New University Principal refuses to rule out further redundancies

The University of Aberdeen’s newly appointed principal has declined to rule out further job losses as the 530-year-old institution grapples with a £4.3 million deficit and the findings of an internal review that identified a “toxic culture” within its governance structures.

Professor Peter Edwards, who took charge on 1 November 2025, has inherited an institution that was among the first in Scotland to confront the financial storm now battering universities across the country. In his first major interview since assuming the role, Edwards acknowledged that achieving break-even by the university’s 2028 target would be “a significant challenge.”

Earlier this year, the university introduced a voluntary severance and enhanced retirement scheme as part of a strategy to close a £5.5 million funding gap. A recruitment freeze was implemented and staff promotions paused. To date, 41 employees have left the institution through these voluntary measures, with the business school bearing the heaviest impact, losing 14 staff members.

While these measures have narrowed the deficit, a £4.3 million shortfall remains, and union representatives have expressed alarm at the lack of clarity regarding future staffing levels.

“I think at this stage it’s too early to say what we’ll need in terms of staff numbers going forward,” Professor Edwards told STV News. “I’m really keen we do this in partnership with the university community and other stakeholders because I think it’s really important we get the university into the right shape for the future.”

Daniel Cutts, co-leader of the University and College Union (UCU) Aberdeen branch, voiced staff concerns: “This is a big worry for all staff across all levels. We have the plan for Adapting for Continued Success, but senior management have not ruled out compulsory redundancies. We would ask that university senior management consider this and rule it out to remove that anxiety that many staff are feeling.”

Structural Overhaul Under Consideration

Beyond staffing, Professor Edwards has signalled a willingness to examine the university’s fundamental organisational architecture. A new change programme entitled “Adapting for Continued Success” is reviewing whether the current twelve-school structure remains fit for purpose.

“We are looking at the current twelve school structure that we have at the University of Aberdeen if it’s right for us going forward in terms of delivering our strategic ambitions,” Edwards explained.

The university is also reviewing its academic portfolio. Data presented to management earlier this year revealed that 25% of postgraduate taught courses and 16% of undergraduate courses enrolled five or fewer students, raising questions about the financial viability of maintaining such breadth.

The financial pressures arrive alongside uncomfortable findings from a governance efficiency review conducted by SUMS Consulting. The report, commissioned by the university itself, found “significant cultural and behavioural challenges” and warned of a “lack of trust and respect” between different layers of governance.

Professor Edwards acknowledged the findings while noting the complexity of the situation:

“The report does highlight aspects of culture, but I think it’s important to recognise that in parallel with the SUMS report we conducted a survey of our academic senate members and what was noticeable was that the senate survey highlighted again there was some issues around behaviours but some of those were behaviours of senate members to other senate members.

This is a complex issue and involves a range of different issues within the university, but culture is something I am absolutely determined to work on as new principal.”

A Sector-Wide Crisis

Aberdeen’s difficulties must be understood within the context of an unprecedented crisis engulfing Scottish higher education. The sector has been battered by a confluence of factors: a sharp decline in international student recruitment, rising employment costs following National Insurance increases, and chronic underfunding of Scottish undergraduate places.

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency reveals that international student numbers at Scottish universities fell by approximately 10,000 in 2023-24 – a 12% reduction from the previous year. The decline has been particularly acute at postgraduate taught level, where enrolments dropped by an average of 25.7% across the sector.

Aberdeen is far from alone in its struggles. Robert Gordon University, the city’s other higher education institution, has made nearly 190 staff redundant this year, including approximately 18 through compulsory means.

The University of Dundee has announced plans to eliminate 632 positions – roughly one-fifth of its workforce – to address a £35 million deficit, prompting the Scottish Government to provide an unprecedented £40 million emergency funding package.

The University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s largest institution, has announced £140 million in cuts, with unions warning that up to 2,000 jobs could ultimately be at risk.

“Higher education is now a global game,” Edwards observed. For now, however, the immediate focus remains on balancing the books. “We’re making good progress. We have seen student recruitment exceed our expectations which is positive and I’m hopeful this year we will continue to see trajectory where we will reduce the deficit even further,” Professor Edwards said.

Yet the path to financial stability by 2028 remains uncertain, with staff continuing to work under the shadow of potential further restructuring. As Cutts of UCU Aberdeen warned: “The workload pressures are significant, and they are not getting any better. There’s a lot of weight on the Adapting for Continued Success to resolve these issues however if that results in less staff that’s going to mean more workload for the staff that are here.”​