University news

The University of Glasgow is set to play host to a conference which will celebrate and amplify the voices and visions of Black scholars, thinkers, and changemakers.
 
The third annual James McCune Smith (JMS) Conference, which will be held on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26thJune, will explore the theme ‘From the Fringe to the Future: Reimagining Our Narratives of Tomorrow.’
 
The JMS Conference is an extension of the University of Glasgow’s commitment to equity and inclusion in research through the James McCune Smith PhD Scholarship Programme.
 
Launched in 2021, the programme supports Black UK students to pursue PhD research and offers access to external mentors, placements, leadership development, community-building activities.

 
Named after James McCune Smith, the first African American to receive a medical degree – awarded by the University of Glasgow in 1837 – the scholarship honours his remarkable legacy as a pioneering physician, intellectual, and abolitionist. The JMS Programme builds on this legacy by empowering a new generation of scholars to lead transformative research in the UK and beyond.
 
The 2025 Conference will spotlight those actively imagining, designing, and communicating equitable futures across disciplines—from science and technology to the arts and humanities. It will highlight the vital contributions of Black researchers, artists, and cultural leaders who are shaping new possibilities within and beyond academia.
 
The Conference, which is free to attend and open to the public, features a dynamic two-day programme. The first day will feature a series of thought-provoking keynote addresses from pioneering thinkers including Irenosen Okojie MBE, an award-winning Nigerian-British writer and curator, renowned for her bold, genre-defying work. She is the founder and director of the Black to the Future Festival and was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature in 2021.
 
The day will also showcase the JMS Research presentations, highlighting the innovative and impactful work of the most recent cohort of JMS Scholars.
 
Day two will take on a thematic ‘Unconference’ format, moving beyond traditional academic structures to foster open, participatory knowledge exchange through collaborative discussions, workshops, and creative sessions.
 
Highlights include a dynamic workshop with social entrepreneur and Governance expert Briana Pegado, author of Making Good Trouble: A Practical Guide to the Energetics of Disruption, as well as a photographic exhibition of the previous JMS cohort’s research, hosted at the Clarice Pears Building. The day will conclude with an intimate piano and violin recital led by JMS Scholar, Adam Heron, at the University Chaplaincy.
 
Hanna Haile is a JMS Scholar and one of the conference’s organisers. She said: “The JMS Conference provides a platform for Black scholars not only to share their research but also to reframe the narratives that shape our understanding of knowledge, innovation, and belonging.
 
“I’m delighted that we’ll be emphasising the importance of representation and intellectual agency throughout the event. We warmly invites students, academics, practitioners, creatives, and members of the wider community to join this important gathering of ideas, research, and creative futures.”
 
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “The JMS Scholarships are a vital investment in the future of research and leadership, creating opportunities for Black scholars to thrive, innovate, and transform their fields. The work of the JMS Scholars is hugely impressive and I look forward to hearing them and the guest speakers present at the Conference.” 
 
To receive an official invitation and conference updates, sign up to the JMS Network mailing list. A full agenda will be released soon.

First published: 15 May 2025