Societal Engagement

Societal engagement describes the wide range of ways Heriot-Watt University staff and students engage with the public – including schools, patients and local communities – to ensure that our education and research benefits society.

By inspiring, informing, listening and discussing together, we hope to shape the futures of our local and regional communities as well as our University. We must engage with the world outside of the university to ensure our research addresses societal challenges, connects with people's lives, and is meaningful and relevant.  

At Heriot-Watt University, we engage with our communities in 4 key ways: 

Public Engagement with research

Through our Public Engagement we seek to understand the mutual needs of our global – local communities and provide measurable pathways to global impact through our pioneering research

Community Engagement

Through community partnerships and engagement, we contribute to improving the lives of people across the places in which all our campuses are based

Schools Outreach

Through our programmes and activities for both primary and secondary school pupils and their teachers, we seek to engage more young people with science and technology

Patient and Public Involvement

Through our patient and public involvement activities, we seek to understand the mutual needs of our global – local communities and ensure that members of the public and patients can inform and shape research.

Key information

Heriot-Watt Engage