I’m delighted to be leading the University of Glasgow as it celebrates its 575th anniversary year. This landmark year, in which we also launch our 10-year strategy, enables us to reflect on centuries of impact, while inspiring the world-changers of tomorrow. Established in 1451 for the people of our city, we have evolved from being the university for Glasgow, to the university for the world. Our global community of students, colleagues, alumni and partners stretches across continents and through centuries, united by a shared commitment and vision of learning, discovery and world-changing impact. We invite you to join us in marking this remarkable anniversary year. This milestone is not just about our past, it’s about the opportunities ahead and the future impact we can make together.
Professor Andy Schofield
University Principal and Vice Chancellor
Here for good, since 1451: An age-old decree
...through persistent study they can acquire the pearl of knowledge, which provides the path to living well and happily, and ... leads into the knowledge of the secrets of the world; it gives support to the uneducated, and lifts those born in the lowest station to lofty heights.
Pope Nicholas V, 7 Jan 1451
(translated in 2026 by Professor Costas Panayotakis)
Providing knowledge and fairer access to education, is at the heart of the age-old decree (otherwise known as the Papal Bull), written by Pope Nicholas V giving permission to open the University of Glasgow in 1451.
World-changers: past, present, future
Without the University of Glasgow, the world would be a very different place. Our bold ideas and remarkable people have shaped thinking and built the foundations for the way we live and work today, sparking change for over five centuries. As our world-changing thinkers, innovators and leaders continue to come together to shape a better future in our 575th year, we are celebrating the impact of our people: past, present and future.
Discover our biggest breakthroughs, explore stories from one of the largest and oldest Library collections in the world, find alumni from thousands of records, or become a world-changer yourself with our new 575th Anniversary World-Changer Scholarship.
1451-2026: breakthroughs that changed the world
1451
The UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW is established
1776
ADAM SMITH publishes The Wealth of Nations
1837
JAMES MCCUNE SMITH becomes the first African American to be awarded a medical degree
1848
LORD KELVIN proposes an absolute scale of temperature
1894
MARION GILCHRIST is the first woman in Scotland to graduate in medicine
1896
JOHN MACINTYRE opens the world’s first X-ray department
1913
Nobel prizewinner FREDERICK SODDY discovers isotopes
1926
JOHN LOGIE BAIRD invents television
1958
IAN DONALD shows us the first ultrasound image of a foetus
1967
JOCELYN BELL BURNELL discovers radio pulsars
1974
GRAHAM TEASDALE and BRYAN JENNETT create the Glasgow Coma Scale
2004
EDWIN MORGAN becomes Scotland’s first National Poet
2015
SHEILA ROWAN leads the Glasgow portion of the team that first detected gravitational waves
2021
DAVID MACMILLAN receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
World-changers revisited: stories from the archives
To mark our anniversary, we are gathering and celebrating the stories of our diverse community through collections built over 575 years by our UofG Library, one of the oldest and largest in the world. We will be curating and sharing these stories in 2026, with the stories featured below celebrating the diversity and impact of women across time and borders for International Women’s Day.
Ruth Pirret: breaking barriers in science
Hannah Frank: a life drawn in light and shade
Isabella Elder: a life spent opening doors for others
Madge Easton Anderson: the lawyer who stepped into history
Janet Spens: the scholar who carved out space for women’s voices
Delphine Parrott: pioneering the path as the University’s first woman professor
Marion Gilchrist: the doctor who built opportunity from determination
Jessie Campbell: the visionary who opened the doors of learning
Merbai Ardesir Vakil: a trailblazer who opened new paths across continents
Alumni connections: past and present
Connect with fellow alumni
What better time to connect with fellow world-changers than during our 575th anniversary year? Explore listings for the wide selection of University of Glasgow events from public lectures on campus to alumni and friends exclusive networking events all over the world. We hope you will join us!
Explore graduate records
Explore a database of thousands of graduates, including the names of all who are recorded as graduating from our foundation in 1451 until 1921. From all corners of the globe, our graduates have formed the heart of our community, excelling in fields such as sport, law, medicine, engineering, politics, and the arts.
Join the world-changers of tomorrow: 575th Anniversary Scholarships
Open to students looking to make positive change through their chosen area of study, scholarship students will join an international community that cross centuries and span continents, at a special time of celebration and reflection.
Join us for our anniversary year
Take a tour
History is around every corner in our famous Gilmorehill campus, with tours led by the Students’ Representative Council available throughout 2026.
Explore events
From public lectures to exhibitions to opportunities to get involved with our 575th anniversary, we welcome you to join us during this milestone year.
Visit Scotland's oldest museum
The oldest public museum in Scotland, with collections spanning arts, sciences and humanities, The Hunterian is at the forefront of university museums around the world.
