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The Edinburgh Lectures
04/03/2008
First Minister Alex Salmond tonight hosted the latest in the 16th series of The Edinburgh Lectures at The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
The lecture Globalization and Nationalism: The New Deal? was delivered by Professor Tom Nairn, Innovation Professor in Nationalism and Cultural Diversity at the Globalism Institute at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University), Australia.
In his lecture Prof Nairn argued that the emphasis for countries and nations has switched from being 'big enough' to survive in an industrialised world to being 'small and smart enough' to claim a place in the common global culture.
Read the full text of the Prof Nairn's lecture
Printable version
Watch a video summary of the main points
The Edinburgh Lectures were launched in 1992 as part of a programme of events celebrating the UK's Presidency of the European Union.
The Edinburgh Lectures were such a success they have continued every year since. Each series addresses a range of major public issues in a national and international context.