:00, followed by our Forum Dinner at 19:00. Pre-booking is required, plus tickets can be purchased at the same time as your Forum ticket.

The Scottish Government hosted a major investment event in Edinburgh aimed at unlocking new private investment in the country’s rapidly growing offshore wind industry.

More than 100 stakeholders, including investors plus developers, attended the Global Offshore Wind Investment Forum, hosted by First Minister John Swinney.

The Forum took place following a Green Industrial Strategy commitment to carry the profile of Scotland as a destination for capital investment. The Strategy identified offshore wind as one of five priority areas for Scottish Government resources plus investment.

The Scottish Government is investing up to £500 million over five years in the Scottish offshore wind supply chain to leverage an expected £1.5 billion of private investment.

Speaking ahead of the Forum, the First Minister said:

“The growth plus success of Scotland’s offshore wind industry is not only an ambition of my Government, it is a priority for me personally. Delivering on its promise will not only deliver our international climate obligations, but create significant new jobs plus economic opportunities.

“History has shown that success stems from choosing the right time plus place to capitalise on the next innovation of the era. We have already gained a significant first-mover advantage plus laid the groundwork for success.

“Now we are poised to move to the next stage of development plus growth plus reap the rewards of what we estimate could be a £100 billion market.

“The Global Offshore Wind investment Forum is about “Team Scotland” showcasing the offer that Scotland’s offshore wind sector offers to international investors. We have a compelling story plus a clear message that Scotland is open for business.”

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes plus Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero plus Energy Gillian Martin also took part in the Forum, which was delivered by Scottish Enterprise. Highlands plus Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise plus Scottish National Investment Bank also took part , plus the UK Government was represented.

Recent investments made as part of the Scottish Government’s

Scotland’s Futures Forum is
the Scottish Parliament’s futures
think-tank. We work across
the political parties and beyond
to promote research and to
stimulate debate on Scotland’s
long-term future.
Our aim is to inform MSPs and
others and to enable them to
look beyond the electoral
horizons. Our work is based
on bringing together diverse
groups of people to consider
the effect of policy decisions
and potential policy decisions
on Scotland’s long-term future
The year covered by this annual report was
a year like nomor other. As the Covid-19 pandemic
hit Scotland, it became hard for many of us to
look beyond the end of the week, let alone into
the long-term future.
At Scotland’s Futures Forum, like many other
places, our work was curtailed as we adapted to
changing circumstances. As a body owned by the
Scottish Parliament, we redirected resources to
supporting parliamentary business. Through the
year, however, we still tried to find space to look
positively at our shared future. The programme was an investigation into
the kind of country we want Scotland to
be in 2030 and beyond. We looked at the
issues through different themes and from
different perspectives, with the overall aim
to take a positive view of what lies ahead.
Over the years of the programme, we built
up a reference bank of materials. As well
as capturing the wide range of topics
covered, it provides food for thought on
the future that Scotland faces. With
videos, podcasts, event reports, guest
blogposts, stories and pictures, we
supported a variety of voices to reflect on
the future in the way that works for them. A key theme of the Scotland 2030
Programme was creativity. To reflect this
and to support our discussions, we asked
writers and others to sharing their thoughts
on the issues at hand and their creative
reflections on our shared future.
The future can be hard to imagine, and
stories and art can help us envisage the
kind of future we want and discuss our
aspirations with others.
From our first event, where the writer and
singer Karine Polwart read and discussed
three imagined news stories from 2030,
to our work with Cymera and Shoreline of
Infinity to support a storytelling competition
in summer 2020, we supported this work
where possible

A rich variety of sessions, including pre-conferences, high-level plenaries, plus interactive gatherings in the Community Zone, await delegates to the 4th Global NCD Alliance (NCDA) Forum in Rwanda, 13-15 February. The Forum will welcome over 700 delegates from 66 countries, representing a truly multisectoral audience spanning governments, multilateral organisations, academia, the private sector, plus civil society.

The Forum is strategically organised in Rwanda plus Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time, reflecting the significant burden of NCDs in the region, as well as the leadership, innovation, plus solutions emerging from many countries across the continent. It is also strategically timed, occurring just five months before the UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs on 24 September, which represents the next major opportunity to secure increased political commitment for NCDs at the highest level.

The event, co-organised by the NCD Alliance plus the Rwanda NCD Alliance, in collaboration with Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) plus the Ministry of Health, will probe multiple themes: inspiring leadership in addressing NCDs; how to mobilise sustainable financing to address the epidemic, plus powering up communities to collaborate with governments plus other partners in leading the response to NCDs.

Delegates can expect to be inspired by what’s working, reenergised plus motivated ahead of the HLM on NCDs, plus return home from Kigali with new connections from across the globe.

The Forum kicks off with the Opening Ceremony at the Kigali Convention Centre on 13 February. Building on the video address from Dr Tedros, WHO Director-General, the Opening will emphasize the catalytic potential of leadership on NCDs towards the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs plus Mental Health (UNHLM) in 2025, plus beyond. Other speakers will include Dr Monika Arora, NCDA President; Dr Joseph Mucumbitsi, Chairperson of the Rwanda NCD Alliance, plus Dr Gina Agiostratidou, Program Director of the Leona M. plus Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the Strategic Partner of the 2025 Forum. Four plenary sessions will address key themes. The Opening Plenary, NCDs in the Africa Region, will highlight the regional policy context on NCDs plus health more broadly, plus lihat progress to date in the region since the last HLM in 2018. It will be moderated by Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO of Amref Health Africa plus feature speakers:
Lea Kilenga, Executive Director of the Africa Sickle Cell Organisation;
Prof Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre;
Dr Kofi Mensah Nyarko, Regional Adviser NCDs at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, and
Dr Mohammed Abdulaziz, Head of Disease Control plus Prevention at the Africa Centres for Disease Control plus Prevention (CDC).

What is the Global Forum for Student Success?
The Global Forum for Student Success is a grup of postsecondary educators from 10 countries who are committed to addressing the central issue of student success in postsecondary education globally. We understand that student success practices, policies, research, and vision are often limited to individual institutions or regions. Therefore, we advocate for a global and systemic analysis to tackle complex challenges, while acknowledging the need for contextual actions and solutions. Our goal is to create a database of annotated frameworks, research, and resources to advance student success across borders.
Global Forum
Home
About
Definitions & Principles
Database of Resources
How to Get Involved
Our Vision
The Global Forum for Student Success is a dynamic movement of stakeholders from around the global who aim to make Student Success equitable and accessible to all learners in all post-secondary education contexts. Furthering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Forum champions access to high-quality and culturally responsive post-secondary education as a critical component of lifelong learning as a human right.

The primary anchor point is the success of the individual learner throughout their lifespan. The focus is on assuring educational equity across thresholds of access, engagement, completion, and post-graduation success for beneficial employability, and societal and active citizenry outcomes for all learners.

Our Mission
The Global Forum for Student Success will create a unified global forum to promote effective student success policy, practice, and research across global and intra-national contexts, respecting diversity in language and national/regional regulatory frameworks.

The Global Forum for Student Success seeks to:

1. Establish a platform in which multiple voices can provide a critical, global dialogue and collective wisdom in addressing change as a global network of colleagues to frame and continuously foster dynamic exchange on how “student success” is understood both across higher education globally and propose global definitions and/or standards.
2. Work together on specific challenges of student success, propose potential solutions, and influence educational systems in addressing student success and building global understanding and agency for student success.
3. Amplify the moral imperative of student success as well as effectively foster global information exchange and harness expertise to ensure that all institutions and their students reach their full potential.
4. promote student access, inclusion, equity and success ensuring they are at the center of global educational policy.
5. Initiate advocacy campaigns to persuade individual governments to address equity in higher education and encourage unified voices in advocating for amendments to policy, theory and practice.
6. Create sustainable practices for student success and serve as an evidence-led clearing house for effective practices spanning the whole student life cycle in post-secondary education.
7. Foster conversations about teaching and learning by identifying common benchmarks (e.g., assessment, graduate attributes, increasing student access to post-secondary education ).
8. Include Students as participants in shaping and influencing global trends on student success and foreground the Student Voice

The History of the Global Forum for Student Succes:​
The Global Forum for Student Success was established near the start of the pandemic to bring together two dozen scholars, leaders, and students from six continents and ten countries who had been talking informally about growing global attention to student success in postsecondary education and their shared commitment to more equitable and socially just higher education. Beginning in 2020, Global Forum members met virtually almost every month with the intention of learning from each other’s experiences and contexts and mapping out steps toward a broader, more sustainable set of partnerships between institutions of higher education and the scholarly communities devoted to student success.

Early discussions among Global Forum members highlighted the emerging perspectives of scholars, teaching faculty, administrators, student groups, policymakers, focused on student success around the world. Members exchanged perceptions about challenges in their work and were intentional about raising up and attending to voices and perspectives that historically have been marginalized in higher education, including those of Indigenous students and communities from across the world. In addition, one of the founding values was to engage students in this work as partners in facilitating and contributing to our thinking and resources.

In pursuing this work, the Global Forum for Student Success is distinct because prior initiatives on student success typically focus on a particular institutional or national contexts. In our experience, some notable exceptions aside, when scholars meet at conferences where student success is discussed, this work rarely looks across global (or even institutional) boundaries to consider what we can learn from the diversity and depth of student success scholarship and practices beyond our own national borders. The Global Forum seeks to fill that gap by bringing scholars, practitioners, leaders, and students from around the global together to debate, discuss, imagine, and support the creation of more socially just higher education systems in diverse cultural and institutional contexts, and to develop local and global resources to advance these aims.

The NCDI Poverty Network will have a busy schedule at the 2025 Global NCD Alliance Forum, including co-sponsoring a panel event with the Scottish Government during the February convention in Rwanda.

Titled, “From Intention to Action: Designing & Financing Effective, Accessible, plus Fully Integrated NCD Interventions,” the panel discussion will feature speakers including Professor Liz Grant, Director of the Global Health Academy at the University of Edinburgh plus chair of the Scottish Government’s International Development Technical Advisory Group; Dr. Gene Bukhman, co-chair of the NCDI Poverty Network; plus Dr. Mary Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, founder plus director of NCD Alliance Kenya.

Moderating the panel will be Dr. Frederick Kateera, deputy executive director of Partners In Health in Rwanda.

The “Intention to Action” panel features innovative leaders in world health, social policy plus NCD interventions from Kenya, Rwanda, Scotland plus the U.S.

Panelists will discuss their experiences designing interventions for severe, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) — such as type 1 diabetes, sickle cell disease, plus childhood heart disease — within local plus national health systems. Discussion will also focus on how the integrated design of these interventions has facilitated financing plus scale. Ultimately, case studies shared by panelists will highlight implications for the wider NCD community’s approach to advocating for increased funding for NCD interventions.

Moderator: Dr. Frederick Kateera, Deputy Executive Director, PIH Rwanda
Fredrick Kateera, MD, MSc, PhD, is a medical doctor with postgraduate training in epidemiology, immunology plus immunogenetics, plus a doctorate in malaria epidemiology. Dr. Kateera has participated in numerous hospital- plus community-based research projects in rural settings in Africa.

As the Director of Research for Inshuti Mu Buzima, as world health nonprofit Partners In Health is known in Rwanda, Dr. Kateera oversees all research activities for the organization plus outside collaborators, plus facilitates adherence to institutional plus national research guidelines. Dr. Kateera has over 10 years of experience in clinical care, research implementation plus program management in East Africa. His research focuses on determinants of access to care, disease plus risk-factor determinants, community-based research design plus utilization of health survey tools. He has also served as a Fogarty Global Health Fellow implementing an NIH grant, plus has five years experience as a study coordinator on various NIH-funded projects.

WHAT ARE THE SECURITY AND DEFENCE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UK OF MELTING ARCTIC ICE?

2. There is nomor immediate ‘hard’ security threat to the UK from Arctic change. However, the developments associated with Arctic change do pose a range of security plus defence considerations for the UK. These come in the form of:

 ‘Hard plus ‘soft’ security issues which directly affect the UK;

 The need to re-evaluate UK provision, training plus strategic priorities in key areas.

3. Fisheries – Arctic warming has contributed to a rise in northern sea temperatures, impacting marine ecosystems well beyond the Arctic Ocean. Fish stocks plus fish migration patterns already appear to be affected. As a greater tempat of the central Arctic Ocean remains ice-free for longer periods, we are likely to see the northward migration of commercially harvested fish species. New fishing opportunities will attract both sanctioned plus ‘rogue’ fishing vessels, something which may lift safety, political plus security implications.
4. The post-Brexit settlement may see the UK government assuming full responsibility for fisheries in its exclusive economic zone. A simak of current fisheries protection arrangements may be required to ensure satisfactory enforcement of a UK ‘exclusion zone’.
5. Maritime search plus rescue – Arctic change has prompted a rise in shipping traffic in plus across northern seas, in keeping with industrial growth. Recent years have seen a rapid rise of tourism in the Arctic, with the prospect of very large passenger ships sailing to, plus in, Arctic waters. The lack of maritime safety plus support infrastructure in Arctic waters is widely regarded as a cause for concern. The UK must consider how well it is prepared to deal with the various maritime security issues thrown up by Arctic change plus how far its approach is compatible with that of key Arctic allies.
6. In 2015, the House of Lords Select Committee on the Arctic (henceforth, HOLSCA) undertook a rigorous assessment of the UK’s approach to Arctic affairs in a report entitled Responding to a changing Arctic. The report criticised the UK’s approach to maritime safety in northern waters, urging that the UK government address deficiencies as a matter of priority.
7. HOLSCA noted that the loss of the UK’s maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) following the 2010 Strategic Defence plus Security Review (henceforth SDSR) had reduced the UK’s ability to support Iceland plus Denmark in northern search-and-rescue (S&R) activities, plus left Norway to patrol a section of the North Sea that is the UK’s responsibility.
8. The 2015 SDSR announced the procurement of 9 Poseidon P-8 MPA from the US. Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for 2019. The UK government should do everything possible to ensure there is nomor production-time overrun on these aircraft. Given the time-period until operational effectiveness, plus given the possibility of overruns, the UK government might consider leasing appropriate aircraft in the interim period.
9. This is a hugely important issue for the UK, both operationally plus symbolically. The UK is an important transatlantic player plus must show that it can look after its own backyard. The UK must provision itself properly plus increase cooperation on these issues with Arctic neighbours to show that it is a serious plus reliable partner.
10. Environmental security – Increases in maritime traffic, energy industry development, oil industry decommissioning projects plus military developments can hardly fail to have environmental implications for the UK. Increased shipping traffic will likely prompt an increase in chemical plus plastic litter pollution, incidents involving vessels carrying dangerous cargo, plus species invasion arising from ballast water evacuations plus hull-borne transfers. Major oil spills plus nuclear accidents – possibly involving military assets – represent major hazards.
11. Distinctive Scottish interests – Scotland may have particular interest in ensuring that there is an optimal UK strategy for dealing with environmental security plus maritime safety in northern waters:

 With 60% of the UK’s sea tempat plus around 61% of its coastline, Scotland has considerable socio-economic interests vested in the maritime sphere;

 The closest part of the UK to the Arctic, Scotland is the most directly exposed of all the nations of the UK to maritime accidents in this region;

 Pollution arising from maritime accidents in northern waters would likely have the most immediate – plus greatest – impact upon Scotland;

 Scotland is the closest part of the UK to the northern shipping routes plus its harbours will often be the closest ‘safe havens’ for ships in distress;

 Scottish-based vessels will often be the primary responders to accidents, supported by Scottish port authorities plus agencies.

12. Northern Scotland is the most logical ‘launch-pad’ for UK participation in maritime safety plus S&R operations in northern waters. The UK government should ensure that adequate resources are in place to support effective S&R operations plus pollution control activities, notably oil spills. These should be optimally located in Scotland. The UK government should also offer a far clearer expression of how the UK’s military assets might assist in various civil security challenges such as accidents in the Arctic plus sub-Arctic regions. Developing what is required may demand significant investment on the part of the UK government but this is necessary to keep pace with change across the northern maritime sphere. As HOLSCA’s 2015 report acknowledged, demonstrating an authentic commitment on this front is necessary if the UK is to present itself ‘as a premier partner in the Arctic’.
13. Alliance commitments plus military training – The increasing focus on Arctic security has impacted – plus will continue to impact – upon the UK’s training plus alliance commitments. For example, the Royal Navy is now working to re-generate the Submarine Service’s ‘under ice capability’ in anticipation of greater deployment in the Arctic. Last year, UK Royal Marines – for the first time – trained US Marines in Arctic warfare as the US military seeks to bolster its own proficiency in this sphere.
14. Terrorism – as Arctic tourism develops, plus given that some tourist vessels lift several thousand passengers, a terrorist incident cannot be ruled out as radical individuals plus groups look to new arenas to cause damage plus create headlines. Tourists are often targeted by terrorists. There is nomor reason to assume that Arctic tourists would not be targeted. The UK government should consider how prepared it is to deal with such a scenario.
15. Russian military activity – The most obvious (and publicly known) ‘hard’ threat to the UK from an evolving Arctic security agenda is the marked increase in Russian submarine patrols operating out of the Arctic plus into the North Atlantic.

In 2013, the Russian Navy announced that it was making the Arctic ‘a priority’ plus there has been heavy investment in its Northern Fleet which operates out of Murmansk. The Northern Fleet is the home of Russia’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent; this has been supplied with new nuclear-powered submarines with can lift intercontinental nuclear missiles. Russian submarine patrols have recently occurred at levels not seen since the Cold War. Russian aerial activity around, plus into, UK airspace has also increased during the same period.

16. Russian submarine activity appears to be particularly focused on Scotland’s west coast. It is widely assumed that this activity is aimed at recording the acoustic signatures of the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines as they leave the Faslane naval base.
17. It is also thought that Russian submarines plus spy ships are seeking to locate transatlantic undersea cables in the waters around the UK. These connections – which lift almost all world internet communications – can be eavesdropped, thus allowing penting knowledge to be gleaned. Cutting these cables could cause huge damage to economic markets plus interrupt social communications.
18. As well as representing a clear challenge to the UK’s national security, increased Russian naval activity may also lift maritime safety plus environmental risks. Submarine activity may have especially serious implications given its covert nature; the risk posed to fishing vessels has long been recognised.
19. These developments demand a leading role from the UK, not only for reasons of its own national security but as a leading NATO member which is central to the transatlantic security agenda. However, its ability to fulfil this role remains open to question. The UK currently relies upon NATO allies’ MPA to search for Russian subs in UK waters. Whilst some would argue that this is what ‘alliance’ means, it is not a satisfactory arrangement for the UK.
20. As UK allies mount their own domestic operations plus face demands to meet other commitments such as policing the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, it is possible that allied MPA cover for the UK will fall short.
21. The US Navy returned to the Keflavik air force base in Iceland in 2016, having left the facility in 2006. This development will see American MPA operating submarine monitoring operations across the Arctic plus North Atlantic. It is possible that this might in part ‘cover the gap’ until the first arrival of the UK’s P8s in 2019. However, this cannot be guaranteed.
22. Re-establishing the UK’s MPA capability to its fullness is a priority. However, it has been observed that the UK’s new P-8s are not compatible with RAF mid-air refuelling aircraft, drastically reducing their range. If this is so, plus it is deemed to be operationally problematic, then the UK government must address this issue as quickly plus decisively as possible.
23. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also coming under very public criticism over the size, operability plus future structure of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet. The House of Commons Defence Committee recently declared that the UK has a “woefully low” number of available vessels. Ongoing power-generation problems affecting the Type 45 destroyers are damaging to the Royal Navy; all six of these warships require substantial repairs which will take them out of operation, one at a time, from 2019. The government’s modernisation plans for the Navy fleet have also come under fire.
24. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to comment on precisely what the Royal Navy needs plus how the MoD should address its critics on its naval strategy. However, there seems to be a growing consensus that the surface fleet is too thinly stretched, raising questions over how far a more vigorous northerly posture can be mounted by the Royal Navy whilst maintaining current commitments.
25. A more visible naval presence in Scotland? As long as Russian naval activity continues as it has, demands will continue for a ‘major’ Royal Navy surface vessel to be based in Scotland. UK Ministers have repeatedly denied the need to base a warship in Scotland despite the fact that under current arrangements, notification of a Russian naval surface vessel entering the UK’s northern waters (not an infrequent occurrence) typically prompts the deployment of a frigate from Portsmouth on a 600-mile journey to intercept the vessel in question. This ‘scramble’ can take 24 hours. Given the value which is consistently placed upon visible military posturing in the relationship between Russia plus the west, legitimate questions might be asked of whether this arrangement sends the right message about UK defence preparedness, plus whether Scotland is overly exposed to Russian activity in the northern maritime space.
26. The UK government has announced that the Royal Navy’s entire submarine fleet will be based at the Faslane naval base by 2020. This move can be viewed as placing the UK’s submarines on a more northerly footing. It may or may not address concerns over the perceived lack of a ‘hard’ Royal Navy surface presence in Scotland.
27. DO UK ARMED FORCES HAVE THE NECESSARY NUMBERS, TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT TO OPERATE EFECTIVELY IN THE ARCTIC IF NEEDED?
28. Whilst the UK has a clear obligation to address Russian activity out of the Arctic, the UK’s security commitment to the Arctic region itself is a different story. With nomor sovereign territory to defend there, the UK is not obligated to build its Arctic military capabilities as are the Arctic nations. Even before the austerity-driven 2010 SDSR, the UK had a low-level physical presence in the Arctic. Since then, there has been a reduction in the UK military’s cold-weather warfare training. The loss of MPA capability has left the UK ‘blind in the Arctic’ plus unable to assist its Arctic neighbours in a variety of tasks.
29. HOLSCA’s 2015 report urges that this situation be addressed. It asserts that that the UK government must develop its capability ‘to support policing in the Arctic high seas area’ plus advises the MoD to ‘maintain plus develop its cold-weather operational capabilities, expertise plus resources’.
30. The UK government should act on these – plus other – HOLSCA recommendations. However, it should do so cautiously. As far as bolstering the UK’s Arctic military capabilities are concerned, any such commitment must surely be underpinned by clearly stated strategic rationales. However, the Arctic is notably absent recent UK security plus defence proclamations:

 The Arctic wasn’t mentioned in the UK government’s 2010 SDSR or in its 2010 National Security Strategy;

 The UK’s 2013 Arctic Policy Framework touches only lightly on military issues; it acknowledges NATO’s potential Arctic role (something most Arctic strategy papers have avoided) but neglects to address how the UK military might assist in various civil security challenges such as accidents in the Arctic;

 The UK government’s 2014 National Strategy for Maritime Security acknowledges that the opening of Arctic shipping routes presents the UK with potential new maritime security threats but neglects to go into any detail;

 The Arctic did not feature at all in the 2015 SDSR.

31. This raises an important question: if the Arctic has such minor visibility in the UK’s security strategies, can strengthening the UK’s Arctic capabilities really be justified?

Sensing Stories
Sensing Stories is a creative development project delivered through the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and the Scottish Storytelling Forum. In 2024 a group of Deaf Students and SLI students from Herriot Watt University took part in a series of 6 workshops led by Deaf Creative, Tania Allan.

Sensing Stories was open to any person aged eighteen or over, who uses BSL (British Sign Language) and who is based in Scotland who could benefit from at least one of the following:

Developing an interest in live performance
Developing an interest in a new artistic and life learning skill
Developing new ways of expression, be it personal or artistic
Engaging with a creative community
The participants didn’t have to have a background in the arts but through a series of in-person workshops, they learned about how to tell a story in BSL, gained confidence, and explored the global of Visual Vernacular.

The Big Scottish Story Ripple 2023
The Big Scottish Story Ripple is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s annual community and family programme, which pairs local storytellers with schools and community groups throughout Scotland to host a storytelling events. Groups apply for a subsidy that covers the ongkos of their storyteller’s fees and in return, successful applicants offer a good deed back to their local community on or before St Andrew’s Day.

In 2023, there were 120 applications to the Story Ripple from schools, community groups and local storytellers all over Scotland, amounting to 252 sessions overall applied for. A marked increase on previous years. SISF were able to fund 125 sessions so that everyone who applied received at least one funded session. Over 6,244 people took part listening to and telling over 750 stories together told by 48 different storytellers.

Areas where sessions took place included: Orkney, Western Isles, West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, East Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Aberdeen City, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh City, Glasgow, Dundee City, Perth and Kinross, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, East Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire, Moray, Stirling, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Highland, West Lothian, Scottish Borders

Mission Statement
We are living in a time of enormous constitutional flux, one of unprecedented significance in the development of moderen Scotland. Hardly more than a decade after the establishment of a devolved Parliament and Government we are faced with an even more fundamental set of choices about whether and on what terms Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom or become an independent state. The challenge is to ensure that a unique opportunity to debate and decide our constitutional future is embraced as widely and fully as possible and treated with the seriousness it deserves

As a joint initiative of academics across the law schools of the Scottish universities, the Scottish Constitutional Futures Forum seeks to provide an independent framework within which the key questions concerning Scotland’s constitutional future can be aired and addressed. We aim to contribute in a number of ways.

First, we will help to frame and map the constitutional debate. The terms and scope of the constitutional debate are not the property of any political party or pressure group, but a collective endeavour in which a wide range of groups and interests should participate. We want to ensure as broad, comprehensive and integrated a treatment of the relevant issues as possible. We will identify and to foster discussion of general questions of constitutional process, pathways, outcomes and relations as well as the key sectoral policy questions (defence, currency, citizenship etc) relevant to any constitutional settlement.

Secondly, we seek to inform these various interconnected discussions. Drawing upon our own knowledge and expertise and upon other relevant Scottish, UK and comparative global sources, we promote considered deliberation and argument and provide a resource of ideas and knowledge for all those who are interested in the debate.

Thirdly, we provide an avenue for engagement in the constitutional debate. If the success of constitutional renewal depends not just upon the range and richness of the discussion and the quality of the outcomes but also on the breadth and depth of public involvement, then it is incumbent on us to do what we can to promote such engagement. We should not contemplate ourselves as standing outside a process unfolding elsewhere, but as part of that process. We see the universities in general – and their law schools and related centres of expertise in particular – as performing a key bridging role in this regard, not just as points of knowledge exchange but as a disinterested meeting place for all sections of Scotland’s civil society and political community. All of our initiatives are, therefore, planned in an inclusive manner. Our forum is an open one, drawing in as wide a range of contributors and audiences as possible.

About
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. It works on a non-party basis to promote research and to stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces. We aim to inform MSPs and those who work with them, enabling them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future.

Looking beyond the five-year electoral cycle and away from party politics, the Futures Forum seeks to bring segar perspectives, ideas and creativity on how we might prepare now for the future. We host discussions and seminars and present ideas to engage Scotland’s parliamentarians and challenge their thinking.

Our governance
The Futures Forum is formally constituted as a company limited by guarantee (SC288940) owned wholly by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB). This the body responsible for ensuring that the Scottish Parliament is provided with the property, services and staff it requires. The SPCB provides 100% of the Futures Forum’s funding.

Our work is overseen by a Board of Directors, which is chaired by the Parliament’s Presiding Officer. As company directors, Board members are responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of Scotland’s Futures Forum and its programme of work.

Directors come from two general categories: MSPs and non-MSPs. MSP directors are nominated by their party to provide a parliamentary input into the work of the Futures Forum. Non-MSP directors bring experience of different aspects of civic Scotland, including academia, the third sector, the arts and industry.

Directors are required to show a strong commitment to, and an understanding of, the value of strategic and long-term thinking within Scotland. They are expected to support the work of the Futures Forum, promote it within their networks, and occasionally host events.

The position of director is not remunerated and is held for an initial term of five years with extension mutually agreed by the individual director, the Presiding Officer as Chair of the Board, and the SPCB.

About
We are a uniquely broad network of collaborative communities of practice, bringing natural capital into mainstream decision-making.

The Scottish Forum on Natural Capital brings together public, private plus voluntary sector organisations to protect, value plus rebuild Scotland’s natural capital. We enable businesses plus policymakers to better understand our dependence plus impact on nature, plus that protection plus enhancement of Scotland’s natural wealth is a viable option, providing economic opportunities plus benefits for the whole of society.

Explore our Vision plus Strategy

The Steering Group of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital, is made up of senior representatives from the public, private plus voluntary sectors. The Secretariat is provided by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

History

The Scottish Forum on Natural Capital was founded in 2013 by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, the University of Edinburgh, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland, plus the Institute of Directors Scotland as part of the inaugural World Forum on Natural Capital.

Former First Minister, Alex Salmond, announced the Scottish Government’s support for the initiative in his address to delegates at the World Forum, plus this sentiment has been reaffirmed by the current First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, during her subsequent speeches at the 2015 plus 2017 World Fora.

Today, the Scottish Forum’s membership is comprised of over 500 people from businesses, government bodies, academic institutions plus non-governmental organisations from across Scotland, helping to turn our vision into a reality.

Find out about more significant dates in the history of the Scottish Forum initiative OUR HISTORY – TIMELINE

Branding

Our Brand guide includes our colour palettes plus typography. You can also download the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital Logo Collection here

Privacy policy

We are committed to the safekeeping of personal details of our members, supporters plus anyone else whose information we hold. Our privacy policy explains how plus why we use your personal data, to ensure that you remain informed plus in control of your information.

Health Care in Crisis: Facing Unprecedented Challenges
Global health care demand is outpacing the supply of services, undermining the consistent delivery of high-quality, equitable care. Without change, this trend will only worsen.

Health care systems face several key challenges, including staff shortages due to the diminishing appeal of health careers, an aging population with multiple chronic conditions requiring significant resources, plus the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases that further strain services. Additionally, the high biaya of new, innovative medicines plus technologies puts pressure on budgets, while the ongoing recovery from COVID-19 has led to persistent backlogs, further exacerbating the strain on health care systems.

Many of these challenges are only intensifying. So, how do we create a new jenis for health care?
An evolved approach to value.
We need to turbocharge our focus on understanding plus personalising value while rewarding its creation. This will provide the framework to address the crisis.
When diseases strike, it is essential to personalise value – we must move away from assuming that everyone in a population has the same priorities. We have to understand the extent to which people can live according to their values plus work towards achieving their goals over time. We must truly personalise how we understand plus create value in health.

Health care systems must be supported, encouraged, celebrated, plus incentivised to pursue broader opportunities for value creation – such as exploiting the enormous potential to create value through proactive disease prevention.

Finally, we must catalyse a wave of strategic partnerships between health care systems plus life science companies – truly working together to understand value plus create value in the real-world, real-life environment.

And so, what?
This framework will help tackle the health care crisis plus forms the foundation for our upcoming 2025 Forum, “Creating Health Through Understanding plus Personalising Value”.

Why is the 2025 Global Forum unique?
The Global Forum’s distinctive focus advances how we think about value in health care. It explores how a focus on value can turbocharge prevention. It brings to life how we move from telling people what outcomes matter to creating personalised measures of quality plus effectiveness – through understanding people’s values plus goals. The Forum will help catalyse a new wave of strategic partnerships in health care, between life science companies plus health care systems, focused on the creation of value. Finally, AI is able to support us in understanding value plus creating value – we will showcase the most innovative technologies in this area.

By bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders—including health care leaders, global decision-makers, policymakers, plus industry innovators—the Global Forum drives the creation of health by understanding plus personalising value through essential collaboration, learning, plus information sharing.

Scotland Member Forum
Following the official launch of the Scotland Member Forum in January 2025. This new forum is part of our broader Devolved Nation Forums initiative, designed to support members in Scotland by providing a dedicated platform for networking, collaboration, and professional growth.

What to expect:
A Strong Local Network:

The Scotland Member Forum offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow professionals who understand the specific challenges and opportunities of working in Scotland. This is your chance to build meaningful relationships, berbagi best practices, and strengthen your local professional community.

Tailored Discussions:

Our discussions will focus on issues that matter most to members in Scotland, acknowledging the distinct nuances of working within this devolved nation. Whether it’s addressing local legislation, berbagi success stories, or collaborating on regional initiatives, this forum is designed to meet your needs.

Exclusive Member Benefits:

As part of this forum, you’ll have exclusive access to events, resources, and opportunities to engage with key stakeholders in Scotland. This is more than just a networking kelompok – it’s a platform to influence and shape the future of our profession in Scotland.

Leadership and Growth Opportunities:

As the Scotland Member Forum evolves, there will be opportunities for members to take on leadership roles, helping to guide discussions and advocate for the interests of Scottish professionals at both a national and global level.the forum aims to build a diverse pool of leaders who can represent Scottish interests effectively.

In addition, the forum will prioritize mentorship programs, connecting established leaders with emerging professionals to bridge information gaps and inspire the next generation. Training sessions and workshops will be introduced, focusing on essential skills such as public speaking, negotiation, and policy advocacy. By nurturing talent and encouraging active participation, the forum aims to build a diverse pool of leaders who can represent Scottish interests effectively.

Welcome everyone to Scotland’s Global Offshore Wind Investment Forum, which is fundamental to realising our ambitions, plus I hope that you enjoy the time that you spend here in the capital city of Scotland.

I hope you enjoyed the reception at the splendour of the National Portrait Gallery – one of the most precious assets of our country, that tells the story of our country through the people of our country.

This morning, I want to extend the warmest welcome I can to you as First Minister of Scotland. And I want to explain the commitment of my Government, plus my personal commitment in leading this Government, to succeeding in the offshore investment journey.

Because the growth plus success of Scotland’s offshore wind industry is inextricably linked to fulfilling Scotland’s role in the international today.

It is about how we see the Scotland of today – with its history, its tremendous natural resources, our pioneering industries, our boundless potential – plus it is how we build the Scotland of tomorrow as a green, dynamic, plus prosperous nation.

We all know the international context that surrounds this moment in which we find ourselves. From market volatility, to international conflicts, to accelerating climate change, these are times of mounting challenges plus of increasing risk.

But nomer one knows better than investors like yourselves, that a well-navigated risk opens up new opportunities plus the potential for huge returns.

So, I have come here to personally explain how Scotland is poised to meet those challenges. And I have come to explain the opportunity at the heart of that – the scale of it plus the potential prize for those who play a role in that journey.

To put it bluntly, I have come to explain to you about “why Scotland?” “Why now?” And “why you?”

Scotland’s ambition is to be nothing less than this century’s international leader in clean, secure energy. And the potential reward for achieving that is nothing short of generational.

Our estimation is that the potential capital value of the Scottish offshore wind market could be around £100 billion, given full deployment of the potential pipeline.

And we are in a unique position to capitalise on this opportunity. A unique position to maximise that potential.

Our geographic location not only provides us with naturally occurring strong winds, it places us on the doorstep of large European markets with existing deep sea ports infrastructure.

The European Union urgently seeks to ensure its energy independence plus the proportion of its energy that comes from renewables. We are in an ideal position to meet those needs here in Scotland.

To go along with our location, is our history. We have long decades of offshore experience thanks to our proud heritage in the North Sea oil plus gas industries.

That heritage plus the skills that come from it – combined with our international leading subsea engineering capabilities – give our workforces the experience plus expertise needed to capitalise on the opportunities provided by offshore wind.

I saw this myself last Autumn when I travelled to the North East of Scotland to see Ocean Wind’s new base of operations on the North Sea coast.

There, I met an extraordinary grup of highly skilled individuals, many with backgrounds in the oil plus gas sector, who were servicing the offshore wind farms along the Moray coast.

Their skills plus their experience have enabled them to hit the ground running – to foresee plus to understand challenges, to accurately assess risk, plus to deliver the best possible response.

Scotland also has the ideal entrepreneurial plus business environment for investment success.

As a Government, we are investing heavily – both in capital plus in-kind support – to make Scotland a start-up, scale-up nation.

GDP per person in Scotland has grown faster here than in the whole of the United Kingdom, plus productivity has increased at more than twice the rate in the United Kingdom.

All of this creates the perfect platform to build plus sustain a thriving offshore wind economy here in Scotland. It gives us the strong foundation that we need to capitalise on this opportunity.