New Zealand Historian Appointed Visiting Professor at Edinburgh University
Professor Angela McCarthy has been appointed to a Visiting Professorship in the University of Edinburgh, one of the
world’s top ranking HE institutions.
It is believed that this is the first such appointment by a member of staff of the University of Otago to Edinburgh.
Currently Professor of Scottish and Irish History and Associate Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies at
the University of Otago, this new appointment links Professor McCarthy to the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies, a
world class centre in its field, and to the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Edinburgh.
Her duties as a Visiting Professor will include assisting with postgraduate supervision, contributing to joint research
projects and providing expertise in Irish-Scottish diaspora history especially from an Australasian perspective.
Upon learning of the appointment Professor McCarthy revealed, ‘I am thrilled to be offered this honour by such a
prestigious institution. It helps to strengthen my connections with leading scholars in my own field of historical
studies.’
Professor Tom Devine, Director of the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies, said, ‘The Centre is delighted that
Professor McCarthy has accepted the invitation from the University to become our first Visiting Professor. She joins
Professor John M. MacKenzie FRSE, the eminent historian of empire, who is our Honorary Professorial Fellow.
‘The academic staff of the Centre unanimously felt that Professor McCarthy in particular should be approached for this
prestigious position because of her prolific and innovative research in comparative diasporas and Irish-Scottish
international migrations. She will be an undoubted intellectual asset to the Centre and we all look forward to working
with her.’
Edinburgh’s Arts and Humanities was recently ranked eleventh in the 2012 Times Higher Education World University
Rankings for the second year in succession and fourth in the UK and Europe.
ENDS