Leading North Sea oil and gas operator Talisman Energy (UK) Limited is lending its support to the University of Aberdeen’s groundbreaking new library.
The £125,000 donation is the largest so far from a corporate supporter, and will fund dedicated children's education facilities in the new building.
The donation was announced at an event attended by First Minister Alex Salmond at the University, where he met potential students of the future in the form of pupils from Ferryhill Primary School.
Talisman has a strong record of investing in projects which have education as their founding principle. The donation will help north-east schools and local communities get maximum benefit from the new library.
UK Vice-president Nick Walker says the project is a perfect fit for the company: "We
already have an excellent relationship with the University of Aberdeen through our Scholarship Programme, investing £300,000 in a six-year period. We see the library as an opportunity to further cement those links.
"The vision and commitment shown by everyone involved – the University management, the architects, the fundraisers – made us realise that we needed to reward their ambition with a meaningful sum.
"I very much look forward to seeing this building take its place on the skyline of Aberdeen and hope that it will serve to attract many more students from home and abroad to the university, while also offering learning and cultural opportunities to the wider community."
First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This investment is great news for the University of Aberdeen, pupils across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and the wider community. It is funding that will help to support the University's flagship library project, by allowing delivery of educational outreach programmes for local pupils and widening access to our rich history and heritage.
"The library project is one that will cement Scotland's reputation for world-class education and research by making sure Aberdeen attracts high quality students and world-renowned academics.
"By making the University's unique collections available to a wider audience, maximising the benefits of modern technology and opening up public spaces, the new library will be a centre of learning that is inclusive, inspiring and that helps Scotland in both its academic and economic aspirations.
"I'd also like to commend Talisman for their vision and to congratulate the University of Aberdeen on 500 years of distinction. I hope that as we move into the future we will continue to see the links between our universities, their communities and business grow."
University Principal and Vice-chancellor Professor C. Duncan Rice said: "We thoroughly commend Talisman Energy for its commitment to investing in an upcoming generation which is both professionally equipped and culturally engaged, and this has already been demonstrated in the Scholarship Programme and the Word Festival events for schools. This wonderful new gift builds on our growing partnership, and is a significant boost for our ambitious plans for the new library.
"We are determined that the benefits of this exciting new building stretch beyond our staff and students to communities across the north of Scotland, and especially local schools and children.
"What Talisman is supporting isn't simply a library but a major cultural facility for Scotland, a building that we believe will inspire people, young and old. It will be a source of pride for the North and a major attraction to visitors to Scotland."