A HIGH-PROFILE economist will be awarded an Honorary Professor post at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) at its graduation ceremony later this month.
Dr Matthew Agarwala will formally receive the award at the ceremony on 28 August.
Dr Agarwala leads the Bennett Institute’s Wealth Economy project at the University of Cambridge and is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale University.
He has shown strong support for SRUC’s ambition to become an enterprise university at the heart of the natural economy and his work in measuring and delivering sustainability, wellbeing and productivity align with the institution’s values.
Dr Agarwala has shown strong support for SRUC’s ambition to become an enterprise university at the heart of the natural economy and his work in measuring and delivering sustainability, wellbeing and productivity align with the institution’s values.
He said: “It is an honour and a privilege to join SRUC as an Honorary Professor.
“From economics to philosophy, engineering, the arts and the natural sciences, Scotland has always expanded the frontier of human knowledge.
“With this honorary professorship, I’ll get to see first-hand how SRUC’s students, faculty and alumni continue this tradition, and support them in delivering a sustainable and prosperous economy.”
Three Honorary Fellowships will also be awarded to retired Chief Veterinary Officer Professor Charles Milne, former Chair of NatureScot Dr Mike Cantlay and Civil Service Commissioner Professor Paul Gray.
Professor Milne, former Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland and more recently Victoria in Australia, has notable scientific expertise and knowledge of policy development in the field of animal health, food safety and animal welfare.
Dr Cantlay has recently completed his term as Chair of NatureScot, the body responsible for the conservation of Scotland’s natural heritage and management of almost 1 per cent of the country’s landmass.
Professor Gray has vast experience of advising on complex and politically contested issues. He has worked extensively with both the academic and executive leadership teams within SRUC on the challenges associated with change during times of uncertainty.
Meanwhile Peter Kettlewell, a former SRUC lecturer and internationally recognised expert in livestock transport, has been made an Emeritus Fellow.
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “We are delighted to welcome Matthew as an Honorary Professor and Charles, Mike and Paul as Honorary Fellows.
“Between them they have a variety of skills which will be of vital importance to SRUC as we progress on our journey to becoming an enterprise university at the heart of the natural economy and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with them over the next few years.”
“I would also like to offer Peter my congratulations on being named as an Emeritus Fellow. He was a dedicated lecturer who always went above and beyond the requirements of the job and was highly respected by staff and students alike.”
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges.
 at its graduation ceremony.){kind=link}