LIFT OFF pupils experience Abertay University through immersive campus activities

Abertay University welcomed 60 S5 pupils from the LIFT OFF programme this week for a full-day immersive student experience on campus, as part of the University’s ongoing commitment to widening access to higher education. 

LIFT OFF, part of the Scottish Government’s Schools for Higher Education Programme (SHEP), supports young people from across Fife and Tayside to explore their options and consider university as a realistic and exciting next step.  

Abertay hosted the pupils on their first full day of the LIFT OFF to Success (LO2S) 2025 residential programme, kicking things off with an engaging and interactive Insights Discovery session designed to enhance self-awareness and develop essential human-skills.  

They then split off into subject-based workshops designed to give a flavour of university study. 

In forensic science, pupils examined fingerprint characteristics during a mock crime scene investigation. Business students tackled a live task exploring commercial, marketing and financial decision-making, while the sports science group looked at how elite athletes train for peak performance. 

Elsewhere, an interactive engineering session saw pupils work together to build dome shelters, developing teamwork and real-world problem-solving skills. In the Centre of Excellence labs, the games group got rare hands-on with PlayStation 5 development kits to learn about the creative process behind game design. 

Helen King, LIFT OFF Development Worker, said: 

It’s always inspiring to see the enthusiasm and curiosity of the pupils. Events like this help them see what university life is all about and inspire them to aim high for their futures. We’re proud to partner with Abertay to make this experience memorable and impactful for the next generation of students.

Claire Gammie, Widening Access Recruitment Officer at Abertay, said: 

It was fantastic to welcome pupils to Abertay for another year. They get so much out of exploring Abertay’s fantastic campus and interacting with our brilliant team. Our aspiration is to inspire pupils to consider Abertay as a viable and exciting next step, and I think we managed to successfully do that again this year. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Abertay’s contribution to Lift Off to Success 2025 such a success.