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Sir Geoff Palmer, Professor Emeritus and Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, has received the Edinburgh Award 2022.
The coveted annual honour was presented to Sir Geoff at Edinburgh City Chambers by the Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, for his immense contributions to academia and tireless defence of human rights.
Accepting the honour in front of friends, family and invited guests, Sir Geoff, said afterwards: “This award is more than a great honour; it is a recognition of all the people whose goodness has contributed to my life and work. I arrived in Edinburgh as a research student in 1964 and I thank the City of Edinburgh Council for all it has done for the community.”
The Edinburgh Award was established in 2007 and is now a prestigious annual award to honour an outstanding individual who has made a positive impact on the city and gained national and international recognition for Edinburgh.
As part of the Edinburgh Award ceremony held this week, Hannah Lavery, the Edinburgh Makar, recited a poem in Sir Geoff's honour.
Vice-Principal, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Mark Biggs, of Heriot-Watt University, congratulated Sir Geoff on his latest achievement. He said: “Sir Geoff has long been a true inspiration to us all and to those at Heriot-Watt.
“His association with Heriot-Watt has been a long and distinguished one.
“All his excellent work at Heriot-Watt lead to him being awarded a personal chair in 1989, and we are hugely privileged to have him formally re-join us recently as Chancellor of the University.
“The International Centre for Brewing and Distilling which he founded at Heriot-Watt in 1989 has gone on to produce many brewers and distillers whose names many would recognise.
“Sir Geoff's achievements have been manyfold. He has said to me that very little of these would have been achieved without the many good people around him – true, but it is your inspirational approach Sir Geoff that has been the magic ingredient to your impact.”