Greetings from the University of Glasgow
I'm delighted to welcome you to the University of Glasgow and to the Global Sustainable Development Congress.
This is a fantastic opportunity for higher education, governments, industry and civil society to come together and explore meaningful solutions for a more sustainable future.
Here at the University of Glasgow, we are passionate about bringing world-changers together to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.
As the first UK university to declare a climate change emergency, we have committed to carbon neutrality by 2030. We're working in partnership with the city and our students to realise that ambition.
During COP26, we delivered a programme of over 200 events. From school pupils to policymakers, these interactions encouraged international activity in support of climate change.
Our Centre for Sustainable Solutions enables individuals, communities and organisations to act towards a sustainable future through education, research and partnership.
The congress’ programme is an opportunity for delegates to share, learn and inspire positive innovations across health and education, inequality, food security, climate change and sustainable economic growth.
We recognise the value of partnership, collaboration and global networks. On behalf of the University of Glasgow and our partners at Times Higher Education, I look forward to getting to know some of you better, whether you are joining us in person or online.
I hope that you enjoy the congress and look forward to the discussion, debate and action that the event will encourage.
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli
Principal and vice-chancellor
University of Glasgow
8,000
FACULTY STAFF
30,000
STUDENTS
£180m
ANNUAL RESEARCH EARNINGS
World-changing Glasgow
The University of Glasgow has been home to world-changing research and teaching for more than 570 years. Today, we deliver excellence as a world top 100 university and a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK universities. With over 30,000 students from more than 140 countries and over 8,000 staff, the university is a major employer in the city and contributes £4.4 billion to the UK economy.
As a values-led university, we don’t do things because they are easy, we do them because they are right. That's why we were the first UK university to declare a climate change emergency and have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030.
We earned the highly coveted accolade of University of the Year at THE Awards 2020 for sector leadership in reparative justice. Most recently, we have been awarded a Queens Anniversary Prize for the scale of our contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the recent launch of our strategic plan World-Changers Together, World Changing Glasgow 2025, the university aims to be the world-changing university – a place that brings inspiring people together and where everyone can succeed regardless of background or circumstance.
World-changing research
The university’s cross-disciplinary areas of research excellence have attracted major intellectual and financial investment. Our annual research earnings are more than £180 million.
Our research responds to some of the world’s greatest challenges in areas such as precision medicine and chronic diseases, one health, future life, addressing inequalities, cultural and creative economies, and the nano and quantum world.
How research is carried out is important to the university. We support researchers in a positive and collaborative research culture. Postgraduate students benefit from an award-winning researcher development programme while our 14 centres for doctoral training provide funding and collaboration opportunities.
We aim to bring world-changers together through our Advanced Research CentreAdvanced Research Centre, which opens this year. This forward-thinking initiative will bridge the boundaries between research, cross-discipline collaboration and true societal impact.
World-changing relationships
Developing meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with partners and stakeholders is mission-critical for the university. This form of collaboration is the key to unlocking opportunities locally, nationally and internationally for our communities.
We are proud to collaborate with leading global institutions as a founding member of Universitas 21 and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and as an associate member of the European University alliance CIVIS.
We nurture our global connections to offer our community an innovative learning environment with an international outlook and to connect with partners to help address the grand challenges of our time.
We’ve been changing the world since 1451 – and we’re just getting started.
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