Former First Minister to launch Speaker Series

Former First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, will launch the University's Scotland's Future Speaker Series.

Ms Sturgeon, who was First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2022, will share her thoughts on Scotland's future and how it could and should look. The former First Minister will reflect on her time leading the Scottish Government, including throughout the pandemic, and what changes she has seen in Scotland since the opening of the Scottish Parliament 25 years ago.

The event, open to University of St Andrews staff and students, is the first in a series of talks by leading figures in politics, business, industry, health care and education. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the former First Minister.

Scotland's Future Speaker Series is the latest development in the University's Scotland's Future Series project, funded by the Principal's Office, to stimulate debate and discussion on shaping Scotland's future. Over the past two years, funding has supported more than 20 projects that look at Scotland's future from differing perspectives, such as landscape and sense of place, colonial identities, changes to controversial legislation, and the importance of widening access to Higher Education.

The initiative also includes a podcast series that allows students and staff involved in projects to discuss their work and share their expertise. It also provides a platform for burning issues that impact Scotland, such as the war in Ukraine and the cost of living and energy crisis.

Doors open at 5.30pm.