Diamond JubileeOur Diamond Jubilee events
In celebration of our Diamond Jubilee, we have been hosting a variety of events throughout 2024, on our campus and in locations across the city.
Use the links below to find out what we've been up to.
Celtic Connections
The UK's premier celebration of celtic music
An Evening with Alice Roberts
in partnership with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Inspiring Inclusion
A Conversation for International Women’s Day
Professor Dame Anne Glover
Inventing the Future
Inaugural Ceremony
for the conferment of the titles Emeritus Chancellor and Principal
Strathclyde Summer Proms
A musical showcase to celebrate our Diamond Jubilee
Professor Sir John Curtice
The UK Elections – a return to normality?
20 Years of the Scottish Space School
An Evening with NASA
WorldCon
Where Science Fact Meets Science Fiction
Summer Fete
Celebrating Strathclyde’s big 6-0 at the Summer Fete
Sir Tom Hunter
Scotland has a rich past, where is our rich future?
Our Shared Future
Developing our joint pathway for equitable and impactful partnerships in Africa
CESAER Annual Meetings
Innovation Districts: from Deeptech and Entrepreneurship to Inclusive Innovation
Professor Sir Harry Burns
Conflict or compassion: how do we choose?
Why does the Supreme Court matter for Scotland?
With the President of the UK Supreme Court and Scotland’s Lord Advocate
Belonging to Glasgow
Stories of identity and inclusion
Professor Sir Jim McDonald
Achieving Net Zero by 2050: A Whole Energy System Approach
LGBTQI+ at Strathclyde
A Diamond Jubilee celebration
The Golden City
50th anniversary exhibition
STEM at Strathclyde
A Christmas lecture
Celtic Connections
Europe’s premier folk, roots, and world music festival, lights up dark winter nights in Glasgow for three weeks every January.
Our grand Barony Hall welcomed a diverse programme of performers across 10 nights, including festival favourites Breabach; renowned classical musician Martin Hayes and his Common Ground Ensemble; Danish trio Stundom; and folk legend John McCusker. A spectacular way to kick off our Jubilee celebrations!
An evening with Alice Roberts, in partnership with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Later in January, we welcomed writer and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts to the Main Auditorium in our Technology & Innovation Centre. Professor Roberts drew on her recent work Ancestors – covering the Bronze Age through the Romans all the way to the Anglo-Saxons – as well as the newly-published Crypt – delving into life, death, and disease in the Middle Ages – to explore how archaeology and genetics are illuminating the past as never before.
Inspiring Inclusion: A Conversation for International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March), we invited renowned astrophysicist and Strathclyde honorary graduate Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, to lead a panel discussion focused on creating a truly inclusive environment for work, study, and research.
Hosted by Professor Churnjeet Mahn, Deputy Associate Principal for Research & Knowledge Exchange, the panel also discussed how to address systemic disadvantages against women to foster a more equitable world. Joining Professor Mahn and Dame Jocelyn were Dr. Holly Butler, Head of Development at Dxcover; Meryl Levington, Director of Innovation and Industry Engagement at Strathclyde; Louise McKean, University Compliance Officer; Yu-Chu Doong, Student Union Vice-President Inclusion; and Professor Jillian MacBryde, Associate Principal at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Following this insightful and spirited discussion, Dame Jocelyn officially opened the Jocelyn Bell Burnell Wing of our Learning & Teaching Building – named in her honour after a vote by students and staff - by unveiling a large-scale artwork at the heart of the Learning Village.
Professor Dame Anne Glover: Inventing the Future
Strathclyde is an institution very much of and for the people of Glasgow, and not just because we are located in the city’s historic heart. A key strand of our Jubilee celebrations, our Town & Gown lecture series is inspired by our roots in the Scottish Enlightenment and focused on our reputation as the Place of Useful Learning.
The first lecture in the series was given on 18 April by Professor Dame Anne Glover, Special Adviser to the Principal and ex-Chief Scientific Adviser for both Scotland and the EU. “Inventing the Future” considered how science and engineering could deliver exciting possibilities, looking at how themes imagined in sci-fi shows like Star Trek in the 60s, 70s, and 80s were now reality. Alongside light-hearted moments, Dame Anne discussed the ethical and societal considerations of technological advances, touching on the introduction of AI into modern day society.
Inaugural Ceremony for the conferment of the titles Emeritus Chancellor and Principal
This very special event has been a highlight of our Diamond Jubilee programme so far. During the ceremony on 23 May – the first of its kind – Lord Smith of Kelvin conferred the new titles of Chancellor Emeritus upon his immediate predecessor as Chancellor, Rt. Hon The Lord Hope of Craighead, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus upon Professor Andrew Hamnett, Principal of the University from 2001 until 2009.
The University also honoured the contributions of their predecessors – Chancellors Lord Todd and Lord Tombs, and Principals Sir Sam Curran, Sir Graham Hills, and Sir John Arbuthnott – by presenting members of their families with Strathclyde Medals.
This truly unique occasion celebrated the achievements of those who led our institution over six decades since Strathclyde received its Royal Charter; while our current Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, also looked to the future to consider how we are building on their legacy.
Strathclyde Summer Proms
Soon after, the Great Hall in the Barony welcomed Strathclyders, family and friends to celebrate our Diamond Jubilee year with a fantastic musical showcase!
The highly-anticipated Summer Proms – back for a second year - featured performances by seven of the University’s music societies, including our Concert Band, Jazz Orchestra, University Chorus, Musical Theatre Society, Symphony Orchestra and the Trad Music Society. A memorable night filled with music, joy and Strathclyde community spirit!
Professor Sir John Curtice: the UK Elections – a return to normality?
The second of our Town & Gown lectures took place at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 12 June. We had engaged Sir John and agreed his topic long before the General Election on 4 July was announced, and by the time it came around it was certainly a hot ticket, with not an empty seat to be found. With political fortunes in Scotland, the UK, and beyond apparently in a state of near-constant flux, the UK’s favourite psephologist Sir John picked out patterns and trends and shared his thoughts on how the landscape might look after the dust settles.
20 Years of the Scottish Space School: An Evening with NASA
In mid-June, Strathclyde hosted the twentieth annual Scottish Space School, which welcomes a cohort of 80 high school students onto the campus to spend a week with astronauts, engineers, scientists and administrators based at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.
A celebration of both 20th and 60th anniversaries, an evening with NASA gave members of the public an opportunity to join Space School students on campus to learn just what it’s like to blast off into, live and work in, and – importantly! – return to Earth from space.
WorldCon: Where Science Fact Meets Science Fiction
The 82nd World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon) was hosted at Glasgow's Scottish Event Campus (SEC) from 8th to 12th August, welcoming approx. 7,000 delegates from over 70 countries to the SEC, with a further 700 joining online.
Organised by Dr Christine Davidson (Pure & Applied Chemistry), Where Science Fact meets Science Fiction was part of WorldCon's Science & Technology track which, with over 90 sessions, was the Convention's second-largest track. Taking place on 9th August, the symposium featured contributions from Christine and five of her Strathclyde colleagues, covering topics as diverse as analytical geochemistry, the potential of quantum technologies in space, nanomedicines and Afrofuturism. Attracting a capacity audience throughout the day, there was strong engagement both in the room and online, with delegates heading off around the globe with Diamond Jubilee tote bags slung over their shoulder
Celebrating Strathclyde’s big 6-0 at the Summer Fete
Strathclyders enjoyed music, chat, cupcakes and even a chance to hold the Mace at our Diamond Jubilee celebration.
In a month where the weather seems unable to decide whether it’s August or January, the sun shone down from a clear blue sky on Strathclyde’s Summer Fete, as staff and students from across the institution celebrated 60 years since Strathclyde’s Royal Charter was set under seal.
Against a backdrop of bunting, balloons and the sounds of a folk quartet and a jazz trio, Strathclyders had a chance to catch up over a cuppa, specially commissioned cupcakes and even a glass of Pimm’s (only after the sun was over the yardarm, of course).
Alongside a rare viewing of the Royal Charter itself, there were opportunities to find out more about the Centre for Lifelong Learning, Strathclyde Sport, Archives & Special Collections and the various staff support networks, as well as couple of the contributors from the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention. It was even warm enough to sit out at the picnic tables!
Town and Gown Lecture with Sir Tom Hunter
Strathclyde alumnus Sir Tom Hunter turned a business selling trainers from the back of a van into Europe’s largest independent sports retailer, and has supported countless educational and entrepreneurial projects via his Hunter Foundation.
During the third in our Town & Gown Lecture series, Sir Tom explored how the successes of Scotland’s past, specifically the explosion of intellectual activity and innovation during the Scottish Enlightenment, have shaped Scotland’s present.
He then set out some of the key challenges which impact on our country today and suggested how we might learn lessons from the past to ensure a brighter future for all. A truly engaging evening, with Sir Tom encouraging everyone to have the confidence to engage in more 'moonshot thinking'!
This two-day event, which took place in our Technology and Innovation Centre and in Glasgow’s City Chambers on 9 & 10 October, considered the pivotal role of higher education in development and sustainability across Africa.
Our Shared Future was an exploration of the legacy of Strathclyde’s collaborations in sub-Saharan Africa; a celebration of our shared achievements; and an opportunity to develop a future focus with long-running and trusted partners from across the continent.
We were delighted to welcome keynote speaker Joyce Msuya – United Nations Acting Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency – and Angus Robertson MSP - Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs - alongside key African partners. Together, they explored our shared legacy and began shaping a forward-looking strategy for impactful engagement and staff/student collaborations across the continent.
Rooted in advanced engineering education and research, CESAER is an association of more than 50 universities in Europe and beyond with a strong science and technology profile.
Our Technology & Innovation Centre played host to CESAER’s Annual Meetings (CAM2024) across three days in mid-October, with the overall theme of this year’s CAM being Innovation Districts - from Deeptech and Entrepreneurship to Inclusive Innovation.
The programme included:
- a large-scale interactive workshop focused on inclusive science engagement to inspire a new generation, based on the exemplary outreach work led by Glasgow Science Centre and our own Young Strathclyder programme.
- an exclusive guided tour of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) for senior leaders
- an opportunity for delegates to discover Glasgow on walking tours of the city centre and a hop-on/hop-off guided bus tour
- a half-day conference focused on how innovation districts can work in synergy with universities of science and technology to provide opportunities for universities while enriching the wider city
- dinner in our spectacular Barony Hall, where guests were welcomed by a piper and enjoyed Scottish hospitality, a whisky tasting and even a little ceilidh dancing!
CAM2024 concluded with CESAER’s General Assembly, before handing over to Brno, Czech Republic, for CAM2025.
Professor Sir Harry Burns
The fourth of our Town & Gown Lecture series was given by Sir Harry Burns, a Professor of Practice in our Health & Care Futures initiative, and one-time Chief Medical Officer in Scotland.
Hosted with one of our near neighbours in the Glasgow City Innovation District, the Social Hub, the topic of the lecture was ‘Conflict or compassion: how do we choose?’ Sir Harry looked at examples from across a broad sweep of history where evidence suggests that humans have a clear tendency to avoid conflict and violence when given the choice; he spoke of the damage that can be caused by inconsistency in the lives of young people; and of the difference it can make to start a conversation by simply asking “what is it that you need?”
Emeritus Professor Alan Paterson welcomed Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the UK Supreme Court and a recent honorary graduate of this university, to speak to members of the legal community from across Scotland – including undergraduate and postgraduate students from Strathclyde Law School – about the relevance of the Supreme Court in Scottish affairs. Prof. Paterson and Lord Reed were joined by Dorothy Bain KC, Scotland’s Lord Advocate, with all three taking questions from the audience.
Conceived by the Strathclyde’s Race Equality Staff Network as a celebration of the University's Diamond Jubilee to coincide with Black History Month, Belonging to Glasgow took place on 31 October, United Nations International Day for World Cities.
The event centred on a discussion chaired by Dr Navan Govender of the Institute of Education which explored the concept of "belonging" within the city of Glasgow. Navan was joined by representatives from third-sector organisations that work closely with New Scots, providing a platform to discuss and share their stories:
- Angie Mwafulirwa - Founder of Sharpen Her: the African Women’s Network
- Asma Abdalla - Founder of Empower Women for Change
- Selina Hales - Founder of Refuweegee
- Omar Sheikh - Founder of Colourful Heritage
Belonging to Glasgow was accompanied by the launch of the Strathclyde Origin Map, with staff invited to mark their country of origin or home country on a map, creating a visual display of Strathclyde's diverse international community.
The fifth and final in our Town & Gown Lecture series brought us back onto the Strathclyde campus, with our Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald, who served as President of the Royal Academy of Engineering until the summer of 2024, setting out the reasons why a whole energy system approach is essential if we are to have any chance of achieving the UK’s ambitions to reach Net Zero by 2050.
The 'whole system' approach integrates policy, technology, economics, regulation and societal engagement, and Sir Jim illuminated his argument with case studies and details of projects already in place and in the pipeline.
With an audience of more than 200, comprised of Strathclyders old and new, as well as figures from Scotland’s industrial and policy landscape, Sir Jim’s lecture struck a hopeful note, while not underestimating the work that needs to be done, and emphasised Strathclyde’s place firmly at the centre of the energy transition.
A fitting end to a lecture series which sought to look to both the past and the future in order to make sense of where we find ourselves right now.
Students, staff, alumni, local organisations and the local community came together for this unique opportunity to learn, share and connect. The event shared outcomes from extensive ongoing research on LGBTQI+ materials in the Strathclyde Archives and Special Collections, as well as social history projects undertaken by LGBT Health & Wellbeing, LGBT Youth Scotland and Glasgow Women’s Library.
There was also an engaging panel discussion with a thought-provoking Q&A session preceding the opportunity to view archival displays from the University and Strath Union, visit stalls from a range of stakeholders, take part in a workshop on mapping LGBTQI+ histories at Strathclyde, as well as the opportunity to network and meet others.
Produced by Strathclyde Theatre Group, ‘The Golden City’ dramatised a mid-16th century historical event: a radical Protestant sect of Anabaptists took over the city of Munster, attempting to turn it into the heavenly city of God on earth. After a week-long run in August 1974 in Glasgow Cathedral, the production transferred to St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, where it won a Scotsman Fringe First Award.
This exhibition celebrating the landmark production’s 50th anniversary was hosted in St Mary’s Cathedral for the duration of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, before transferring to the Learning Village in Strathclyde’s Learning & Teaching Building, where it was in situ throughout Semester 1.
STEM at Strathclyde Christmas lecture
Our programme of Jubilee celebrations concluded on a high with ‘STEM at Strathclyde’, a Christmas lecture which attracted over 320 senior pupils from secondary schools across the Glasgow city region to the Technology & Innovation Centre's Main Auditorium.
Prof. Charles Macleod, Director of our Sensor Enabled Automation & Robotics Control Hub (SEARCH) talked about the many uses of sensors, robots and drones in modern engineering; Dr Jane Essex from our Institute of Education encouraged pupils to get hands-on to explore the scents of Christmas; while Dr Alan Kennedy’s 20 minutes of “practical chemistry silliness” came with enough whizzes, flashes and bangs to keep everyone entertained.
Mindful that we are at heart a socially progressive institution, the lecture was targeted at schools participating in our Widening Access programmes. Taking place just weeks before the UCAS deadline for 2025 entry, pupils also had an opportunity to chat to colleagues from Electronic & Electrical Engineering, our Engineering Academy and Pure & Applied Chemistry.
