Return of Summer Graduations

Heriot-Watt University’s summer graduation season begins on June 12, with over 1,500 students from across the globe receiving their degrees. Ceremonies start at the Scottish Borders campus in Galashiels, where graduates from the School of Textiles and Design will collect their qualifications at St Paul’s Church. The following week, graduates from the Schools of Social Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Mathematical and Computer Sciences, and Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society will celebrate at the university’s James Watt Centre in Edinburgh. The events honor students who studied both on campus and online, marking years of academic achievement. Among this year’s graduates is Beth Aitken from Midlothian, who earned a BSc Chemistry through the Lothian Equal Access Program for Schools (LEAPS). As the first in her family to attend university, she served as Chemistry Society President and received the Dunfermline Scholarship, which covered her rent, allowing her to focus on studies. She has since secured a job at The Macallan Distillery in Speyside. Heriot-Watt University is ranked first in Scotland and second in the UK for graduate employability, with 84% of graduates in full-time employment or further study within 15 months, according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024. The ceremonies hold special significance for Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, who will step down later this year after presiding over graduations for a decade. He emphasized the university’s mission to equip graduates with skills for global success. All graduates automatically join the Watt Club, Heriot-Watt’s alumni association, which connects over 173,000 graduates in 190 countries. Additional ceremonies are planned for the Dubai campus on July 1 and the Malaysia campus on July 5.