Professor Philipp Kircher, Professor in Economics, delivers his inaugural lecture, "In Search of the Perfect Match - Understanding Labour (and Marriage) Markets".

Economists have long acknowledged that it takes time to find the right partner. But how can we think about this process? Do firms randomly meet workers? Or do they compete for workers? What is the difference? his lecture provides an overview of some of the recent thoughts on these topics, with some cross-references to other settings such as search for a marriage partner.

Recorded on 12 March 2014, at the University of Edinburgh's Appleton Tower.

Professor James Loxley, Professor of Early Modern Literature, delivers his inaugural lecture entitled, "Ben Jonson’s Road North"

In July 1618, the poet and playwright Ben Jonson embarked on an enterprise that had been at least a year in the planning - an epic walk all the way from London to Edinburgh.

In this lecture, Professor Loxley will look at what his companion’s account can tell us about the motivations and meanings of Jonson’s long walk to the north, and offer some reflections on what this new information on the journey can tell us about the culture and politics of the Stuart kingdoms in the decades after the union of the crowns.

Recorded on 25 February 2014 at the University of Edinburgh's Old College.

Professor Graham Crow, Professor of Sociology and Methodology, delivers his inaugural lecture entitled, "Community Research: A Field Full of Methods".

In this lecture Professor Crow considers the field of community research as one in which a wide range of different research methods have been used. He argues that this methodological diversity - ranging from surveys to ethnographies, from network mapping to the use of photography, from oral histories to policy analyses, and from interviews to archival work - is just one of the strengths of the field.

Recorded 11 February 2014 at the University of Edinburgh's Old College.

Professor Fiona McLachlan, Personal Chair in Architectural Practice, presents her inaugural lecture entitled "Practice, Practice, Practise: Illustrated in Colour".

This lecture will focus on two recent research projects on colour in architectural design, both of which were stimulated and informed by Professor McLachlan's own architectural practice and began with an intuitive process of observation, experimentation and an experiential methodology.

Whether inherent in material or applied, colour has the capability to be used as an instrument to tune and transform architectural space. Yet it is rarely discussed in architectural education and in architectural practice, colour often involves arbitrary decisions late in the design process. Through these examples, concepts of architectural design as a synthetic and material practice will be considered.

Recorded on 17 December 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Business School.

Professor Nanette Mutrie, Chair in Physical Activity for Health,

presents her inaugural lecture entitled "Encouraging People to 'Sit Less

and Walk More': The Story so far and Future Plans".

Professor

Mutrie explains why 'sit less and walk more' is the byline of the

Physical Activity for Health Research Centre and demonstrates what has

been learned so far about encouraging people in related behaviour

change.

For over a decade Professor Mutrie has been working to determine the best ways to help people put more walking into their lives.

Recorded on 10 December 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Old College.

Professor John W Cairns, Professor of Civil Law, presents his inaugural lecture entitled "An Uncommon Law?".

The first discipline in law taught in the University of Edinburgh was the Civil Law. It has been taught continuously for the past 303 years. Comparative lawyers have traditionally seen the “Civil Law” as something opposed to the “Common Law”.

The lecture will explore the founding of the chair of Civil Law in 1710 against the intellectual and political background before considering the nature of the discipline, and reflecting on its nature as a true universal law.

Recorded on 22 November 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Old College.

Professor Rob Dunbar, Chair of Celtic Languages, Literature, History and

Antiquities, presents his inaugural lecture entitled "Canada, the

Gaelic Imagination, and the Future of the Celtic Languages / Canada, am

Mac-meanmna Gàidhlig, agus na Cànanan Ceilteach san Àm ri Teachd".

Territories

that are now part of Canada received more Gaelic-speaking emigrants

than any other in the world and, unsurprisingly, the links between the

Scottish Highlands and Canada are profound. This lecture will first

examine how Canada, and in particular Canada's Gaelic heritage, is

perceived, imagined and deployed by Scottish Gaels—and other

Scots—revealing a curious mix of truths, half-truths and missed

opportunities.

This lecture is in Gaelic.

Recorded on 18 November 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's St Cecilia's Hall.

Chaidh

barrachd Ghàidheal chun nan sgìrean a tha a-nis mar phàirt de Canada na

gu sgìrean sam bith eile air an t-saoghal agus air sàilibh sin, chan

eil e na iongnadh gu bheil na ceanglaichean eadar Gàidhealtachd na

h-Alba agus Canada làidir. An toiseach san òraid seo, bheirear sùil air

mar a tha Canada, agus gu sònraichte dualchas Gàidhlig Chanada, air a

tuigsinn, air a samhlachadh, agus air a cleachdadh le Gàidheil Alba—agus

Albannaich eile—gus measgachadh annasach de fhìrinneachdan,

faoin-sgeulan agus cothroman caillte a thoirt am follais.

www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanit

­ies-soc-sci/news-events/lectures/inaugur­al-lectures/rob-dunbar

Professor Susan Hardman Moore, Professor of Early Modern Religion, delivered her inaugural lecture entitled 'Time'.

Recorded on Thursday 12 September 2013 at Martin Hall in the University of Edinburgh's New College.

Professor Matthias Schwannauer, Professor of Clinical Psychology, delivers his inaugural lecture entitled "From Cradle to Grave: The Development of Relationships, Emotions and Mental Health".

Recorded on Tuesday 14 May 2013, at the University of Edinburgh's Business School.

Professor Christina Boswell, Professor of Politics delivers her inaugural lecture entitled "Against ‘Interests’ in Political Science: Public Policy and Political Motivation".

Recorded on Tuesday 21 May 2013, at the University of Edinburgh's Business School.