Gifford Lectures

The prestigious Gifford Lectures have been delivered annually since 1888 by distinguished international scholars.

The prestigious Gifford Lectures have been delivered annually since 1888 by a succession of distinguished international scholars.

The Gifford Lectureships (held at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St. Andrews) were established under the will of Adam Lord Gifford (1820-1887), a Senator of the College of Justice.

Gifford Lectures October 2025 - Why is Life the way it is?

The Gifford Lectures: Beyond the Series introduces a new strand within the historic Gifford Lectures, hosted by the University of Edinburgh — a series of standalone autumn lectures that carry the spirit of the original programme into fresh and timely directions.

This inaugural lecture features award-winning author and evolutionary biochemist Professor Nick Lane, who will explore the origins and constraints of life in a fascinating talk titled “Why is Life the Way it Is?”

The Gifford Lectureships Committee is pleased to give advance notice of the following lectures

Find out more about the history of the Gifford Lectures

Details of previous Gifford lectures, including lecture abstracts, speaker biographies and recordings, can be found here in our archive section.

If you have any questions on the Gifford Lecture series, please email GiffordLectures@ed.ac.uk

Mailing list

Many of you will have an interest in future lectures and speakers. We have set up a dedicated mailing list so you can be the first to hear about upcoming lecture tickets before they are offered to  the wider public.

 

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