The Institute of Advanced Studies, Strathclyde University

The Institute for Advanced Studies is a place for unconstrained thinking, where groundbreaking concepts can be developed and explored, with the aim of enhancing the culture and society of Scotland and its future scientific and technological capabilities.

The Institute is explicitly interdisciplinary in nature and has a remit to inform public policy and practice, where appropriate. 

Initially it is being hosted at the University of Strathclyde — homever its goal is to become an independent, national institution for academics and non-academics across Scotland.

One of the Institute’s main purposes is to overcome the usual barriers that institutional structures impose on disciplines. While the quality of research programmes held at the Institute is paramount — and critical to attracting the best thinkers from all over the world — it is also important that the programmes challenge conventional wisdom and are highly interdisciplinary.

Programmes bring together people with very different backgrounds and expertise, and aim to address key issues that are of concern now, and/or will be in the future (such as climate change, complexity, conflict, energy, privacy, nationhood, education, creativity, etc.).

The Institute makes this possible by providing a physical space to host the programme participants and activities, and full administration and technical support. There is also support in terms of travel and subsistence costs for programme participants.