Regius Professor

{{short description|University professor with royal patronage or appointment in UK and Ireland}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2012}} thumb|Royal warrant creating a Regius Chair in Mathematics at the University of Warwick (2013)

A '''Regius Professor''' is a university professor who has, or originally had, royal patronage or appointment. They are a unique feature of academia in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The first Regius Professorship was in the field of medicine, and founded by the Scottish King James IV at the University of Aberdeen in 1497. Regius chairs have since been instituted in various universities, in disciplines judged to be fundamental and for which there is a continuing and significant need. Each was established by an English, Scottish, or British monarch, and following proper advertisement and interview through the offices of the university and the national government, the current monarch still appoints the professor (except for those at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, which left the United Kingdom in 1922). This royal imprimatur, and the relative rarity of these professorships, means a Regius chair is prestigious and highly sought after.

Regius Professors are traditionally addressed as "Regius" and not "Professor".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://websitesasksam.com/scripts/as_web7.exe?Command=DocName&File=Osleriana&Name=LoSWO%20Chapter%2023 |title=Cushing, Harvey (1940). The Life of Sir William Osler (volume 1, chapter 23). Oxford: Oxford University Press |access-date=5 September 2015 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305030619/http://websitesasksam.com/scripts/as_web7.exe?Command=DocName&File=Osleriana&Name=LoSWO%20Chapter%2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The University of Glasgow currently has the highest number of extant Regius chairs, at fourteen.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_242317_en.html |title=Regius Professor of Law Appointed to the University of Glasgow |publisher=University of Glasgow |date=1 October 2012 |access-date=3 April 2013 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014035307/http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_242317_en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Traditionally, Regius Chairs only existed in the seven ancient universities of the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Richard J. |author1-link=Richard J. Evans |title=On her Majesty's scholarly service |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/on-her-majestys-scholarly-service/2001293.article |website=Times Higher Education |access-date=2 November 2023 |date=7 February 2013}}</ref> In October 2012 it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II would create up to six new Regius Professorships, to be announced in early 2013, to mark her Diamond Jubilee.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Queen to bestow new Regius Professorships on outstanding Universities |date=12 October 2012 |publisher=Cabinet Office |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/regius-professorships-universities |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref> In January 2013 the full list was announced, comprising twelve new chairs, probably the largest number ever created in one year, and more than created in most centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/new-regius-professorships-announced-for-12-universities/2001152.article |title=New Regius Professorships announced for 12 universities |magazine=Times Higher Education Supplement |date=29 January 2013 |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Cabinet Office: The Queen awards prestigious Regius professorships to twelve universities |date=29 January 2013 |publisher=PoliticsHome |url=http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/70924/cabinet_office_the_queen_awards_prestigious_regius_professorships_to_twelve_universities.html |access-date=3 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322001916/http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/70924/cabinet_office_the_queen_awards_prestigious_regius_professorships_to_twelve_universities.html |archive-date=22 March 2014 }}</ref> In July 2015 it was announced that further Regius Professorships would be created to mark the Queen's 90th birthday.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Garner|first1=Richard|title=Budget 2015: Universities will be allowed to raise fees beyond £9,000, says George Osborne|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2015-universities-will-be-allowed-to-raise-fees-beyond-9000-says-george-osborne-10375910.html|access-date=5 August 2015|work=The Independent|date=8 July 2015}}</ref>

==University of Aberdeen== {{See also|List of professorships at the University of Aberdeen}}

*Regius Professor of Anatomy (1863) *Regius Professor of Botany *Regius Professor of English Literature (1894) *Regius Professor of Greek (abolished and merged into the Chair of Humanity in 1979) *Regius Professor of Humanity, formerly Regius Professor of Classics *Regius Professor of Logic *Regius Professor of Mathematics (1703) *Regius Professor of Medicine, formerly Regius Professor of Materia Medica (1858)<ref name="comrie">{{cite book|last=Comrie|first=John D|title=History of Scottish Medicine to 1860|chapter=Chapter 9: The Medical School of Aberdeen|date=1927|publisher=Wellcome Historical Medical Museum|location=London|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/medical/medicine9.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|159}} *Regius Professor of Moral Philosophy *Regius Professor of Natural History *Regius Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, formerly Regius Professor of Midwifery (1858)<ref name="comrie"/>{{rp|159}} *Regius Professor of Pathology *Regius Professor of Physiology (1858)<ref name="comrie"/>{{rp|159}} *Regius Professor of Surgery (1839)<ref name=bulloch>{{cite book|last=Bulloch|first=John|title=A History of the University of Aberdeen 1495-1895|date=1895|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofunivers00bulluoft}}</ref>{{rp|189}}

== Aston University == *Regius Professor of Pharmacy (2016)<ref name="Aston University appoints UK’s only Regius Professor of Pharmacy">{{cite web |title=Aston University appoints UK’s only Regius Professor of Pharmacy |url=https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/aston-university-appoints-uks-only-regius-professor-pharmacy |website=Aston University |publisher=Aston University |access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref>

== Cardiff University == *Regius Professor of Chemistry (2016)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regius-professorships-awarded-to-leading-universities-to-mark-queens-90th-birthday|title=Regius Professorships awarded to leading universities to mark Queen's 90th birthday - Press releases - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref>

==University of Cambridge== {{See also|List of professorships at the University of Cambridge}}

*Regius Professor of Botany (1724/2009) *Regius Professor of Civil Law (1540) *Regius Professor of Divinity (1540) *Regius Professor of Engineering (2011) *Regius Professor of Greek (1540) *Regius Professor of Hebrew (1540) *Regius Professor of History (1724) *Regius Professor of Physic (1540)

==Trinity College Dublin== {{See also|list of professorships at the University of Dublin}} *Regius Professor of Divinity (1600/1761) *Regius Professor of Physic (1637?) *Regius Professor of Hebrew (1637/1762/1855) *Regius Professor of Laws (1668) *Regius Professor of Feudal and English Law (1761–1934) *Regius Professor of Greek (1761) *Regius Professor of Surgery (1852/1868)

==University of Dundee==

*Regius Professor of Life Sciences (2013)

==University of Edinburgh== {{See also|list of Professorships at the University of Edinburgh}}

*Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations (1707) *Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature (1762) *Regius Professor of Astronomy (1785) *Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery (1803) *Regius Professor of Medical Science<ref>{{cite web|title=Prof J Iredale|url=http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/john-iredale%289c8dc16b-011e-4c14-b4ec-02912559e03b%29.html|publisher=University of Edinburgh|access-date=26 November 2014}}</ref> *Regius Professor of Forensic Medicine (1807) *Regius Professor of Sanskrit (1862) (now the Regius Professor of South Asian Language, Culture and Society) *Regius Professor of Engineering (1868) *Regius Professor of Geology (1871) *Regius Chair of Plant Science<ref>{{cite web|title=Patronage of Chairs in Science and Engineering |url=http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/GaSP/Governance/Governance/PatronageCSE-2020.pdf |publisher=University of Edinburgh|access-date=10 April 2021}}</ref> The first Professor of Greek (1708) at Edinburgh, Wiliam Scott ''Primus'', was referred to with the honorific 'Regius Professor' but was, ultimately, unable to secure a grant from the Crown.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stewart |first=M. A. |title=in Craik, E. M. (ed.), The Origins of the Scottish Greek Chairs' in Owls to Athens: Essays on Classical Subjects presented to Sir Kenneth Dover |publisher=OUP |year=1990 |location=Oxford |pages=395.}}</ref> However, both of the inaugural professors of Greek and Humanity at Edinburgh were appointed by Royal Warrant.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emerson |first=Roger, L. |title=Academic Patronage in the Scottish Enlightenment |publisher=EUP |year=2008 |location=Edinburgh |pages=253-4.}}</ref>

==University of Essex== *Regius Professor of Political Science (2013)

==University of Glasgow== {{See also|list of Professorships at the University of Glasgow}}

thumb|upright|Regius Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London

==Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine== *Regius Professor of Engineering (2013)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://felixonline.co.uk/articles/2013-10-24-imperial-names-first-regius-professor/.|title=Imperial names first Regius Professor|publisher=Felix|access-date=19 December 2019|date=24 Oct 2013}}</ref> *Regius Professor of Infectious Disease (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== University of Liverpool == *Regius Professor of Chemistry (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== University of London == *Regius Professor of Cancer Research (2016)<ref name=":0" /> (Based at The Institute of Cancer Research) *Regius Professor of Psychiatry (2013) (Based at King's College London) *Regius Professor of Economics (2013) (Based at LSE) * Regius Professor of Music (2013) (Based at Royal Holloway)

==University of Manchester==

*Regius Professor of Physics (2013) *Regius Professor of Materials (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== Newcastle University == *Regius Professor of Ageing (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==The Open University==

*Regius Professor of Open Education (2013)

==University of Oxford== {{See also|list of professorships at the University of Oxford}}

*Regius Professor of Civil Law (c.1540) *Regius Professor of Divinity (1535) *Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology (1842) *Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History (1842) *Regius Professor of Hebrew (1546) *Regius Professor of Medicine (1546) *Regius Professor of Greek (c.1541) *Regius Professor of History (1724) *Regius Professor of Mathematics (2016)<ref name=":0" />

== Queen's University Belfast == *Regius Professor of Electronics & Computer Engineering (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==University of Reading==

*Regius Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science (2013)

==Royal Holloway, University of London==

*Regius Professor of Music (2013)

==University of St Andrews==

*Regius Professor of Mathematics (1668)

==University of Southampton==

*Regius Professor of Computer Science (2013) *Regius Professorship in Ocean Sciences (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==University of Surrey==

*Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering (2013)

==University of Warwick==

* Regius Professor of Mathematics (2013) *Regius Professor of Manufacturing (2016)<ref name=":0" />

==References==

Category:Regius Professorships Category:1497 establishments in England Category:1497 establishments in Scotland