We are delighted to announce that Professor John Bachtler has won Scotland’s Knowledge Exchange Champion Award at the prestigious Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025, held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute on 19 March 2025. John’s transformational leadership at the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC) and the University of Strathclyde for over 40 years has transformed Scotland’s approach to knowledge exchange in regional policy.
This award recognises John’s impactful contributions, particularly through international knowledge exchange networks such as EoRPA and IQ-Net. John’s academic and policy-oriented work has amplified Scotland’s influence on a European scale and linked Scotland with wider European policy networks. His outstanding mentorship has also been a defining feature of his career, supporting colleagues and shaping the next generation of regional policy experts.
John addressed the audience with a thoughtful video message on the research and KE work undertaken at the EPRC, acknowledging the contributions of his colleagues to this achievement.
John’s win was part of a broader celebration of success for the University of Strathclyde, which secured victories in one other individual award, and three other award categories with Strathclyde as a partner. The event provided a fantastic opportunity for networking and to learn about other impactful projects bridging academia, industry and policy.
For more details, read the official press release from Interface, the organiser bringing together academic, business, and policy communities to highlight KE impact:
Scottish Knowledge Exchange Award Winners Showcase Collaboration at Its Finest
Congratulations again to John on this well-deserved recognition!