Art college calls off merger talks

The governors of Edinburgh College of Art this week called off merger talks with Heriot-Watt University, after a decision to bid for "small specialist institution" status.

The college has had links with Heriot-Watt for 30 years, but it hopes that the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council will approve SSI status, giving it more favourable funding. The college governors stressed that the "valued" academic link with Heriot-Watt, which validates ECA degrees, should be maintained.