University news

Esteemed geographer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick Professor Nigel Thrift will be presented with a medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) at the University of Glasgow this week.

The medal is being awarded in recognition of Prof Thrift’s distinguished contribution to research in human geography and will be presented by Mike Robinson, chief executive of the RSGS.

The presentation on Thursday 5 March will be followed by a lecture entitled ‘Pass it on’, delivered by Prof Thrift, as part of The Centenary of Geography at the University of Glasgow.

Prof Thrift has acted as an external examiner at Glasgow for many years and is one of the world’s most highly-regarded geographers. Prior to taking his post at Warwick, Prof Thrift was the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, and Head of the Division of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Oxford.

He is one of the top five most-cited geographers in the world; the author, co-author and editor of 36 books; and has written hundreds of journal articles, essays and book chapters.

His current research spans a broad range of interests, including international finance, cities and political life, non-representational theory, affective politics, and the history of time.

The RSGS’ Scottish Geographical Medal is one of Scotland’s oldest and most learned society’s most prestigious awards – a sort of Nobel Prize for Geography. It is awarded only for conspicuous merit & a performance of worldwide repute and Prof Thrift will receive only the 40th such award in more than a century.

Other recipients of the medal have included Capt Roald Amundsen, William Speirs Bruce, Hugh Robert Mill, Vivian Fuchs and many leading academics, such as James Geikie, Herbert Fleure, Peter Haggett and David Lowenthal.

Mike Robinson is enthusiastic about Prof Thrift and the need for promoting geography. He said: “Professor Thrift was a unanimous choice for this highly prestigious award and we are delighted that he has agreed to come and give this talk in Glasgow.  

"Professor Thrift is a great advocate for geography, itself a brilliant subject for today’s school-kids and students;  it is a way of teaching kids citizenship, responsibility, giving them a sense of their place in the world and encouraging joined up thinking, so it has never been more critical. Ultimately we want it to be seen as a fundamental plank of everyone’s education alongside reading, writing and arithmetic. Professor Thrift is an outstanding example of a leader in this type of joined up geographical thinking.”

The RSGS is Scotland’s leading geographical education charity which promotes an understanding of the natural environment and human societies through education, dialogue and a vibrant activities programme. RSGS aims to reinforce the importance of geography in schools and wider education, by underlining its relevance in national and global issues of public concern , helping to frame the debate around these issues and by helping make the connections between people, the places we live and travel and the planet and its resources.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the East Quadrangle Lecture Theatre from 6-8pm. Following the lecture there will be a short reception, with wine served.

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For more information, contact Stuart Forsyth in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 4831 or email s.forsyth@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 3 March 2009