In preparation for its 125th anniversary in 2026, and to inform its new Strategy, the Trust has asked Dr. Catriona M. M. Macdonald, Reader in Late Modern Scottish History at the University of Glasgow, to research its origins and development.
The aim of the project is to understand more about the impact of the Trust’s funding on its beneficiaries and the contribution that those individuals, and the Trust itself, have made to the evolution of the modern higher education system in Scotland. Reaching beyond the institutions, the research also addresses the Trust’s role in the economic, cultural and social progress of Scotland more generally.
Dr. Macdonald has been digging through the Trust’s archives and those of Scotland’s universities, unearthing evidence which will chart the Trust’s history and evolution and shed new light on the expansion of Scotland’s university sector during the 20th century, and the Trust’s role in its development.
The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland was established as an independent not-for- profit foundation in 1901, through an initial endowment of $10 million in bonds, donated by the philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie. By 1910, it covered the costs of tuition fees for around half of the student body in Scotland’s universities.
As the Trust enters its 125th year, it is developing a new Strategic Plan, setting out its priorities for the next five years to ensure that it continues to secure benefits for people in Scotland by fulfilling Carnegie’s vision for access to, and improvement of, higher education.
Dr Macdonald said:
“It’s such a pleasure to be researching the history of this unique institution. The Trust has been a transformational influence on Scottish education over the past century. Particularly in its first 50 years, it pioneered an innovative system of student support in Scotland, unmatched in any other nation. The Trust’s history touches every part of Scotland’s higher education story, and the cultural and scientific life of Scotland would be much poorer were it not for its presence. I look forward to sharing my findings more widely.”
Hannah Garrow, the Trust’s Chief Executive said:
“At a time when we are reflecting on our forward strategy, it is very helpful to understand more about the impact that the Trust has had over the years. The landscape of higher education in Scotland is very different to that which Carnegie experienced, but the issues he sought to address – funding and access – remain as important today as they did in 1901. I hope that Dr. MacDonald’s research will be a catalyst for further collective debate and deliberation on the future of higher education in Scotland.’
Dr Macdonald’s research will continue throughout 2025 and will be shared during our anniversary year.
If you’d like to know more about the history of the Trust or if you’d like to contribute an Alumni Story, please get in touch.