Newsletter

SRUC newsletter archive

April 2024

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Newsletter stories:

• The Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) was officially opened last week by HRH The Princess Royal. Click below to learn about how RAVIC has been designed to drive innovation and job creation in Scotland's health, agriculture and aquaculture sectors.
  
  
• With the Easter holidays bringing an increase in visitors to the countryside in the midst of the lambing season, and following a workshop with local experts and stakeholders, SRUC researchers are calling for changes to legislation around livestock worrying.
  
  
• In this podcast episode, Eneyi Oshi - Mastercard Scholar and SRUC student, talks about her experience of coming to Scotland to study, working with the SRUC Enterprise Academy and ultimately winning the Enterprise Challenge.
  
  
• The Spring issue of SAC Consulting's Perspectives magazine is now online and includes the latest industry-focused research, news, insights and projects that our consultants have been engaged with over the past few months. 
  
  
• If you're a vet in practice, book yourself into one of our veterinary CPD courses or free online webinars and help yourself stay ahead of the curve.

• Change is coming to the SRUC Edinburgh Campus thanks to an £8 million investment from the Scottish Funding Council. Click below to watch the video we created for details.

March 2024

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Newsletter stories:

• Yes, we're bragging. But we're quite proud of having been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in recognition of our world-class Veterinary Services network. It is, after all, the highest accolade that a UK university or college can receive as part of the nomination system.
  
  
• Eleven SRUC students and apprentices were shortlisted as finalists with seven taking home the top award in their category at this year's Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (ALBAS) ceremony earlier this month. Maybe it's time for you to consider employing an SRUC apprentice?
  
  
• Join us next month for the UK dairy industry's first career focused event! Free to attend and exhibit at, and free transportation provided to local secondary schools who register their attendance. 
  
  
• This ‘On the Hoof’ podcast provides a quick recap about Bovine Abortion Investigation for vets in practice including what information is needed at the lab, when and what samples to take and not forgetting to celebrate the negative results!
  
  
• Janette Sutherland has been named as a finalist for Agricultural Advisor of the Year in the first-ever National Women in Agriculture Awards. Feel free to ask for her by name when contacting SAC Consulting for farming or crofting support.

• Our Rural Business Management course now offers a tourism pathway, accredited by the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), providing SRUC with professional recognition and endorsement of our course and our students a host of benefits for their learning and their career
  
  
• The SRUC and Teagasc partnership stands as a testament to the power of working collectively to overcome global agricultural challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
  
  
• We know that Elmwood holds a special place in the hearts of students, staff, and the wider community in Fife and it will continue to play a vital role in SRUC's future.

February 2024

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Newsletter stories:

• Could your dairy innovation project benefit from an additional £10k in funding? Apply for a Digital Dairy Chain Innovation Voucher! Read on for 5 tips for a successful application.
  
  
• Improved productivity and workforce motivation, new and relevant skills (and less skills gaps) for your business plus guided support, advice and training by SRUC - there's plenty of reasons to take on an SRUC apprentice!
  
  
• We're conducting research and gathering the views of island communities in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides on the forthcoming agricultural and land use policy changes. Please let us know if you'd like to get involved and have your voice heard.
  
  
• Sign up for our dedicated vet services blogs to be first in the know about veterinary news, events, health schemes, and disease updates from our expert veterinary services team.
  
  
• We're encouraging kids to celebrate nature with a cash prize competition. Do you know anyone in P4-S6 who might be interested in taking part?
  
  
• FAS Connect is bringing farmers and crofters together to tackle big problems with shared experience, ideas and knowledge. Want to be a part of it?

January 2024

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Newsletter stories:

• We're very proud of winning a Green Gown Award for our SEEDABLE project, which embeds sustainability, enterprise, equality and diversity into the curriculum.
  
  
• Much to the excitement of our Horse Care and Equine students, SRUC's new £100k state-of-the-art robot horse - the first of its kind in Scotland, was unveiled last month.
  
  
• We're asking farmers across the country to contribute to the annual Scottish Farm Business Survey in exchange for a number of perks designed to help financial performance.
  
  
• Researchers from SRUC are leading five projects - and supporting a further three - to help address the challenge of reaching net zero through agri-food.
  
  
• Have a listen to our vet services 'On the Hoof' podcast episodes which cover a range of interesting and informative topics for vets in practice. 
  
  
• Many congratulations to Dr Mary Thomson, Vice Principal, Skills and Lifelong Learning at SRUC, who has been appointed as a new Board member of South of Scotland Enterprise.

December 2023

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Newsletter stories:

• The work of SRUC's Veterinary Services has been recognised with a Queen's Anniversary Prize.
  
  
• Interested in learning a new skill? Many of SRUC's training courses are eligible for funding.
  
  
• Through bespoke training delivered by SAC Consulting with Keep Scotland Beautiful, people operating in the agricultural, food and drink, and land-based sectors can now gain recognised certifications from the Carbon Literacy Project, designed to help future-proof local business and support Scotland's net-zero ambitions.
  
  
• Are you a vet in practice? If so, we know how busy you are! That's why we've created a page just for you that includes quick links to all our Premium Sheep and Goat Health Scheme (PSGHS) information, forms and guides you use most. 
  
  
• As part of a new centre announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, scientists from SRUC will carry out research into plant breeding and animal nutrition to increase the productivity of livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
  
  
• SRUC's focus on place-based initiatives stems from a belief that innovation should be as diverse as the landscape of Scotland itself. Our entrepreneurial campuses and place-based initiatives are more than educational offerings; they are the engines of change for Scotland’s rural economy. 

November 2023

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Newsletter stories:

• We've just launched our inaugural PhD programme to help shape the future of agriculture, rural and environmental studies.
  
  
• Fast, easy, efficient! Veterinary Services' diagnostic test and price lists are now available online.
  
  
• Are you an agriculture professional working towards net-zero emissions? Agrecalc, the market-leading farm carbon calculator developed by SAC Consulting, can help.
  
  
• How can the dairy industry attract and retain workers? Lynne Somerville, newly-appointed Skills Lead for the Digital Dairy Chain, is working to find answers.
• Professor Nicola Holden, who leads SRUC's Food Security Challenge Centre, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship - one of only 44 academic fellows selected from across the UK. 
  
  
• Our students do incredible things! BSc Agriculture student Naomi Ramsay is named Agriculture Student of the Year at the British Farming Awards.

October 2023

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Newsletter stories:

• Studying at SRUC means studying at a college nominated for Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year by Time Higher Education -the "Oscars" of higher education
  
  
• Our new partnership with Eurofins Argo Testing means we can offer an even better soil, forage and plant pathology service - for viable, healthy and sustainable farming and growing. 
  
  
• Hemp has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it smothers weeds, doesn't suffer many diseases, and its oil might even have the potential to fight cancer. So why are so few farmers currently growing it in Scotland?
  
  
• In honour of GB Calf week, we published a podcast on the current dairy-bred calf research happening across Scotland and projects to keep an eye on for future results -a must for anyone interested in fine tuning calf health. 

September 2023

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Newsletter stories:

• Congratulations SRUC 2023 graduates! You're now eligible for exclusive SRUC alumni awards, discounts, and more.
  
  
• Brush up on your skills -just like these recent students from the US Army, with a veterinary training CPD course from SRUC.
  
  
• The Farm Advisory Service (FAS), delivered by SAC Consulting, part of SRUC, has published new resources to help farmers learn more about how to live alongside beavers and, if required, how to effectively mitigate their activity.
  
  
• On a recent visit to SRUC, Mairi McAllan MSP learned about some of our cutting-edge climate change research that's delivering resources, benefits, and opportunities to Scottish -and global- communities.