Adam Smith summer school launches
Students from countries including Canada, USA, Japan and Australia spent three weeks in June 2023 immersing themselves in Adam Smith’s words and works, at the University’s first-ever Adam Smith Summer School.
‘The Age and Ideas of Adam Smith’ was directed by Professor Craig Smith and explored Smith’s impressive body of work, ranging from moral philosophy and literary criticism to economics and political science. “We thought this year was a good year to try new ways of making Adam Smith accessible,” he says, “and to have a summer school where students can come along and immerse themselves in Smith’s works and ideas, here in his academic home.”
“Before this, I didn’t really know much about Adam Smith,” says participant Aarohi Shah of the University of Minnesota. “I’m just amazed at how brilliant and intelligent he is, and the fact that we can still honour his teachings today and that they’re still applicable, is probably one of my greatest takeaways.”
As well as reading and discussing Smith’s work with some of the leading world experts on his thinking, the students also got to visit locations in Scotland with strong associations with Smith, including his birthplace, Kirkcaldy, and his final resting place in Edinburgh.