University of Glasgow wins prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize
The University of Glasgow has been awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for the work of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet.
The Prize was awarded to the University in recognition of the range and impact of the projects undertaken at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, chiefly Editing and Curating Burns for the 21st Century.
"A world-leading research centre, illuminating Burns’s life, works, economic impact and legacy through interdisciplinary scholarship, cutting-edge teaching, and wide-reaching knowledge exchange activity with a worldwide network of scholars, Burns enthusiasts and stakeholders."
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes celebrate excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities. The Prizes – which showcase the positive impact of research on education, the economy and wider society – are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education and are granted every two years. They are run by the Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.
Colleagues at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies said: "We’re thrilled and honoured that Burns Studies at Glasgow has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize. The team have worked extremely hard to channel our unique concentration of expertise to create a world-leading research centre, illuminating Burns’s life, works, economic impact and legacy through interdisciplinary scholarship, cutting-edge teaching, and wide-reaching knowledge exchange activity with a worldwide network of scholars, Burns enthusiasts and stakeholders.
"This very significant endorsement of Burns Studies at Glasgow means a great deal to us insofar as it recognises the cultural significance of Burns as a national and international poet and the impact of our major research projects to secure and evolve Burns’s textual, economic, and wider cultural legacies for the 21st century.
"We are excited by the possibility that an honour such as this will draw yet further attention to Burns’s iconic international status, and it’s our intention to harness this to catapult Burns Studies into yet another new and exciting phase of research.”
"The University is truly honoured to have these efforts recognised and this wonderful news means that the University of Glasgow now has six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes"
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow said: "I am delighted and proud that the Royal Anniversary Trust has seen fit to honour the incredible work of our Centre for Robert Burns Studies with one of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize awards. I congratulate the entire team at CRBS - colleagues, students, partners, and alumni - on this richly deserved recognition.
"Burns’s enduring appeal continues to drive interest not just in his work and life, but in Scotland as a whole, which has in turn helped to drive tourism, economic benefit and has positioned our Centre as a leader in research, innovation, and education in this field.
He added: "The University is truly honoured to have these efforts recognised and this wonderful news means that the University of Glasgow now has six Queen’s Anniversary Prizes and has been successful in four of the past six rounds of the Prizes. I am proud of -and grateful to - everyone across the University who has played a part in this success."
Born in 1759 in Alloway Ayrshire, Robert Burns is one of the world’s most celebrated and commemorated poets. His poems and songs have been translated into every major language including Russian, German, French and Chinese. Burns’s influence has extended far beyond Scotland with some 9.5 million people worldwide estimated to attend Burns Suppers annually. Burns’s version of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ – the New Year anthem - has been performed by everyone from Elvis Presley to Jimi Hendrix.
The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education
The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are part of the UK’s national Honours system. First awarded in 1994, the Prizes are granted every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous and independent process of review carried out by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.
This is the 6th time that the University of Glasgow has won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize. Previously the University won in 1994, 1998, 2013, 2017 and 2021.
The winners of the fifteenth round were announced at St James’s Palace on 16 November; the Prizes will be presented at a formal Honours ceremony in Buckingham Palace in February 2024.