Scotland’s 19 universities and 26 colleges are rightly world-renowned for innovation and creativity – and their leadership and willingness to step up is saving lives in the face of the unprecedented challenge we all face.

Since effectively leading the switch to home and remote learning and teaching – at remarkable speed – our staff, students and alumni have since demonstrated just how important an asset they are to our society and our economy.

As well as looking after their own, keeping staff and students informed and physically and mentally supported, the sector is directly helping save lives on the front line and in our communities.

Final-year medical and nursing and social care students from many Scottish institutions have been quickly moved onto the frontline to help health service staff in caring for coronavirus (Covid-19) patients. Online graduation ‘ceremonies’ have been as heart-warming as they have been vital to this speedy response.

At the forefront of science, our world-renowned medical research community has shifted into overdrive, with our top universities spearheading the effort to tackle and ease the effects of this global pandemic.

At the very heart are the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. As pivotal members of the Genomics UK Consortium of top scientists, their leading-edge laboratories are being used to sequence the genome of the virus isolated from Scottish patients.

As many as 150 researchers from Edinburgh’s Centre for Inflammation Research are now being re-deployed to work on a project that aims to test existing and experimental drugs to find a treatment for Covid-19.

The team believe new therapies could be discovered and implemented before a vaccine becomes widely available by repurposing medicines for other conditions that are already in clinical use or are currently being tested. The new project – STOPCOVID – will focus on the inflammatory pathways that lead directly to lung injury, which is associated with the most severe aspects of Covid-19.

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University are accelerating the development of ‘Socially Assistive Robots’ to help reduce the spread of infections like Covid-19 among healthcare workers and patients – reducing person-to-person contact in the reception areas of surgeries and hospitals, where there is a high risk of disease transmission.

At the University of Dundee, two KingFisher Flex robots have been donated to the national Covid-19 Diagnostic Centre in Milton Keynes, while another research unit has identified 38 separate proteins in the Covid-19 virus, helping develop antibodies that can fight the virus.

Edinburgh Napier University reacted fantastically quickly, using a laser cutter to produce specially designed visors giving health workers the protection they need when treating Covid-19 patients, and transferring a ventilator from its campus to the intensive care ward at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Ayrshire College is using its expertise and 3D Printers to make additional visors for health workers on the frontline. Glasgow Kelvin College, West Lothian College and the University of Stirling have provided vital medical equipment and materials helping thousands of items of PPE – including beds, masks and sterile gloves – to reach the NHS. Dumfries and Galloway College has provided the NHS with remote working tools so key workers can handle calls remotely and so continue to help people.

As well as this frontline help, our colleges and universities are leading the community response.

Dumfries and Galloway College have made food and cooking facilities available to the NHS, police and armed forces so they can help keep vulnerable people safe and staff fed. And from Moray to Glasgow City, our colleges are donating everything from paper towels to foodbank funds to help sustain their local communities.

Our alumni continue to make us proud with the contribution they make with their expertise, fostered in Scottish institutions. Dr Kate Broderick, a former Glasgow University student, is one of many at the forefront of the global hunt for a vaccine, alongside researchers across Scotland’s institutions and Scottish researchers further afield.

In perhaps less obvious but no less vital fields, their ingenuity is now making a practical difference every day. From spirits to the stage, their knowledge is being adapted to help those on the frontline and those helping by staying at home.

Gin production lines at operations run by Heriot-Watt brewing alumni – Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery on the Angus coast and BrewDog – have been adapted to produce additional hand sanitiser. Beinn an Tuirc Distillers in Kintyre, owned by a former student of Scotland’s Rural University and College, has also stopped all gin production in favour of a sanitiser called ‘Hogg Wash’ – a tribute to the English translation of their name.

These huge adjustments we’re all making mean it’s also vital we look after our mental health, and here too our colleges and universities are leading the way. Jude Kelly, programme leader of Abertay University’s Mental Health Nursing BSc, is one of a number of professionals regularly blogging, sharing tips on how to promote wellbeing.

A new online creative community has been kick-started by Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to help raise spirits and help combat feelings of isolation. RCSatHome is a new platform showcasing work, ideas and conversations from students, staff and alumni. A weekly concert strand will also be included, RCS Presents, dedicated to live and curated performances from musicians and artists across the globe.

Following last week’s review, we now know this lockdown will be in place for at least another three weeks.

The First Minister is following the best scientific advice but we know this isn’t easy for any of us.

Scotland is grateful for everything our colleges and universities are doing to help our country get through this and I know I speak for us all when I say we couldn’t be more proud of our world leading sector.

Richard Lochhead is Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science