University news

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is to lecture on the theme of ‘Citizenship and Scottish Civic Culture’ in the prestigious Stevenson and Adam Smith Research Foundation lecture series at the University of Glasgow at 7pm on Thursday 5 March in the Bute Hall at the University of Glasgow.

The lectures resume on Thursday this week (22 January) with the Vice President of Scottish Employment Tribunal, Shona Simon lecturing on ‘The passionate pursuit of the self-evident.’

Liz Lochhead, Scottish poet, playwright and cultural commentator will follow on Thursday 5 February with a lecture on ‘Mythological Women.’

Professor Christopher Berry, of The Stevenson Trust Committee said: “Adam Smith was one of the greatest minds to teach in Glasgow University and Daniel Stevenson one of the city and University’s greatest benefactors. This legacy is conjoined in the Stevenson-Smith lecture series and this year’s is designed around the fact that 2009 is the 250th anniversary of the publication of Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments.

“We are delighted to have such a distinguished group of lecturers, each of whom has risen to the challenge to talk, from a theme derived from Smith’s book, about their own current work or ideas. This fusion between the legacy and the here and now is what makes this year’s series such an exciting, unmissable event.”

Earlier in the current series, Rt Hon George Reid, Stevenson Professor and former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, spoke on ‘Sentiments for Scotland’. Economist, philanthropist and Nobel Prize winner, Professor Muhammad Yunus was awarded an Honorary Degree by the University of Glasgow before his Stevenson lecture on Social Business for a New Global Economic Architecture last month.

All lectures are free and open to the public but people must register in advance for the First Minister's lecture by emailing C.Laidlaw@admin.gla.ac.uk or calling 0141 330 4978.

The next hour long lecture starts at 6pm on Thursday 22 January in the Sir Charles Wilson building, University Avenue, Glasgow.

Martin Shannon, Media Relations Officer,
University of Glasgow Tel: 0141 330 8593

The Stevenson and Adam Smith Research Foundation Lecture Series 2008-9

As part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the publication of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) the theme of the series will be
Citizenship and Scottish Civic Culture

“he is certainly not a good citizen who does not wish to promote, by every means in his power, the welfare of the whole society of his fellow-citizens” (TMS pt. VI ch. 2)

THURSDAY 22 JANUARY
 Shona Simon:  Vice President of Scottish Employment Tribunal
“It[']s self-evident justice is acknowledged by all the world, and there is not a dissenting voice among all mankind.” Adam Smith TMS The passionate pursuit of the self-evident.

THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY
Liz Lochhead:  Scottish poet, playwright and cultural commentator  
Mythological Women

MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY
Gordon Smith: Chief Executive of Scottish Football Association
Citizenship and Sport   

THURSDAY 5 MARCH
Alex Salmond:  First Minister of Scotland
“All constitutions of government, however, are valued only in proportion as they tend to promote the happiness of those who live under them” Adam Smith TMS (provisional title) This lecture will run from 7pm-8.30pm in the Bute Hall.

All other lectures start at 6pm.

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First published: 19 January 2009