Summary of University of Dundee's Issues and Taskforce Recommendations

8th August 2025

In November 2024 the University disclosed an anticipated £30 million deficit driven by a steep drop in international student recruitment, ongoing underfunding of UK higher education, inflationary pressures and rising National Insurance costs.

Internally, decision-makers had pursued growth in research faster than the income generated by teaching and commercial activity, leading to a persistent structural imbalance.

Financial controls were inadequately enforced; some major capital and strategic investments proved poorly judged, and there was insufficient oversight of the financial foundations underpinning the university's ambitions.

By early 2025 the crisis culminated in a projected £35 million shortfall for the 2024-25 academic year and triggered a £22 million emergency bailout from the Scottish Funding Council to avert bankruptcy.

Establishment of the Strategic Advisory Taskforce
Convened in April 2025 by the Scottish Government, the Taskforce operates independently to advise:

the University Court and executive

the Scottish Funding Council

Dundee City Council and other regional bodies

Chaired by former Dundee Principal Sir Alan Langlands, its twenty-member membership spans academia, industry, government, student representation and trade unions.

Its mandate is to protect the interests of students, staff and the wider Dundee economy by scrutinising decisions that affect the university's long-term financial sustainability.

Latest Taskforce Recommendations
Academic Rebalancing

Resize and reshape academic schools to align research intensity with sustainable teaching income.

Introduce tighter cost-benefit analyses for new research initiatives, ensuring each has a clear route to revenue generation or external funding.

Financial Controls and Governance

Mandate quarterly financial-health reviews by an independent panel reporting directly to University Court.

Strengthen procurement and contracting protocols to enforce value-for-money across professional services.

Engagement with Students and Staff

Establish a permanent staff-student liaison forum to co-design any future proposals for restructuring, ensuring transparency and participation.

Commit to Fair Work principles in all voluntary severance and redundancy exercises, offering enhanced support for those leaving.

Regional Partnerships and External Income

Deepen collaboration with NHS Education Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, and the V&A Dundee museum to secure joint funding for strand-based knowledge exchange and up-skilling programmes.

Task Regional Enterprise agencies to co-fund at least three new commercial ventures annually, leveraging the university's IP and campus assets.

Asset Review and Alternative Funding

Commission an external audit of all non-core property, IP and shareholdings with a view to selective disposal or long-term lease arrangements.

Develop a "Friends of Dundee" endowment campaign targeting alumni and philanthropic foundations, with an initial fundraising goal of £50 million over five years.

Next Steps and Oversight
The Taskforce’s full report and its endorsed roadmap were presented to ministers and the University Court in late July 2025.

Implementation will be monitored by a cross-sector "Delivery Board" co-chaired by the Principal and a Scottish Government appointee, with quarterly public progress updates.

Full Task force report 8 August 2025 at
https://www.gov.scot/publications/university-dundee-strategic-advisory-taskforce-report/