A celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen will be held this week with distinguished academic guests invited to take part in the landmark event.
The lunchtime celebration on Wednesday (May 11) will involve many staff, former students and former Heads of Department including the very first Head of Department Professor Raymond Illsley who will deliver a speech.
Also in attendance will be Professor Cormack, Principal of the University of Highlands and Islands, who was one of the first cohort of graduating students, who will also speak. The Department has located many former staff, secretaries and students, who have been invited. Staff associated with the School and College will also be invited.
Sociology at Aberdeen is among the top teaching and research units in the UK and recognised internationally for the quality of its work. The study of society has a long tradition at Aberdeen. Sociology was first taught in Aberdeen in 1907 by Robert MacIver, who went on to become President of the American Sociological Association, making Aberdeen one of the first universities to teach the subject in the UK. The Department of Sociology however, was not founded until much later. Some of the key figures in modern British sociology have taught in the Department.
Professor John Brewer, current Head of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen, said he was delighted to be hosting the event, which highlights the continuing success of sociology at Aberdeen. He said: “Aberdeen has a long and respected reputation in sociology and the celebration of the founding of the Department is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the presence and support of the people who have helped to make Aberdeen sociology so well known”.
The Times newspaper's Good University Guide 2004 considers Aberdeen as one of the top places to study sociology in the UK, and the institution has risen up the league table steadily over the last few years to occupy fourth place in the most recent rankings. With nearly 80 universities offering undergraduate degrees in the discipline, this confirms that Aberdeen delivers one of the country’s most highly respected sociology programmes.
The 40th anniversary lunch will be held on Wednesday (May 11), in the Linklater Rooms at 12noon.