Investing for future generations

Our University’s cutting-edge research and teaching attracts world-class staff and students. The knowledge we generate benefits Scotland, the UK and the world.  Our investments strengthen our capacity to make a lasting impact, supporting breakthrough research and enabling scholarships and fellowships that attract and develop exceptional talent. 

In 2024, the University launched a major review of our Responsible Investment Policy. We heard directly from students, staff and those with an interest in our investments.  

Published in 2025, our updated policy includes new commitments to socially positive investment and to decarbonising the portfolio in alignment with a 1.5°C emissions pathway. It explicitly excludes investments in fossil fuels, tobacco and controversial armaments.  

Reflecting our community's values

We’ve established a Responsible Investment Advisory Group, made up of staff, student representatives and independent experts.  

This group is now providing advice to inform the University’s future approach, carefully considering our community's diverse perspectives and concerns. 

It is finalising a formal representation process to give staff and students a transparent way to share their views on our investments. We will share more about these plans in the 2026/27 academic year.

The University will always seek to align its investment approach with its mission and values, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made since 2016. 

Ensuring that our investments reflect our values in a volatile world will be an ongoing process, involving close communication with our communities and staying attentive to changing global contexts.

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson Principal and Vice-Chancellor

Tuition fee income and investments: what’s the difference?

The pool of funds gifted by our donors, our Endowment Fund, is set apart from other income we generate. Income from our daily operations, such as tuition fees, is not invested in the fund.  

We use the money from tuition fees to run our lectures, support students, pay our staff and maintain our buildings. This income and expenditure is managed in the Schools and Departments across the University. 

The Endowment Fund is different - it’s a permanent legacy gift. Its restricted nature means most of these funds can’t be spent on daily operations. Instead, we invest them to generate sustainable returns so we can continue to make a positive impact on the world, in line with our donors’ wishes and our Responsible Investment Policy.

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