More than 300 representatives from Scotland's colleges and universities gathered at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Glasgow for The Herald Education Awards 2026, a night that celebrated 18 winners advancing everything from dementia-friendly design to Gaelic language preservation across the nation's tertiary sector.
The scale of recognition this year reflects the genuine surge in innovation happening in Scottish further and higher education. The awards revealed institutions and individuals quietly reshaping their sectors—addressing workforce shortages, widening access for underrepresented students, and using unexpected tools like Warhammer tabletop gaming to support student wellbeing. These aren't incremental improvements; they're fundamental reimagining of what education can do.
The University of Aberdeen and North East Scotland College jointly won the Widening Access Award for Gateway2Medicine, a campaign designed to open medical degrees to students from backgrounds historically shut out of the profession. Meanwhile, Glasgow Clyde College claimed two major honors in a single evening: the Enhancing Student Learning Award for reimagining Harris Tweed for contemporary audiences, and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award for its work helping refugees improve English language skills and social integration.
Innovation threaded through almost every category. The University of Stirling's Design for Dementia and Ageing Postgraduate Studio won for creating dementia-friendly spaces—work that shows how postgraduate research can serve real human needs. Robert Gordon University's Hub Widening Access Model won the Partnership with Schools title by engaging secondary students at every stage, building new pathways into higher education long before university applications. At the other end of the spectrum, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland's National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, created an entire Gaelic village and business hub at Kilbeg Village on the Isle of Skye, an historic clearance site, winning the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community award.
Business engagement proved another thread connecting winners. The University of Glasgow's Mandarin-language recruitment campaign targeting Chinese Gen Z students, New College Lanarkshire's partnership with the Scottish Institute for Dental Education to address dental workforce gaps, and Glasgow Caledonian University's radical scholarship model created with construction firm Turner & Townsend all showed institutions actively reaching beyond traditional boundaries. These weren't passive pursuits—they were strategic responses to real gaps in workforce and representation.
Individual achievements received equal weight. Brooke MacFadyen from New College Lanarkshire won the Outstanding Contribution from a College Student award after transforming a brain tumour diagnosis into peer support and fundraising. Laavanya Varadarajan Shanmugapriya won for her student leadership at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School. Professor Stuart Gibb of UHI North, West and Hebrides claimed the Outstanding Contribution from a Staff Member title for academic work shaping policy across the Highlands.
Glasgow Clyde College received the Further Educational Institution of the Year Award—described by judges as possessing "remarkable consistency, range and quality"—while Robert Gordon University won the Higher Educational Institution of the Year Award for its commitment to employability, access and community impact. The final honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, went to Professor Clare Peddie of the University of St Andrews for her exemplary contribution to Scottish higher education.