School of Social & Political Sciences

Various of our International Masters degrees involve visiting scholars or require granting affiliate status so that scholars in partner institutions can access Glasgow IT systems. Given the University internationalisation strategy’s focus on developing collaborative international teaching, and the impact of the end of UK participation in the Erasmus Staff Mobility Programme on our short term staff exchanges, this will likely become an even more prominent part of our teaching activities.

Granting Affiliate Status (Teaching) should be at the initiation of a Programme or Course Convenor in consultation with the Head of Subject and linked to specific teaching, assessment, or administration expectations. A letter of invitation will be issued by the Head of School. This process is internal to the School and separate from the process for Visiting Research Scholars.

For very short term visits (days, 1-2 weeks)

Affiliate scholar status is generally not required for this sort of visit. Library access can be secured on a daily visitor basis and the EDUROAM system allows use of wifi around campus.

Visits up to 1 month

Visiting Affiliate Scholar positions for periods of under 1 month are available. At present we do not charge a bench fee for such visits and do not guarantee access to desk space. It will be a general expectation of such appointments that the Scholar will participate in the academic life of the School and will offer papers/talks to appropriate Subject, Centre, or Student Seminars while in Glasgow.

Visits longer than 1 month

The School offers Visiting Affiliate Scholar Status for periods of six months and 12 months. Applicants are required to complete the Visiting Scholar Application Form (below). Applicants are expected to have made contact with an academic in the School to discuss their research and plan their visit. The colleague in SPS will act as academic contact for the visiting scholar and secure support from their Head of Subject before submitting the Visiting Scholar Application Form to the Head of School for granting of the Affiliate Status.

In return the School offers the standard access of the Visiting Affiliate Scholar status, and endeavours to provide access to desk space commensurate with that provided to PGR students. These appointments would be for a fixed term and non-renewable.

It will be a general expectation of such appointments that the scholar will fully participate in the academic life of the School, offering guest lecturing where appropriate and contributing to the research culture of the School by offering papers/talks to appropriate Subject, Centre, or Student Seminars while in Glasgow.

Please see below for bench fee details.

From June 2024, there will be no bench fee for any visiting scholar from one of our four priority global regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. There will also be no bench fee for Early Career Researchers (defined as within ten years of PhD award) from a country or territory listed as either 'Least Developed, Low Income or Lower Middle Income' by the OECD.

For other scholars the School charges a bench fee of 6 months (£500) and 12 months (£1000) (plus VAT). The fees will be set out in the letter of invitation drafted by the academic contact and signed by the Head of School.

The academic member of staff hosting the visitor should complete a Visiting Scholar application form, and (if appropriate) a Visiting Affiliate Scholar status application form.  Approval should be sought from Head of School via: socpol-approvals@glasgow.ac.uk. 

Download: Visiting Scholar Application form (word doc)