82-659: The Macfarlane Observatory was established at the University of Glasgow in 1757. It was the first purpose-built university observatory in Britain. The Observatory was named after Alexander MacFarlane , a slaveholding Scottish merchant and astronomer who resided in Kingston, Jamaica and bequeathed his astronomical instruments to the University of Glasgow after his death in October 1755. Macfarlane graduated with an MA from
164-599: A "programme of reparatory justice". It outlines significant gifts received by the University from people that derived wealth from slavery , which includes an acknowledgement of the value and intellectual capital of the instruments donated by Alexander Macfarlane. University of Glasgow Dentistry Divinity Engineering Law Medicine Nursing Science Social Sciences Veterinary Medicine The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as Glas. in post-nominals ; Scottish Gaelic : Oilthigh Ghlaschu )
246-544: A 500-seat lecture theatre. Built at a cost of £90.6 million, it opened in April 2021 and is named for James McCune Smith , the first African American to earn a degree in medicine and a University of Glasgow alumnus. A further investment of over £900 million is being made across the Gilmorehill campus, focused mainly on redeveloping the 5.7-hectare (14-acre) site between University Avenue and Dumbarton Road that
328-470: A building known as the "Auld Pedagogy". The university was given 13 acres (5.3 ha) of land belonging to the Black Friars (Dominicans) on High Street by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1563. By the late 17th century its building centred on two courtyards surrounded by walled gardens, with a clock tower, which was one of the notable features of Glasgow's skyline—reaching 140 feet (43 m) in height —and
410-405: A chapel adapted from the church of the former Dominican (Blackfriars) friary. Remnants of this Scottish Renaissance building, mainly parts of the main façade, were transferred to the Gilmorehill campus and renamed as the "Pearce Lodge", after Sir William Pearce , the shipbuilding magnate who funded its preservation. The Lion and Unicorn Staircase was also transferred from the old college site and
492-507: A decisive victory. The current office holder is Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah , who was installed in the position on the 11th of April 2024, after winning 80% of the vote and while under investigation by the University. The governing body of the university is the University Court , which is responsible for contractual matters, employing staff, and all other matters relating to finance and administration. The Court takes decisions about
574-517: A decorated west front facing the High Street, called the 'Nova Erectio', or New Building. This foundation is widely considered to have been one of the finest 17th-century buildings in Scotland. Decorated fragments from it, including a complete exterior stairway, were rescued and built into its 19th-century replacement. In Sir Walter Scott 's best-selling 1817 novel Rob Roy , set at the time of
656-538: A far grander scale, the original High Street campus's twin- quadrangle layout, and may have been inspired by Ypres ' late-medieval cloth hall ; Gilmorehill, in turn, inspired the design of the Clocktower complex of buildings for the new University of Otago in New Zealand. In 1879, Gilbert Scott's son, Oldrid , completed this original vision by building an open undercroft forming two quadrangles, above which
738-515: A large number of classified NSA documents to several media outlets—was elected. In 2017, Aamer Anwar a Scottish lawyer and former student of the university was elected rector until 2020 when rector elections had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On April 21, 2021, Rita Rae, Lady Rae a Scottish lawyer, judge and former Senator of the College of Justice was appointed Rector after
820-550: A society of higher learning in St Andrews, which offered courses of lectures in divinity, logic, philosophy, and law. St Andrews was the obvious choice — "for centuries, it was the heart of the Scottish church and political activities" and "the seat of the greatest bishopric in Scotland and location of a monastery noted as a centre for learning". A charter of privilege was bestowed upon the society of masters and scholars by
902-1013: A specific remit. They, along with the Clerk of Senate, play a major role in the day-to-day management of the university. All students at the university are eligible to vote in the election of the Rector (officially styled "Lord Rector"), who holds office for a three-year term and chairs the University Court. In the past, this position has been a largely honorary and ceremonial one, and has been held by political figures including William Gladstone , Benjamin Disraeli , Bonar Law , Robert Peel , Raymond Poincaré , Arthur Balfour , Charles Kennedy and 1970s union activist Jimmy Reid , and latterly by celebrities such as TV presenters Arthur Montford and Johnny Ball , musician Pat Kane , and actors Richard Wilson , Ross Kemp and Greg Hemphill . In 2004, for
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#1732773316141984-984: A total of approximately 3,500 students. These include the Murano Street Student Village in Maryhill; Wolfson halls on the Garscube Estate; Queen Margaret halls, in Kelvinside ; Cairncross House and Kelvinhaugh Gate, in Yorkhill . In recent years, Dalrymple House and Horslethill halls in Dowanhill , Reith halls in North Kelvinside and the Maclay halls in Park Circus (near Kelvingrove Park ), have closed and been sold, as
1066-531: A university, or which existed in another form prior to being a university, the date in the list below is thus later than the date given by the institutions for their foundation. The university was founded in 1410 when a group of Augustinian clergy, driven from the University of Paris by the Avignon schism and from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge by the Anglo-Scottish Wars , formed
1148-542: Is a list of the oldest existing universities in continuous operation in the world. Inclusion in this list is determined by the date at which the educational institute first met the traditional definition of a university used by academic historians although it may have existed as a different kind of institution before that time. This definition limits the term "university" to institutions with distinctive structural and legal features that developed in Europe , and which make
1230-599: Is a public research university in Glasgow , Scotland . Founded by papal bull in 1451 [ O.S. 1450], it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities . Along with the universities of St Andrews , Aberdeen , and Edinburgh , the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century. Glasgow
1312-563: Is an alumna of the university, with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Medical Law and Medical Ethics. She is the first woman to hold the office in the university. Day-to-day management of the university is undertaken by the University Principal (who is also Vice-Chancellor ). The current principal is Sir Anton Muscatelli who replaced Sir Muir Russell in October 2009. There are also several Vice-Principals, each with
1394-462: Is his grand Bute Hall (used for examinations and graduation ceremonies), named after its donor, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute . Oldrid also later added a spire to the building's signature gothic bell tower in 1887, bringing it to a total height of some 85 metres (278 ft). The local Bishopbriggs blond sandstone cladding and Gothic design of the building's exterior belie the modernity of its Victorian construction; Scott's building
1476-547: Is now attached to the Main Building. John Anderson , while professor of natural philosophy at the university, and with some opposition from his colleagues, pioneered vocational education for working men and women during the Industrial Revolution . To continue this work in his will, he founded Anderson's College , which was associated with the university before merging with other institutions to become
1558-406: Is open between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m., 361 days of the year. In addition to the main library, subject libraries exist for Medicine, Chemistry, Dental Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Education, Law, History of Art, and the faculty of Social Sciences, which are held in branch libraries around the campus. In 2007, a state-of-the-art section to house the library's collection of historic photographs
1640-596: Is operated jointly by the University of Glasgow, the University of the West of Scotland and the Open University . It offers a modular undergraduate curriculum, leading to one of a small number of liberal arts degrees, as well as providing the region's only access to postgraduate study. As well as these teaching campuses the university has halls of residence in and around the North-West of the city, accommodating
1722-478: Is structured upon what was then a cutting-edge riveted iron frame construction, supporting a lightweight wooden-beam roof. The building also forms the second-largest example of Gothic revival architecture in Britain, after the Palace of Westminster . An illustration of the Main Building previously featured on the reverse side of £100 notes issued by Clydesdale Bank . The university's Hunterian Museum resides in
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#17327733161411804-536: Is the largest university in Scotland by total enrolment and, with over 15,900 postgraduates, the fifth-largest in the United Kingdom by postgraduate enrolment. In common with universities of the pre-modern era, Glasgow originally educated students primarily from wealthy backgrounds; however, it became a pioneer in British higher education in the 19th century by also providing for the needs of students from
1886-876: Is the Garscube Estate in Bearsden , housing the Veterinary School , Observatory , ship model basin and much of the university's sports facilities, the Dental School in the city center, the section of Mental Health and Well Being at Gartnavel Royal Hospital on Great Western Road, the Teaching and Learning Centre at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Crichton Campus in Dumfries (operated jointly by
1968-638: Is the Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie, and the university appoints honorary chaplains of other denominations. The University Library , situated on Hillhead Street opposite the Main Building, is one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe. Situated over 12 floors, it hosts more than three million books and journals, and provides electronic resources, including over 51,900 electronic journals. It also houses sections for periodicals, microfilms, special collections and rare materials. The Library
2050-656: The Academic Senate (academic affairs), and the General Council (advisory). There is also a clear separation between governance and executive administration. The university's constitution, academic regulations, and appointments are described in the university calendar, while other aspects of its story and constitution are detailed in a separate "history" document. The university's three most significant officials are its chancellor, principal, and rector, whose rights and responsibilities are largely derived from
2132-661: The Anniesland area of the city. The university also has use of half of the East Boathouse situated at Glasgow Green on the River Clyde where Glasgow University Boat Club train. In common with the other ancient universities of Scotland the university's constitution is laid out in the Universities (Scotland) Acts. These Acts create a tripartite structure of bodies: the University Court (governing body),
2214-558: The Bishop of St Andrews , Henry Wardlaw , on 28 February 1411. Wardlaw then successfully petitioned the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII to grant the school university status by issuing a series of papal bulls , which followed on 28 August 1413. King James I of Scotland confirmed the charter of the university in 1432. Subsequent kings supported the university, with King James V of Scotland "confirming privileges of
2296-516: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars took a heavy toll, reducing the number to 83 by 1815. The universities of France were abolished and over half of the universities in both Germany and Spain were destroyed. By the mid 19th century, Europe had recovered to 98 universities. [REDACTED] Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Vilnius ) Its ultimate origins lie in a madrasa and institute of higher education founded by
2378-443: The Industrial Revolution , and its expansion in the High Street was constrained. The area around the university declined as well-off residents moved westwards with the expansion of the city and overcrowding of the immediate area by less well-off residents. It was this rapid slumming of the area that was a chief catalyst of the university's migration westward. In 1870, the university moved to a (then greenfield ) site on Gilmorehill in
2460-651: The Jacobite rising of 1715 , the lead character fights a duel in the New Building grounds before the contest is broken up by Rob Roy MacGregor . Over the following centuries, the university's size and scope continued to expand. In 1757 it built the Macfarlane Observatory and later Scotland's first public museum, the Hunterian . It was a center of the Scottish Enlightenment and subsequently of
2542-709: The National Library of Scotland , the transformed Kelvin Hall was brought into new public use including in Phase I the Hunterian Collections and Study Centre. The Mathematics Building, on University Way adjacent to the Boyd Orr Building, was demolished in 2017 to make way for a new 'Learning Hub' intended to provide individual and group study spaces for more than 2,500 students, as well as
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2624-758: The Rankine Building at the east end of University Avenue (opened 1970), the multipurpose Adam Smith Building (opened 1967) on the crest of the hill above University Gardens, and the new Queen Margaret Union building (opened 1968) on the University Gardens site previously occupied by the University Observatory. These were joined by others in various modernist styles; both the Library and Boyd Orr Building (opened 1968 and 1972 respectively) were configured as tower blocks, as
2706-578: The Universities (Scotland) Act 1858 . The Chancellor is the titular head of the university and President of the General Council . They award all degrees, although this duty is generally carried out by the Vice-Chancellor, appointed by them. The current Chancellor is Dame Katherine Grainger , a former rower who is Britain's most decorated female Olympian, the current chair of UK Sport , and former Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University . She
2788-834: The University of Paris , founded around the beginning of the 13th century but abolished by the French Revolution in 1793, are excluded. Some institutions reemerge, but with new foundations, such as the modern University of Paris, which came into existence in 1896 after the Louis Liard law disbanded Napoleon 's University of France system. The word "university" is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium , which approximately means "community of teachers and scholars." The University of Bologna in Bologna , Italy, where teaching began around 1088 and which
2870-493: The University of Strathclyde in 1964. In 1973, Delphine Parrott became its first female professor, as Gardiner Professor of Immunology. In October 2014, the university court voted for the university to become the first academic institution in Europe to divest from the fossil fuel industry . The university is currently spread over a few campuses. The main one is the Gilmorehill campus, in Hillhead . As well as this there
2952-431: The University of al-Qarawiyyin , University of Ez-Zitouna and Al-Azhar University , which were founded as mosques in 857, 864 and 970 respectively and developed into madrasas prior to the establishment of any European university, making them the oldest institutions of higher learning in continuous operation in the world. They became universities in 1963, 1956 and 1961 respectively. The university as an institution
3034-869: The Veterinary School in Bearsden , and the Crichton Campus in Dumfries . The alumni of the University of Glasgow include some of the major figures of modern history, including James Wilson , a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence , 3 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom ( William Lamb , Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Bonar Law ), 3 Scottish First Ministers ( Humza Yousaf , Nicola Sturgeon and Donald Dewar ), economist Adam Smith , philosopher Francis Hutcheson , engineer James Watt , physicist Lord Kelvin , surgeon Joseph Lister along with 4 Nobel Prize laureates (in total 8 Nobel Prize winners are affiliated with
3116-471: The high medieval period . Ancient higher-learning institutions , such as those of ancient Greece , Africa , ancient Persia , ancient Rome , Byzantium , ancient China , ancient India and the Islamic world , are not included in this list owing to their cultural, historical, structural and legal differences from the medieval European university from which the modern university evolved. These include
3198-566: The 1960s following publication of the Robbins Report led the university to build numerous modern buildings across Hillhead in a development zone, originally comprising mainly residential tenements, that had been designated on the north side of University Avenue in 1945. Several of these new buildings were in the brutalist style; the Mathematics Building at the west end of University Avenue (opened 1968, demolished 2017),
3280-532: The 405 members of the university community who gave their lives in the Second World War. Most of the windows are the work of Douglas Strachan , although some have been added over the years, including those on the South Wall, created by Alan Younger. Daily services are held in the chapel during term-time, as well as seasonal events. Before Christmas, there is a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on
3362-715: The London medical schools, and other institutions. Degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837. University College London (founded 1826; charter 1836) and King's College London (charter 1829 ) claim to be the third and fourth oldest universities in England, but did not offer degree courses prior to the foundation of the University of London and did not gain their own degree awarding powers until 2005 and 2006 respectively. They are listed by Rüegg as colleges of
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3444-481: The Main Building, and the related Hunterian Gallery is housed in buildings adjacent to the University Library. The latter includes "The Mackintosh House", a rebuilt terraced house designed by, and furnished after, architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh . Even these enlarged premises could not contain the expanding university, which quickly spread across much of Gilmorehill. The 1930s saw the construction of
3526-626: The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and the Established Church Act 1836. Incorporated and confirmed by Royal Charter in 1837 and degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837. Listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1836. Established by Royal Charter as degree awarding examining body for King's College London and University College London (see below),
3608-576: The Observatory an early contributor to solar physics as Wilson described the surface of the Sun. Observing the variation in width of the penumbra of a sunspot near the limb, he concluded the sunspots were depressions in the generally spherical photosphere . The phenomenon is called the Wilson effect to acknowledge his early observations. In the eighteenth century, the social position of an observatory
3690-400: The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453; was reformed to a Western style of education with multiple faculties of sciences in 1846; gained university status in 1933. Listed by Rüegg in A History of the University in Europe as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1832. Established under the authority of the University of Durham Act 1832. Recognised as a university in
3772-406: The Parliamentary Commissioners of Visitation on 28 August 1690, that he had seen the Bull at the Scots College in Paris, together with the many charters granted to the university by the monarchs of Scotland from James II to Mary, Queen of Scots . The university enquired of these documents in 1738 but was informed by Thomas Innes and the superiors of the Scots College that the original records of
3854-470: The United States, the colonial colleges awarded degrees from their foundation, but none were formally named as universities prior to the American Revolution , leading to various claims to be the first university in the United States . The earliest Canadian institutions were founded as colleges, without degree awarding powers, and gained degree granting authority and university status later. Briefly closed during two different periods: from 1861 to 1869 due to
3936-424: The University of Glasgow, the University of the West of Scotland and the Open University ). The Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) was opened at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on 29 March 2017, including a Clinical Innovation Zone spanning 11,000 square feet (1,000 m ) of collaboration space for researchers and industry. The university's initial accommodation including Glasgow University Library
4018-542: The University of London rather than as a universities. Founded 1845, as a university college offering courses leading to degrees of the Queen's University of Ireland then the Royal University of Ireland , gained university status in 1908. ( Río de la Plata ) ( Córdoba ) ( Charcas ) (La Plata) (New Granada) (Santa Fe de Bogotá) (New Granada) (Santa Fe de Bogotá) (Cuba) ( Havana ) ( Gran Colombia ) ( Quito ) (Guatemala) ( Guatemala ) (Peru) ( Lima ) (Venezuela) ( Caracas ) In
4100-458: The University) and numerous Olympic gold medallists, including the current chancellor, Dame Katherine Grainger . The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 by a charter or papal bull from Pope Nicholas V , at the suggestion of King James II , giving Bishop William Turnbull , a graduate of the University of St Andrews , permission to add a university to the city's Cathedral. It is the second-oldest university in Scotland after St Andrews and
4182-410: The West End of the city, around three miles (five kilometres) west of its previous location, enclosed by a large meander of the River Kelvin . The original site on the High Street was sold to the City of Glasgow Union Railway and replaced by the college goods yard . The new-build campus was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. The largest of these buildings echoed, on
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#17327733161414264-472: The award-winning round Reading Room (it is now a category-A listed building ) and an aggressive program of house purchases, in which the university (fearing the surrounding district of Hillhead was running out of suitable building land) acquired several terraces of Victorian houses and joined them together internally. The departments of Psychology, Computing Science, and most of the Arts Faculty continue to be housed in these terraces. More buildings were built to
4346-424: The deployment of resources as well as formulating strategic plans for the university. The Court is chaired by the Rector , who is elected by all the matriculated students at the university. The University Secretary is the Head of University Services and assists the Principal in day-to-day management. The current University Secretary is David Duncan. List of oldest universities in continuous operation This
4428-414: The development value of such property increased. The Stevenson Building on Gilmorehill opened in 1961 and provides students with the use of a fitness suite, squash courts, sauna, and six-lane, 25-metre swimming pool. The university also has a large sports complex on the Garscube Estate, besides their Wolfson Halls and Vet School. This is a new facility, replacing the previous Westerlands sports ground in
4510-410: The expanding student population, a new refectory —known as the Hub—was opened adjacent to the library in 1966, and the Glasgow University Union building at the eastern end of University Avenue was extended in 1965. In October 2001 the century-old Bower Building (previously home to the university's botany department) was gutted by fire. The interior and roof of the building were largely destroyed, though
4592-509: The first time in its history, the university was left without a Rector as no nominations were received. When the elections were run in December, Mordechai Vanunu was chosen for the post, even though he was unable to attend due to restrictions placed upon him by the Israeli government. In 2014, Edward Snowden , an American computer specialist, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, and former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor—who came to international attention when he disclosed
4674-413: The following chronological order: This list includes medieval universities that were founded before 1500 and which have retained institutional continuity since then (excluding not only those that ceased to exist, but also those that merged into or split away to an institution which is regarded as newly established). Several of these have been closed for brief periods: for example the University of Siena
4756-470: The foundation of the university were not to be found. If they had not been lost by this time, they certainly went astray during the French Revolution when the Scots College was under threat. Its records and valuables were moved for safe-keeping out of the city of Paris. The Bull remains the authority by which the university awards degrees. Teaching at the university began in the Chapter House of Glasgow Cathedral , subsequently moving to nearby Rottenrow , in
4838-402: The fourth-oldest in the English-speaking world. The universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen were ecclesiastical foundations, while Edinburgh was a civic foundation. As one of the ancient universities of the United Kingdom, Glasgow is one of only eight institutions to award undergraduate master's degrees in certain disciplines. The university has been without its original Bull since
4920-448: The growing urban and commercial middle class . Glasgow University served all of these students by preparing them for professions: law, medicine, civil service, teaching, and the church. It also trained smaller but growing numbers for careers in science and engineering. Glasgow has the fifth-largest endowment of any university in the UK and the annual income of the institution for 2022–23 was £944.2 million of which £220.7 million
5002-402: The last Sunday of term, and a Watchnight service on Christmas Eve. Graduates, students, members of staff, and the children of members of staff are entitled to be married in the chapel, which is also used for baptisms and funerals. Civil marriages and civil partnerships may be blessed in the chapel, although under UK law may not be performed there. The current chaplain of the university
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#17327733161415084-496: The main façade remained intact. After a £10.8 million refit, the building re-opened in November 2004. The Wolfson Medical School Building , with its award-winning glass-fronted atrium, opened in 2002, and in 2003, the St Andrews Building was opened, housing what is now the School of Education. It is sited a short walk from Gilmorehill, in the Woodlands area of the city on the site of the former Queens College, which had in turn been bought by Glasgow Caledonian University , from whom
5166-434: The mid-sixteenth century. In 1560, during the political unrest accompanying the Scottish Reformation , the then chancellor, Archbishop James Beaton , a supporter of the Marian cause , fled to France. He took with him, for safe-keeping, many of the archives and valuables of the cathedral and the university, including the Mace and the Bull. Although the Mace was sent back in 1590, the archives were not. Principal James Fall told
5248-441: The objectives of research as well as the award of publicly recognised degrees, it is a creation of medieval Europe , which was the Europe of papal Christianity [...]. From the early modern period onwards, the university spread from the medieval Latin West across the globe, eventually replacing all other higher-learning institutions and becoming the preeminent institution for higher education everywhere. The process occurred in
5330-546: The oldest institution that would normally be regarded as a university and the oldest institution (if different) to actually be called a university are given. In many parts of the world, the first university to have a presence was an institution based elsewhere (often the University of London via the affiliation of a local college); where this is different from the first locally established university, both are given. ( Nairobi ) ( Nairobi ) 1947 (After partition) 1864 (as college) While Europe had 143 universities in 1789,
5412-431: The university acquired the site. It replaced the St Andrews Campus in Bearsden . The university also procured the former Hillhead Congregational Church, converting it into a lecture theatre in 2005. The Sir Alwyn Williams building, designed by Reiach and Hall, was completed at Lilybank Terrace in 2007, housing the School of Computing Science. In September 2016, in partnership with Glasgow City Council , Glasgow Life , and
5494-498: The university form different from other institutions of higher learning in the pre-modern world, even though these may sometimes now be referred to popularly as universities. To be included in the list, the university must have been founded prior to 1500 in Europe or be the oldest university derived from the medieval European model in a country or region. It must also still be in operation, with institutional continuity retained throughout its history. So some early universities, including
5576-482: The university in 1728. He emigrated to Jamaica in 1735. He later became assistant judge and member of the Legislative Assembly of Jamaica. Macfarlane purchased the astronomical instruments of Colin Campbell after 1742. The instruments arrived to Glasgow in a deteriorated condition, and their suitability for mounting was in question before they were taken in hand by James Watt in 1756. Watt trained in London and upon returning to Glasgow served as instrument maker to
5658-564: The university" in 1532. The majority of European countries had universities by 1500. Many universities were established at institutes of learning such as schools and colleges that may have been founded significantly earlier but were not classed as universities upon their foundation; this is normally described in the notes for that institution. In some countries (particularly the US and those influenced by its culture), degree-granting higher education institutions that would normally be called universities are instead called colleges. In this case, both
5740-498: The university's relocation to Hillhead , again proved problematic when more real estate was required. The school of veterinary medicine, which was founded in 1862, moved to a new campus in the leafy surrounds of Garscube Estate, around two miles (3 km) west of the main campus, in 1954. The university later moved its sports ground and associated facilities to Garscube and also built student halls of residence in both Garscube and Maryhill . The expected growth of tertiary education in
5822-407: The university. He was commissioned to repair the instruments, and he was paid £5 for his services. The donation was opportune for Watt as well as the University. As Marshall writes: The foundation stone for the observatory was laid in 1757. It was located between Gallowgate and Duke Street. In 1760 Alexander Wilson was installed as professor of practical astronomy. His interest in sun spots made
5904-635: The west of the Main Building, developing the land between University Avenue and the River Kelvin with natural science buildings and the faculty of medicine. The medical school spread into neighboring Partick and joined with the Western Infirmary . At the eastern flank of the Main Building, the James Watt Engineering Building was completed in 1959. The growth and prosperity of the city, which had originally forced
5986-536: Was closed 1805–1815 during the Napoleonic wars , and universities in the Czech Republic and Poland were closed during Nazi occupation , 1938–1945. Universities are dated from when, according to scholars, they first met the definition of a university. In cases such as the universities of Bologna and Oxford which trace their history back to teaching in individual schools prior to their formation into
6068-599: Was found by the method of lunar distances . The establishment of the Macfarlane Observatory in 1757 was before the 1767 appearance of The Nautical Almanac based on the Prime Meridian at Royal Observatory, Greenwich . A portrait and biographical note about Alexander MacFarlane appear on the University's website. In September 2018, the University published a report titled "Slavery, Abolition and The University of Glasgow" in its efforts towards
6150-593: Was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £827.4 million. It is a member of Universitas 21 , the Russell Group and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities . The university was originally located in the city's High Street ; since 1870, its main campus has been at Gilmorehill in the City's West End . Additionally, a number of university buildings are located elsewhere, such as
6232-568: Was greater than now: as Dava Sobel writes, "...The founding philosophy of the Royal Observatory, like that of the Paris Observatory before it, viewed astronomy as a means to an end. All the far-flung stars must be catalogued, so as to chart a course for sailors over the oceans of the earth." An observatory represented a place of certitude of time and place, a place to set a marine chronometer for use at sea, where longitude
6314-511: Was historically rooted in medieval society, which it in turn influenced and shaped. Academic historian Walter Rüegg asserts that: The university is a European institution; indeed, it is the European institution par excellence . There are various reasons for this assertion. As a community of teachers and taught, accorded certain rights, such as administrative autonomy and the determination and realisation of curricula (courses of study) and of
6396-530: Was occupied by the Western Infirmary between 1874 and 2015. The University Chapel was constructed as a memorial to the 755 sons of the university who had died in the First World War. Designed by Sir John Burnet , it was completed in 1929 and dedicated on 4 October. Tablets on the wall behind the Communion Table list the names of those who died, while other tablets besides the stalls record
6478-534: Was opened, funded by the Wolfson Foundation. The Archives of the University of Glasgow is the central place of deposit for the records of the university, created and accumulated since its foundation in 1451. The university opened the Crichton campus in Dumfries , Dumfries and Galloway during the 1980s. It was designed to meet the needs for tertiary education in an area far from major cities and
6560-520: Was organised into a university in the late 12th century, is the world's oldest university in continuous operation, and the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute. The origin of many medieval universities can be traced back to the Catholic cathedral schools or monastic schools , which appeared as early as the 6th century and were run for hundreds of years prior to their formal establishment as universities in
6642-613: Was part of the complex of religious buildings in the precincts of Glasgow Cathedral . In 1460, the university received a grant of land from James, Lord Hamilton , on the east side of the High Street , immediately north of the Blackfriars Church, on which it had its home for the next four hundred years. In the mid-seventeenth century, the Hamilton Building was replaced with a very grand two-court building with
6724-535: Was the Genetics Building at the very south end of the campus on Dumbarton Road (opened 1967, named for Guido Pontecorvo in 1994, demolished 2021), while the amber-brick Geology Building (opened 1980, named for John Walter Gregory in 1998, renamed for Silas Molema in 2021) was built to a low-rise design on the former site of eight terraced houses in Lilybank Gardens. To further cater to
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