Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding and support for the University of Dundee to secure a sustainable future, one year on from serious financial issues coming to light.
It has been over a year since the extent of financial mismanagement at the University of Dundee first emerged.
Since then, the Scottish Government has worked closely with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the University of Dundee to help the University chart a route to recovery, while clearly respecting its autonomy.
From the independent investigation led by Professor Pamela Gillies, the Strategic Advisory Taskforce led by Sir Alan Langlands, workshops with the University, expert advice and due diligence from contractors, and expert support and advice from the SFC and scrutiny by its Board, substantial work and resource has been deployed to support the University to create a path to recover.
In June, I informed the Parliament that the Government would make unprecedented use of section 25 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 to offer up to £40 million direct funding via SFC to give the University the support it needs to identify and build on its strengths, engage fully with staff, and focus on income generation as well as reducing costs.
It has taken longer than anticipated to develop the stable leadership and focus required to move the university forward. This has affected staff and students directly, who have been living with instability and uncertainty in their place of work and place of learning.
However, significant advancements are now underway, and I can advise parliament that the SFC has issued the University with clear, fair, proportionate and achievable funding conditions. These have been published by the SFC (Board-Approved-Conditions.pdf) alongside a cover letter (Letter-to-Acting-Chair-of-Court-Re-Conditions-of-Section-25-Funding.pdf), and shared with the University's leaders and court.
The expert SFC Board undertook careful scrutiny and debate and concluded that the conditions as drafted are reasonable, feasible and justifiable, while providing essential assurance for the provision of additional public funding. Crucially, these conditions have been drafted to avoid any impact on the University's status as an independent autonomous institution.
These conditions do not yet provide a firm offer of funding, as the University must be given an opportunity to consider and feedback. The SFC Board is clear that the conditions set the appropriate balance, and the Scottish Government agrees with this assessment.
The University remains autonomous and responsible for its own governance and financial planning. The conditions provide an appropriate framework for this during the recovery period when it is receiving additional Government funding.
Following a period of engagement a formal offer will be made, and it will be for the University Court to decide whether to accept or reject. I will ensure Parliament is kept updated as the situation progresses.