The Press &  Journal  reports that Minister Michael Russell (right) said university status, which he described as a “vitally important” development for the region, could be realised within a year.

With more than 8,000 students at 13 campuses in the north and north-east, with its largest bases at Inverness, Elgin, Stornoway, Thurso and Perth UHI had hoped to achieve University status in 2007 which would boost its reputation, enabling UHI to increase student numbers and extend the number of courses on offer.

It would also be able to attract students from overseas, as well as encouraging school-leavers in the Highlands and islands, Moray and Perth and Kinross to choose the local university to further their studies.

UHI would be applying to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education for official university status in June said Principal James Fraser (left).

The agency will need to make a recommendation to the Scottish Government, which will subsequently need approval of the Privy Council before such University status can be granted.

Raising the stronger structure issue
But the BBC chose to point out that in its bid for status in 2007, the QAA said more time was needed for the Institute to become the University of the Highlands and Islands. The agency said UHI programmes were of a high quality, but it asked for a stronger university structure.

Russell who pointed out that the UHI can already give out degrees, "and in a year to 18 months it should have the title of university” was seconded by Fraser who noted that his generation had no choice but to leave places like Inverness to go to university. “Now we are giving students a choice, we expect them to exercise that and stay in the Highlands." The existance of the University would halt the drainage of young people moving  to study at the big-city-Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and who once qualified, rarely return.

Lawyers screw courage to the sticking place
The good news was funding for two three-year UHI PhD research projects, one at the environmental research unit at the North Highland College, Thurso, and one at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage, near Oban.

The £90,000 cost of the projects is being funded by law firm Harper Macleod, (right: founding partner Professor Professor Lorne Crerar) which sees the emerging renewables and energy sector as to key to its future business aim