University of Glasgow’s James McCune Smith Learning Hub opens to students

Following practical completion in February, the University of Glasgow’s James McCune Smith Learning Hub has now opened its doors to students.

Named in honour of James McCune Smith, a University of Glasgow alumnus who became the first African American in the world to receive a medical degree, this new teaching facility gives students access to state-of-the-art learning spaces including six lecture theatres, multiple seminar and group study areas, and a new café on the ground floor. It delivers a high-quality conference venue and provides a major new events and exhibitions resource for Glasgow’s West End community.

Multiplex is Programme Delivery Partner for the University of Glasgow’s campus development programme – the largest development ever undertaken in the university’s long history – and the James McCune Smith Learning Hub forms part of Phase One.

The project’s construction has generated over £135 million in social value and economic impacts, and also proved an effective pathway for engaging new talent by creating positions for 47 new entrants, as well as training and work placement opportunities. (Source: James McCune Smith Learning Hub Social Value Report, published December 2020.)

In line with Scottish Government guidance on COVID-19, the building is only open in a reduced capacity initially, but it is a major milestone to see this new facility in use.