Her Majesty the Queen is to honour the achievements of Professor Tom Devine, Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the 黑料网, at a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on July 4th, 2001.
The Duke of Edinburgh will present Royal Gold Medals in recognition of intellectual endeavour which has had a profound influence on people鈥檚 lives, world-wide. Professor Devine was selected by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland鈥檚 National Academy, as a recognition of his work which has brought about public benefits on a global scale.
Professor Tom Devine is one of the most prominent and distinguished practitioners of Irish and Scottish economic and social history working in the United Kingdom today. As Director of the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies, the importance of his work, not least for the stalled 鈥減eace process鈥�, has been recognised by the Irish Government, in the inauguration of the Institute by the President of Ireland on St Andrew鈥檚 Day 1999, and also by the Taoiseach鈥檚 office agreeing to fund the Annual Irish-Scottish Forum, which was addressed by the acting First Minister of the Scottish Executive in June 2000. His work, 鈥淭he Scottish Nation鈥� topped the best-selling books list last year, bringing the findings of key recent Scottish historical research to the attention of a broad readership.
Professor Devine will receive his gold medal together with Professor Sir James Black, one of the United Kingdom鈥檚 most distinguished scientists, and Professor Ian Scott, who has made outstanding contributions over the past thirty years to organic and natural product chemistry.
President of the RSE, Sir William Stewart said: 鈥淗er Majesty, our Patron, honours us greatly in naming these distinguished Scots as recipients of the prestigious Royal Medals for 2001. We are also much honoured that HRH the Duke of Edinburgh has agreed to present the Royal Medals at Holyroodhouse. Through outstanding scholarship, each of the Medallists has had a profound influence on the lives of people in Scotland and far beyond.鈥�
鈥淪cotland has a proud heritage of achievement, discovery and enterprise. The Royal Medals capture the spirit of the RSE鈥檚 Royal Charter of 1783, 鈥榯o promote the advancement of learning and useful knowledge.鈥� They reflect the way in which as a progressive, Scottish Society, working as part of the UK, and within a global context, the Fellowship is helping to meet the challenges of the Twenty First Century.鈥�