SHAPING FUTURES
Together, we shape the future
The impact you have helped us make over the past two years
Shaping Futures is our campaign building on Heriot-Watt University’s distinct strengths and areas of expertise: empowering through education initiatives, driving global sustainability imperatives, transforming healthcare technologies, and innovating with business and industry.
With your help, Shaping Futures is supporting us to become an even more dynamic force for positive change and a powerful driver of meaningful global impact. Two years since launching, we are beginning to see what that support looks like in practice.
Empowering through education: how your support is widening access
The Shaping Futures campaign energises learning and discovery bringing benefits for the real world in Scotland, the United Kingdom and globally.”
Professor Dame Heather McGregor
At Heriot-Watt, widening access to education has deep roots. In 1869, Mary Burton—Scottish social and educational reformer and the first female Director of Heriot-Watt College—helped make Heriot-Watt the first institution in Scotland to admit women into STEM programmes, more than 20 years before Scottish universities followed suit. Today, the Mary Burton Project carries her legacy forward through a four-year scholarship programme supporting 40 women across STEM courses.
Our commitment to access has continued to evolve, with our 1821 Appeal achieving more than £4.3 million for access and inclusion, helping to launch eight projects across the University. From 2026, we will reach a further 1,000 young people from some of Scotland’s most socio-economically disadvantaged communities, providing them with a mentor, paid internship, and sustained opportunities. This will allow them to experience university, broaden their aspirations and realise where their interests and abilities could take them.
gift gift from The Orchard Foundation
In Dubai, the 100% alumni-funded Provost Scholarship is also opening up access. Biplob Chandra Ray, is the first person in his family to attend university, coming to Heriot-Watt Dubai through the scholarship. “My father always taught me that even if you don’t have money, education is what builds a person,” he comments. “The support I have received has played a significant role in shaping who I am today, and I am proud to be part of the Heriot-Watt community.” Alongside his studies and part-time work, Biplob is supporting his younger brother through university in Bangladesh and hopes to eventually do the same for children in his community. “The potential of a person can become something huge if they get the right opportunity. There are so many students around the world who just need someone to stand beside them,” he adds.
Biplob’s is one life changed by access to education, and through Shaping Futures we are extending other opportunities around the world. A €1.5 million gift from The Orchard Foundation is funding 30 women from Sub-Saharan Africa to undertake postgraduate study in sustainability and environmental sciences at Heriot-Watt’s Lyell Centre over the next five years. The programme aims to empower women to address pressing environmental challenges, build capacity in key sustainability sectors, and deliver lasting global impact through education. The first seven recipients started in September.
Strengthening research and industry connections
Across our Heriot-Watt community, Shaping Futures is strengthening research and creating new industry connections. In health and care, our researchers are working with patients, clinicians, and organisations like Age Scotland to explore how technology and robotics may help people live independently for longer, alongside research engineering the fight against cancer and chronic illness.
At Panmure House, philanthropy and partnerships, such as that with the Edinburgh International Festival, are bringing people and ideas into Adam Smith’s former home, a place synonymous with Scotland’s intellectual history, supporting academic research that explores long-term thinking and radical innovation.
In brewing and distilling, the planned new Centre for Advanced Brewing and Distilling sees Heriot-Watt, industry, and government come together around the future of a sector with deep roots in Scotland. More than 30 companies and organisations are already engaged, with senior industry figures helping to shape the Centre and build support for its development. This includes Ewan Andrew, Global Supply and Sustainability at Diageo, who is co-chairing the Centre’s £35m fundraising committee, alongside alumni such as BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie and Arbikie distiller Kirsty Black, as well as senior brewing and distilling leaders working around the world.
Shaping the future through research, radical innovation and new industry connections.”
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Driving the impact of Shaping Futures: our Global Council
This year, Rodney Miller, took over as Chair of the Campaign Global Council from Professor Dame Heather McGregor, Provost and Vice-Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, who has led the Council since its formation in 2024.
As founding Chair, Heather brought together senior alumni and friends of the University to champion Shaping Futures around the world. During her tenure, and with the launch of the ASEAN Regional Council in Southeast Asia, the Council grew into an international network of advocates. Heather remains a member of the Global Council, so it will continue to benefit from her vision, energy, and commitment, which has laid strong foundations for the campaign’s continued success.
Rodney is already closely connected to Heriot-Watt as a member of the University Court and the Donations and Investments Committee. He brings decades of international experience in strategic fundraising and engagement for universities and research organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. His career has spanned engineering, science and technology, health, business and the arts, alongside seven years teaching fundraising at Indiana University-Purdue University.
“At Heriot-Watt University we are tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges, including climate action, improved healthcare and inclusive prosperity. The Shaping Futures campaign is already changing lives – expanding access to education, advancing healthcare innovation, and strengthening laboratory and research facilities,” Rodney comments. “It is my privilege to extend the invitation of the inaugural chair of the campaign, Professor Dame Heather McGregor, for alumni, industry partners and friends who share our vision to help shape a safer, healthier and welcoming future.”
View the new Campaign Global Council
The Shaping Futures campaign is already changing lives – expanding access to education, advancing healthcare innovation, and strengthening laboratory and research facilities.”
Be part of our Shaping Futures journey
The Shaping Futures campaign will continue until 2028, and the next two years will be crucial in helping us achieve the transformative impact we set out to deliver. If the campaign has shown us anything so far, it is just how much can be accomplished when our community comes together with a shared purpose.
There is still so much more we can achieve together and we hope you might be part of this. Heriot-Watt was once part of your own journey – through Shaping Futures, you can become part of someone else’s.
Learn more about Shaping Futures or find out how to get involved. We would be delighted to have an informal conversation. Please reach out to the Campaign Director, Ruth O’Hanlon, at R.O’Hanlon@hw.ac.uk
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