| Ref No | HWU |
| Title | Heriot-Watt University |
| Description | Records of governance 1966-present; Records of Court and Senate and Committees 1966-present; Records of Mangement and Adminsitration 1966-present; Records of Academic Faculties and Schools 1966-present; Financial Records 1966-present; University publications; Student work; Records relating to Public Relations; Building and Estates records. |
| Date | 1966-present |
| Level | Fonds |
| Repository | Heriot-Watt University Heritage and Information Governance Edinburgh Campus |
| Admin History | Heriot-Watt University is a research led technological university, committed to excellence and relevance in teaching and research in a range of applied sciences, engineering and technology, textile design, management and languages. The University's heritage goes back to the Edinburgh School of Arts, founded in 1821 by clockmaker Robert Bryson and Leonard Horner who bemoaned the lack of facilities for working class men to receive a technical and scientific education. The School of Arts was the world's first Mechanics' Institute. In 1885 following a link with George Heriot's Trust to obtain further finance to expand the School, the name of Heriot-Watt College was adopted. The University charter was granted in June 1966, following recommendations of the Royal Commission on Higher Education chaired by Lord Robbins.
In 1969 the Riccarton estate near Currie in South-West Edinburgh was given to the University by Midlothian Council. The University was becoming increasing cramped in the centre of Edinburgh and required extra space to continue to develop research and teaching activities. Work on the new buildings began in the 1970s and the move to Riccarton was completed in 1992. The University was the first Higher Education organisation in Europe to develop a Research Park to establish research links with industry. The University has continued to react to the demands and requirements of a changing industrial landscape by being the first academic institution in Scotland to teach computer studies and expanding engineering to include offshore and petroleum engineering.
Until 2002 the University was linked with three affiliated Colleges - Edinburgh College of Art, the Scottish College of Textiles and Moray House. In 1998 SCOT merged with Heriot-Watt University to create the Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels, Moray House merged with Edinburgh University and ECA retained its independent status. The University continues to expand it's international presence by establishing distance learning with approved learning partners around the world and a rapidly growing campus in Duabai which was opened in 2005. |
| Extent | c 50 metres |
| Format | Documents, volumes, textiles, plans and publications |
| Related Material | Edinburgh School of Arts (HWUA SA), Heriot-Watt College (HWUA HWC), Gibson-Craig papers (HWUC GC), Students Representative Council (HWUA SRC). Photographs are listed separately (HWUA HW). |
| Custodial History | In 1978, a Historical Records Committee was set up to advise Court, the University's governing body, on the collection and preservation of records and related material concerning the University and its predecessor institutions. The University Archive was established in 1982 to take formal responsibility for the historic archives and collections. The Archive, Records Management and Museum Service actively develops the historic collections and selects key contemporary records for permanent preservation. This role is underpinned by an acquisition policy approved by Court, on the recommendation of the University Collections committee. |
| Term | Higher education institutions |
| Engineering |