Bev Howard

Abertay University

Abertay University offers world-leading courses in computer arts and computer games technology, as well as expertise in business, engineering, health, science and sport. With business opportunities and scientific challenges rapidly changing, Abertay is taking a different approach to education. Applied education, skills development and close links with the business community are at the heart of this, with Abertay focused on giving graduates the ability to step straight into a business and be productive from day one. Increasingly, these graduates also look to start their own companies. One of Abertay's core strengths is computer games education, with students travelling from across the world to study in Dundee. The university launched the world's first Computer Games Technology degree in 1997, and now leads the UK in producing highly-skilled, creative young people at the forefront of the rapidly-evolving games industry. Games technology is also being harnessed at Abertay to solve problems in cancer drug discovery, climate change and environmental science. Using high-powered games graphics lets scientists from different disciplines share their research visually, and engages policymakers by clearly communicating very complex data. Abertay is also home to applied research groups in soil science, wastewater management and food science, among others, all with a strong focus on delivering impact through generating new knowledge and enhancing the skills of the local and national workforce.