QUEEN’S ANNIVERSARY PRIZE PRESENTED TO CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE FOR LIFE-SAVING RESEARCH

City of Glasgow College has been presented with a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London.

Part of the UK’s Honours system, the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are awarded every two years to colleges and universities that submit work judged to show excellence, innovation, impact and benefit for the institution itself and for people and society generally in the wider world.

The award medal was received by Dr Paul Little CBE, Principal & CEO of City of Glasgow College, from Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at a formal Honours ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 22 February 2024.

The award was presented to City of Glasgow College for its life-saving research highlighting the dangers of oxygen depletion in enclosed spaces on-board ships.

Innovative research

Commenting on the award, Principal and CEO of City of Glasgow College, Dr. Paul Little CBE, said:

“It is a great honour to accept this Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education on behalf of the Team City colleagues who delivered this vital research.

“I am delighted that City of Glasgow College has received the highest national honour conferred on the tertiary sector. This prestigious award underlines our relentless pursuit of excellence and recognises the world-class research and innovation taking place at the College.

“This transformational research is having a global impact by saving hundreds of seafarers’ lives across the oceans. This prize-winning work is also testament to the importance we place on symbiotic partnership working together with the vital role our college sector plays within industry. This has been a huge Team City collective effort and I am extremely proud of everyone involved in this trail-blazing project, and we are honoured that the College’s work has been recognised by the Awards Council of the Royal Anniversary Trust.”

Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of The Royal Anniversary Trust, said:

“The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education are an integral part of our national Honours system, shining a light on the ground-breaking work taking place in universities and colleges across the UK. All 22 Prize-winners demonstrate excellence, innovation and impact, with many tackling some of the toughest problems we as a society face today. They are to be commended for reaching this pinnacle of achievement in the tertiary education sector. Congratulations!”

Joining the Principal at the ceremony were Chair of the Board, Alisdair Barron, lead researchers Donal Burke and Dr. Manhal Alnasser, Stuart McDowall, Head of Innovation & STEM, industry partner Dan Olson, CEO of Stena, along with a group of Merchant Navy Cadets from the College.  A reception at the Palace the night before was also attended by representatives from City of Glasgow College and their industry partners.

Globally recognised

City of Glasgow College is firmly established as one of the World’s leading Maritime educational facilities and we are proud of our partnerships with the wider maritime sector. Our Riverside campus is a Maritime Centre of Excellence training some 40% of the UK Merchant Navy Cadets each year. The transformational research that has been recognised with the Queens Anniversary Prize will help ensure the safety of those working in this critical industry. The College is further raising awareness of the risks of oxygen depletion in shipping by making training available via the Maritime Education Foundation – a charitable organisation that promote education and training in maritime skills that will help protect cadets as they embark on their careers across the globe.

Read more about our trail-blazing oxygen depletion research.