University of Aberdeen

Founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen is Scotland’s third oldest and the UK’s fifth oldest university.

The University of Aberdeen has a rich history of teaching and research. Although steeped in heritage, Aberdeen is a forward-thinking innovative place to study and work. It ranks among the world top 1% of global universities with 90% of research being ranked as of international quality.

The University of Aberdeen was one of first higher education institutes in the UK to establish a dedicated Public Engagement with Research Unit (PERU), supporting a responsible research culture that embeds societal engagement throughout the research cycle. The approach is centred on culture change at various levels within the institution in order to change attitudes of staff, students and senior management. Research offices, media teams, researcher development colleagues and our public affairs office work closely with the PERU to ensure effective cross working and seamless engagement with external actors. A major part of our public engagement work has been supported by a Research Councils UK (RCUK) Catalyst Award, secured in 2012 to effect systemic change in attitude towards public engagement with research.