Former Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh looks to get top job at Abertay University

Ken Macintosh, former presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, is hoping he can be the one to put Abertay University on the national stage.

Mr Macintosh is looking to be elected as the next chair of Abertay’s court, the university’s governing body.

He is up against Dr Annie Ingram, who has worked at executive level within NHS Scotland, and David Brew, a former senior civil servant.

The trio will find out who wins at the end of March.

And if he wins, Mr Macintosh is hoping he can use his background as a leading politician to showcase and develop the talent in Dundee.

‘Abertay is a great university’

Mr Macintosh was a Labour MSP in the west of Scotland since devolution in 1999 until the last Holyrood election in 2021.

He served on the education committee in Holyrood and most notably was the parliament’s presiding officer from 2016 until 2021.

Having spent the past couple of years working on governance in emerging democracies abroad, Mr Macintosh told The Courier he now wants to do more here at home in Scotland.

He said: “When the chair position came up I immediately put my name forward.

“Abertay is a great university and it is fantastic in terms of tackling social mobility, which is exactly what universities should do.

“This is a new university which focuses on providing education for students in the local area and helping them to find a career and providing actual job opportunities.

“Some other universities are focused on PhDs and overseas students and act more like a big business, but Abertay still has its eyes on providing life-changing opportunities for people.”

Education’s power to change lives

Mr Macintosh says if he gets the coveted position, he can use his background in politics to help bring expertise to the university court.

He said: “This is not a political post, at all, but I know about policy and the governance of Scotland.

“Education was what I focused on when I was a new MSP and I have never lost my belief in education’s power to change lives.

“There are difficulties, but I want to raise Abertay’s profile on the national stage.”

He added he particularly wants to promote Abertay’s excellent track record in gaming, mental health nursing, law and civil engineering, and wants to work with the university’s new CyberQuarter to help develop new technologies.

And if he gets the top job, he wants to be able to spend more time in the city of Dundee itself.

He said: “I would not do this unless I could commit to it.

“I will be making myself available, so I think I will be in Dundee a lot.”

The election for the position closes later this week.

Dr Annie Ingram

Dr Ingram meanwhile says she would throw herself into the role to help further boost the university’s reputation.

She said: “I am the local candidate, having already demonstrated my commitment to the university, first as a lay member of court, since 2018, and as vice chair of court since 2020.

“I have a deep understanding of the role of court and a track record of holding to account and demonstrating good governance.

“Abertay is a wonderful university, committed to enabling access and transforming lives by inspiring and enabling students and preparing them for the world of work.

“That success is due to the people within the university – the staff, the students and the court. If elected, I would be delighted to continue working with the principal and her team to make this the best university it can be.”

David Brew

Mr Brew said: “Abertay’s Court needs a chair that can make sure it reaches the best decisions possible to support the well-being of the university’s staff and students.

“I want Abertay to provide excellent opportunities for study and research to help transform the prospects both of its individual members and of the wider economy in Tayside and beyond.

“I’m personally committed to championing equality and diversity, fair working conditions for staff and support for students from less well-off backgrounds.

“I’m a former chief executive; an experienced higher education governor; and a seasoned convener as well as team player.

“At a time when we are all under the financial cosh I’m confident I can help principal Liz Bacon and her team tackle the undoubted challenges that lie ahead.”