The report was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation but carried out by Professor Philip Leather of London's South Bank University and Professor Moira Munro of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

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While there are still real waiting lists in the south, Glen Bramley, professor of planning and housing at Heriot Watt University, reckons that there is a growing surplus of houses in the north, increasing at a rate of more than 50, 000 houses a year.

ECONOMIST: Housing

Professor Julian Jones of Heriot-Watt University also gets an OBE for his work on pioneering new types of fibre optics.

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The project includes research teams at Heriot Watt University and the University of Glasgow.

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The study was carried out by marine biologists from Heriot-Watt University's School of Life Sciences and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

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The researchers at Heriot-Watt University acknowledge a huge amount of work remains to be done before the technology they are developing can be deployed commercially.

BBC: Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland

Heriot-Watt University has been named as Scottish University of the Year by the Sunday Times University Guide for the second year running.

BBC: Heriot-Watt University: Scottish University of the Year

The Persian Gulf visit by the First Minister is also to bang the drum for Scottish business and education, with McGrigors law firm opening an office, Heriot-Watt University opening a campus, Weir Group expected to announce new developments and exports of renewable energy technology to be promoted.

BBC: Salmond scales up foreign loan application