3. Build close connections

Including key changes and impacts since 2020.

Since 2020, we’ve played an active role in the political life of our region at various levels. Dialogue with communities was key in moulding the recommendations of our landmark Race Review. We’ve supported the cultural life of our festival city by playing a role in events both big and small. We grew our support for New Scots with the launch of Education Beyond Borders and recommitted ourselves as a place of safety for this community with our reaccreditation as a University of Sanctuary in 2025. We engaged New Scots in visual art in 2025 through the new National Saturday Club and our Talbot Rice Gallery. 

  • Opening of the Usher Institute
  • The New National
  • The New National

Images show the opening of the Usher building and the new National Saturday Club in action.

We’ve continued to engage with local politicians to showcase the University’s work and engagement with local communities. This included hosting political visits to Pollock Halls to learn about the University’s accommodation and our role as a major landlord in the city. We’ve welcomed a number of politicians to the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory, where work is being undertaken to gain better understanding of premature birth and babies’ brain development. Local community representatives and government ministers joined us to celebrate the opening of the Edinburgh Futures Institute by the University Chancellor, and of the Usher building with the Director General of the World Health Organisation. Our joint reception with Edinburgh International Festival to kick off festival season in August 2025 showcased the University’s longstanding collaboration with the Festival and the important role it plays in local arts, culture, and tourism spaces.

In late 2025, we were reaccredited as a University of Sanctuary, a testament to our expanded programme of support for forcibly displaced people. Supported by our Edinburgh College of Art, New Scots were among the 13- to 15-year-olds learning and exploring art and design techniques through the new National Saturday Club (the first Club in Scotland). Our Talbot Rice Gallery has engaged with organisations including The Welcoming and Salaam to create opportunities for New Scots to engage with its exhibitions through creative activities and reflective conversations. Ukrainian children and young people and their families have continued to have fun with maths through our Maths Circles.

A summer sports programme piloted by University of Edinburgh Sport, in partnership with the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (‘EVOC’) and City of Edinburgh Council, has helped to reduce social isolation, improve mental health and wellbeing, and foster a sense of belonging among displaced communities. The pilot has brought together key third sector partners including Scottish Rugby, Mission of Innocents, Big Hearts, Hibernian Community Foundation, Edinburgh Rugby, and Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (‘AUGB’) Edinburgh to deliver a varied programme of activities for all ages and abilities. 


Commitment 18: “Sign up to the city’s 2050 Edinburgh City Vision which is underpinned by the following principles: Fair; Pioneering; Welcoming and Thriving.”

We signed the 2050 Edinburgh City Vision Charter in year one of this Community Plan. Putting our words into action, we also signed the Edinburgh and South East Scotland (‘ESES’) City Region Deal Community Wealth Building Pledge in January 2025.

Commitment 19: Maintain our membership of the Edinburgh Partnership Board, and relevant Locality Community Planning Partnerships, so we can contribute positively to the future of the city.

We have played a very active role in the community planning partnership for the city, the Edinburgh Partnership. Our Deputy Director, Stakeholder Relations, currently chairs the Strategic Housing Partnership subgroup and, as chair of this group, sits on the Edinburgh Partnership Board management group which, in turn, has oversight of other partnerships. We convened a housing summit with key civic and third sector partners at the University in February 2024, collaboratively identifying specific actions needed to address the local housing crisis.

Commitment 20: “Continue to regularly engage with elected representatives, community councils and neighbourhood groups as part of our ‘business as usual’, in order to build and maintain long-lasting relationships.”

Political activity is a key plank of the work of our Stakeholder Relations team, keeping elected representatives at councils, Holyrood and Westminster appraised of the work we are doing that may impact local residents. One area of activity in the last year was the development of the former Tynecastle High School on Gorgie’s McLeod Street into bespoke student accommodation. It was important to keep local politicians abreast of this development as it progressed as it had been of particular interest to residents.

Commitment 21: “Continue to participate in, and support, local events in the communities in which we are based, from Doors Open Days to community-led events.”

We’ve continued to participate in and support local events that build connection through culture, science, the arts or simple celebration of community. Our Edinburgh Science Festival and Edinburgh Fringe contributions have grown. We’ve contributed to community-led events including the Roslin Fête, Dumbiedykes Gala and the Meadows, North Edinburgh and Craigmillar Festivals, and played a key role in the Craigmillar Community Science Festival. We’ve continued to include our buildings in Doors Open Day, and, behind the scenes, we’ve provided space for activities like Youth Pride Edinburgh 2025 and lunch space for Fringe Days Out community partners, enabling more people to be included in these festivals. Edinburgh Futures Institute has become the new summer home of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and we’ve also partnered with the Edinburgh International Festival, including involvement with its community programme.

In 2025, over 250 of our researchers contributed to the Edinburgh Science Festival and our biggest ever Provocteurs programme ran at the Edinburgh Fringe – 48 shows!


Commitment 22: “Alongside other community partners, we will take part in a review of our city’s and University’s historical links to slavery and colonialism and take measures to address these.”

In 2025, our Review of Race and History was published; a media campaign was undertaken which ensured the Review’s findings were shared in an accessible way with external stakeholders as well as a series of communications for our own staff, students and alumni. The University’s response to Review recommendations is now being developed with support of a new Race Review Response Group.

Commitment 23: “Continue to build on our role as a University of Sanctuary when working with members of the local community who have had to flee conflict and persecution in their countries of origin.”

In 2024, we launched novel support, like postgraduate scholarships for refugees from countries including Palestine and Sudan, with the creation of Edinburgh Beyond Borders. In 2022, we grew our Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) support for academics seeking to escape discrimination, committing to ten fully funded fellowships for at-risk academic researchers, including support to settle into the city.

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