EUROPEAN LINKS AT UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (FOUNDED 1451)
The University was founded in 1451, so is Scotland’s second oldest after St Andrews. A Papal Bull established this – signed by Pope Nicholas so this is a link with Rome, Italy and with France too!
The interior doors of the Hunterian Museum (University of Glasgow) are carved by the famous sculptor and artist Eduardo Paolozzi – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Paolozzi and the doors can be seen in the Hunterian online archive at https://www.gla.ac.uk/collections/#/details?irn=57064&catType=C&referrer=/results&q=paolozzi
The University of Glasgow is Part of CIVIS European University! https://civis.eu/sv/nyheter/the-civis-european-university-welcomes-the-university-of-glasgow-as-associate-partner
The University is continuing with its successful participation in Horizon Europe research funding.
The University has participated in the ERASMUS MUNDUS Join Masters Degrees scheme: https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/internationalisation/uofgconnect/newsletters/february2021/erasmusmundus10/ and are continuing in this participation in the new funding round to 2027.The University of Glasgow is a founding member of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/internationalisation/theguild/, providing the opportunity to engage with 20 distinguished research universities from across the European continent.
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The interesting history of Scotland’s ancient Universities and links to Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_universities_in_Scotland
From the above reference, a few snippets are that after the Reformation, Scotland’s universities underwent a series of reforms associated with Andrew Melville, who, amongst others, returned from Geneva to become Principal of the University of Glasgow in 1574. He was a linguist, theologian, poet and religious reformer and had trained in Paris and studied law at Poitiers, before moving to Geneva (where he was professor of Humanity) and developing an interest in Protestant theology. He placed the same value on the teaching of languages, logic and sciences as philosophy and introduced new specialist teaching staff. Metaphysics were abandoned and Greek became compulsory in the first year followed by Aramaic, Syriac and Hebrew, launching a new fashion for ancient and biblical languages. His fame was such that scholars came from the European continent to study at Glasgow and St. Andrews and students began arriving at the University of Glasgow in great numbers.
During the 19th Century, there was a big push towards more teaching of the physical sciences and by the 1870s these were well established in Scottish universities, whereas in England the battle to modernise the curriculum would not be complete until the end of the century. By 1870, the University of Glasgow was a leading centre of science and engineering education with the likes of William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) teaching there. In addition, from 1892 Scottish universities could all admit and graduate women.
There is an interesting panel sculpted on the James Watt Engineering building (see below). To read more about it this blog is informative – and also talks of the James Black carving by Benno Schotz that is elsewhere on the University buildings.
Interesting figures:
Professor Coats – a contemporary of Joseph Lister – Anatomy, Pathology Who had studied in Leipzig and Würzburg in Germany – can see his memorial in the Glasgow Necropolis: https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/profiles/professor-joseph-coats-md-professor-of-pathology-university-of-glasgow/