The new Adam Smith Business School Building and Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Hub was opened by Professor Cecilia Rouse, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the White House for the Biden-Harris administration, Katzman-Ernst Professor in Economics and Education at Princeton University, and incoming President of the Brookings Institution.

Professor Rouse was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of the University of Glasgow for her work as a labour economist, her commitment to education, and her contribution to public service.

The Adam Smith Business School Building and Postgraduate Taught Hub will be formally named the Adam Smith Building at the end of the current academic year.

The new building contains a range of state-of-the-art teaching, research and collaboration spaces for students and staff from the University’s Adam Smith Business School.

It also delivers the first ever dedicated study and social space for the University of Glasgow’s graduate students, meaning the University can better support and promote business skills, employability and graduate attributes across its programmes.

The state-of-the-art facilities include a trading environment, simulating the experience of working with financial software in real-world trading roles and a dedicated MBA and Executive Education Suite.

Professor Rouse, who spoke at the building opening, said: “Adam Smith is well-known for his belief in the virtues of the free market. But it is also his articulation of the necessity of the public sector – from roads to national security, to a legal structure, to benefits like childcare that enable full participation in our economy – that help make his vision so valuable to a new generation of scholars.”

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “This new building will be a fantastic home for our world-renowned Adam Smith Business School. Opening in Adam Smith’s tercentenary year, it will ensure that Glasgow sustains his legacy by continuing to promote innovation, foster connections across academia, industry and policy, and welcome staff and students from around the world to the city of Glasgow.”

“The building will also be home to our new Postgraduate Taught Hub, an important resource to support our PGT community. These new facilities will bring our community together in new ways, enabling us to respond to the changing needs of industry and job markets, while placing business skills at the heart of the student experience at Glasgow.”

Head of the Adam Smith Business School, Professor Eleanor Shaw, said: “The Adam Smith Business School is committed to being engaged, enlightened and entrepreneurial, and to engaging in world-changing research and scholarship that can have positive differences on our learners and for the communities we work with and service.

“The facilities in our new home support these ambitions and we look forward to welcoming our learners and our partners to work alongside us in our new facilities. Our flagship new building means the University of Glasgow continues to be seen as a place that inspires and influences people and organisations around the world, engaging with a wide range of industries, organisations and policy-makers.

“This major new facility also means the Adam Smith Business School can grow its international reputation, attracting the very best staff and students to Glasgow.”

The building was opened during Adam Smith’s tercentenary year, which has seen the University of Glasgow lead global events and activities to commemorate Smith’s learning and legacy.