Confirmation that one-quarter of MSPs have a direct connection with the University of Glasgow, about the same percentage that Oxford and Cambridge combined have at Westminster, underlines the powerful heritage that Glasgow has in producing political leaders and opinion formers.
Donald Dewar, Nicola Sturgeon, John Smith, Charles Kennedy, Ming Campbell and Liam Fox are some of our more recent alumni, but a thread of inclusive debate and discussion can be traced back through Glasgow's long history to individuals who have shaped global ideas such as Adam Smith, Lord Kelvin and John Logie Baird.
We've fostered the talents of seven Nobel laureates, one prime minister and Scotland's inaugural first minister, and our debating teams are regularly ranked amongst the world elite.
In this momentous year that tradition continues.
As a university we maintain a strictly neutral position on independence but we also have a role to play as the focus for informed discussion.
We have welcomed major figures from both sides and have provided opportunities for our students, staff and the wider public to engage and take the debate forward. The learning and teaching environment that we offer at Glasgow University has always encouraged ambition.
We firmly believe students who come to study with us will not only rub shoulders with the very best, but will be inspired to be the very best.
Professor Anton Muscatelli is the principal of Glasgow University
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