About the Centre
The Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS) is the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns (1759-96), his contexts and associated literatures.
Since its foundation in 2007, the Centre has established itself as a University ‘Research Beacon’: a cross-disciplinary area of research excellence which has attracted major financial and intellectual investment and brought together the largest concentration of Burns experts in the world who work with other institutions, funders, practitioners, policymakers and charities to have impact on a national and international scale.
The Centre’s impactful research, wide-reaching knowledge exchange activities, innovative methodologies in learning and teaching, and partnerships with cultural institutions have revolutionised scholarly and popular understanding of Burns’s life, work, creative processes and economic significance, increasing the cultural and economic value of Burns in Scotland and worldwide.
In recognition of this pioneering work, the University of Glasgow was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education (formerly the Queen’s Anniversary Prize) in 2023 for the Centre’s flagship initiative, 'Editing and Curating Robert Burns for the 21st Century'. This prestigious national honour celebrates excellence, innovation and well-evidenced benefit to both the institution and the wider world.
Aims
- to lead the development and coordination of research of excellence related to Robert Burns both in the UK and beyond.
- to encourage Robert Burns Studies through publications, seminar series, colloquia, conferences, performance events and other meetings both in the UK and internationally.
- to foster links with other institutions working in the area of Robert Burns Studies and housing significant collections of Burns material.
- to establish and maintain a centre of excellence in postgraduate studies and early career research.
- to broaden interest in Robert Burns Studies by inviting visiting lecturers and by encouraging academic and student exchanges both within the UK and globally.
What We Do
CRBS has an established and sustained record for excellence in literary research, textual editing, material and digital cultural heritage, and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
By channelling the greatest concentration of Burns experts anywhere in the world to develop an innovative and evolving programme of research, knowledge exchange and impact, CRBS are harnessing and promoting the cultural wealth of Burns – his iconic legacy and international reach – for the benefit of twenty-first century society.
Global Reach and Engagement
The Centre for Robert Burns Studies is connected with an active global network of Burns scholars and has welcomed visiting scholars from countries across the world, including the USA, Slovenia and Czechia.
The Centre supports a number of postgraduate students to undertake research on Robert Burns, providing financial assistance for Masters-level projects through the Shaw Scholarship, direct supervision of doctoral research (PhD) projects, and early career postdoctoral research opportunities.
In line with the Centre’s aim to broaden interest in Robert Burns, CRBS offers online courses which are open to all, enabling learners to explore the poet's life and works in greater detail, while engaging with an international community of scholars and enthuiasts.
CRBS promotes Robert Burns Studies through a wide range of public engagement events, including conferences, high-profile performance events, and seminar series. Annual events, including the Centre for Robert Burns Studies Conference, connect audience members from the academy and beyond.
Legacy and Recognition
Robert Burns was born in Alloway in 1759. A farmer’s son who rose to literary prominence following the success of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock, 1786), Burns died at the young age of 37. However, his legacy endures in the appreciation of his extensive corpus of poetry, song and correspondence; in Burnsian Cultural Heritage; and through the global phenomenon that is the annual celebration of The Burns Supper (or Burns Night) to commemorate the poet's date of birth on the 25th of January.
The Centre’s work ensures that Burns’s cultural, economic, and literary significance continues to evolve and inspire new generations.
The award of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education affirms CRBS’s role as a world-leading institution in literary scholarship and cultural heritage, recognising its transformative impact on education, research, and society in Scotland and internationally.