for all reasons A man This year marks the 300th anniversary
of the birth of one of Scotland’s most renowned sons, economist and philosopher Adam Smith. Smith both studied and taught at the University of Glasgow, hence the business school there shares his name. Ambition editor and alumna Colette Doyle finds out how this 572-year-old university plans to commemorate the life of such a truly remarkable scholar
Adam Smith’s ideas, insights and concepts of moral philosophy and economics have left a legacy that is still celebrated today
T
he wealth of nations and The theory of moral sentiments may have been published by Adam Smith in the mid‑18th century, but they are no mere dusty tomes; Smith’s work is one for the ages and his writing still has huge relevance in the digital era. A leading Scottish Enlightenment figure, Smith was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife in June 1723 and started his studies at the University of Glasgow aged 14. He later taught there under two guises: first as professor of logic in 1751 and, a year later, as professor of moral philosophy; he was appointed as rector in 1787. Smith’s legacy is being celebrated by the university and its eponymous business school through a series of events, brought together under the umbrella title Adam Smith 300, between now and June. “Adam Smith left an indelible impact on the University of Glasgow, on the fields of economics and moral philosophy and on the wider world. His writings introduced new ideas, insights and concepts that have shaped our understanding of economics today, but were revolutionary in their time”, comments Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor at University of Glasgow.
Pictured, left to right, at the Adam Smith 300 launch at the University of Glasgow’s Kelvin Gallery are university principal and vice-chancellor Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli; vice-principal and head of the College of Social Sciences Professor Sara Carter; Adam Smith Business School head Professor John Finch; and economics lecturer Professor Graeme Roy
34 | Ambition | MARCH 2023
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