Message from the Principal

In December 2024, the University of St Andrews will be marking a visionary decision taken fifty years ago. Drawing on a centuries-old tradition,  in 1974 we reconstituted St Leonard’s College, which had been merged with St Salvator’s College in 1747.

In its new incarnation, St Leonard’s has been dedicated to supporting and championing the work of our postgraduate students. The College has served as a focal point for building a community of scholars, providing a space for academic exchange and mutual support, for enhancing employability, and establishing networks across the world. Since moving into the Old Burgh School building on Abbey Walk, St Leonard’s now also offers dedicated workspaces, areas for relaxation and socialising, as well as amenities for commuting students.

As we reach our half-century as a Postgraduate College, we want to salute the wonderful contribution our 2000-strong international community of postgraduates is making to the University and to scholarship more widely. We also look forward to generating new ways in which St Leonard’s College can support postgraduate students as it moves into its second half-century. I warmly invite all students, staff, alumni and friends of the University to join us as we celebrate 50 years of St Leonard’s as a Postgraduate College.

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE
Principal and Vice-Chancellor