The George Lauder Lecture 2007

Each year the college invites partners, associates and students to attend the George Lauder Lecture, an event which will continue in the years to come as part of the Carnegie College calendar of events.  The Lauder name has served the college well and it will continue to be used widely across the organisation. It is intended that places and events like the George Lauder Library and the George Lauder Lecture will continue to be used prominently in tandem with the Carnegie College brand name. The George Lauder lecture is one of the events through which the college is able to promote the work and ideals of George Lauder and his nephew, Andrew Carnegie. The event focuses on a different topic each year and this year’s event, held at the Carnegie Conference Centre on Thursday 22nd November, featured Professor David Begg, speaking on the topic of transport. This year’s event was held in partnership with Dunfermline Building Society and supported by First Scottish Group. Professor Begg is one of the UK’s foremost transport experts whose career has spanned many areas of interest, including policy adviser to the Government, Chairman of Integrated Transport and Tube Lines, transport consultancy, academic work, publishing and working as a non-executive director. The lecture highlighted some pressing issues such as the requirement for road pricing and the impact this will have on motorists, congestion levels and of course the environment. Across the UK, if we were to switch from fuel duty to road pricing, without charging road users any more in aggregate, we could cut congestion by up to 50%. Professor Begg cited exemplar figures from Scottish history like Andrew Carnegie, James Watt and John McAdam as key influences in our approach towards developing transport infrastructure. He also suggested applying the economic disciplines of Adam Smith to the allocation of road space. The lecture touched on issues close to home such as the need for a second crossing over the Firth of Forth and the planned Edinburgh tram system. Commenting on Professor Begg’s address, Principal Bill McIntosh welcomed the focus on transport this year saying “If George Lauder was alive today, I am sure he would be a champion for improved sustainable transport in Fife and beyond. Economic development in the past and now in the 21st century cannot ignore these issues.” The event provided an informative and thought provoking evening for all who attended.