November 2007 – WEST

29Nov

By uwsalumniNo Comments

News

NEW NAME MARKS NEXT STAGE IN DEVELOPMENT OF SCOTLAND’S BIGGEST MODERN UNIVERSITY

The University of Paisley will become known as University of the West of Scotland (UWS) from 30 November 2007, in a move which acknowledges the University’s recent development and its ambitious plans for the future. Scottish parliamentary approval to change its name to the University of the West of Scotland was secured earlier this month. This was the final stage in the name change process and followed a period of significant consultation and confirmation of agreement to name change from the Privy Council earlier in the year. The University of Paisley and Bell College merged on 1 August 2007, creating a four-campus, regional University with campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. It is Lanarkshire’s first modern day University and has over 18,000 students, including th...

Olivia Giles Receives Honorary Doctorate

23Nov

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Honorary Graduates

Olivia Giles Receives Honorary Doctorate

Olivia Giles was honoured by the University at its graduation ceremony on Thursday 22 November 2007. Giles, a quadruple amputee, who has played a hugely important contribution to raising awareness of meningitis, received an Honorary Doctorate from the University at its graduation ceremony at Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley. Olivia Giles, who was born in the west of Scotland in 1965, is a qualified lawyer. Between 1987-89 she undertook her training in legal practice with Morton, Fraser & Milligan. She then moved to Maclay, Murray & Spens and became an Associate in 1993 and a partner in 1996. In February 2002 she contracted meningococcal septicaemia (meningitis). During her illness she went into a medical coma and suffered from toxic shock and gangrene. The gangrene l...

22Nov

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Honorary Graduates

Ceremony Marks Formal Inauguration of the University of the West of Scotland

The University of the West of Scotland will honour leading individuals from Scotland and overseas at a Special Ceremony on Friday 7 December 2007. They will be first to receive awards from the newly renamed University. The event, which is part of ongoing celebrations to commemorate the University’s merger with Bell College on 1 August this year, will mark the formal inauguration of the University of the West of Scotland. The University of Paisley became known as University of the West of Scotland (UWS) on 30 November 2007, in a move which acknowledged the University’s recent development and its ambitious plans for the future. The University’s merger with Bell College earlier in the year created a four-campus, regional University with campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. I...

Sir Tom Hunter Receives Honorary Doctorate

10Nov

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Honorary Graduates

Sir Tom Hunter Receives Honorary Doctorate

Leading Scots entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sir Tom Hunter was honoured by the University at its graduation ceremony on Friday 9 November 2007, at Troon Town Hall. Sir Tom, who was born on 6 May 1961 in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, initially came to prominence through Sports Division, which he built from nothing into one of the UK’s premier sports retailers over an eighteen-year period employing 7500 people across over 250 stores. He sold the business in 1998 for £290 million. In 2001 he founded West Coast Capital (West Coast), the private equity partnership, and subsequently has concluded in excess of £4 billion of West Coast-led deals. Principally investing in retail, property and leisure, the private equity firm takes a proactive role in the identification, investment and manageme...