Aberdeen Investments aims to inspire the next generation of science enthusiasts via a new partnership with The Royal Institution
10 March 2025Aberdeen Investments, a global specialist asset manager, has partnered with The Royal Institution as it aims to inspire, engage and connect the general public with the world of science.
With their focus on innovation, analytical research, and future-gazing, science and investment have much in common. Aberdeen Investments is committed to promoting the UK’s sciences sector – a key engine of economic growth.
As such, it is today announcing that it is partnering with The Royal Institution (Ri) on the 200th anniversary of its Christmas Lectures in 2025.
The Christmas Lectures, established in 1825 by renowned scientist Michael Faraday, have become a beloved tradition, igniting curiosity and sparking scientific interest among generations of audiences. Throughout 2025 the Ri will be marking the 200th anniversary of the Christmas Lectures.
Xavier Meyer, CEO of Aberdeen Investments, said:
“Great science and great investments have one thing at their core: innovation. The best scientists and the best investors have a wealth of things in common: they’re creative thinkers, problem solvers, analytical researchers and have a vision of what the future could look like. Without science, the investment universe would be a much less exciting place. Without investment, many of the world’s great scientific ideas would never become reality.
That’s why, at Aberdeen Investments, we are passionate about supporting the sciences – whether that’s through our investments in areas such as healthcare, biotech and green energy, or through our corporate partnerships. The latter ranges from our partnership with the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence, The Alan Turing Institute, to collect and monitor biodiversity data to our joint project with the University of Edinburgh, the Centre for Investing Innovation (CII), to harness the power of AI for investment research. We are delighted to partner with The Royal Institution to inspire current and future generations of scientists and innovators via its Christmas Lectures.”
Kate Scally, Director of Income Generation and External Affairs at The Royal Institution, said:
“We are extremely excited to have Aberdeen Investments as a supporting partner on our world-renowned Christmas Lectures, in this special year celebrating 200 years since they were introduced by Michael Faraday. With their support we will be able to reach new and more diverse audiences to engage with science and scientists.”
The Ri is an independent charity dedicated to bringing the public and scientists together to share their interest and passion for science. The Ri's vision that science is for everyone is based on a belief that there should be equitable access to science and scientists.
Aberdeen Investments shares the Ri's dedication to fostering a passion for curiosity and learning. This partnership underscores their joint commitment to supporting innovation and education, promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects among young learners.
Ends
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Notes to editors
About Aberdeen Investments:
We are dedicated to helping investors achieve their financial goals in a changing world by combining our specialist knowledge, global presence in more than 25 locations, our strong relationships and investing for the long term.
Clients know us for our expertise in credit, specialist equities and real assets. Our solutions include investing for the needs of insurers and pension providers; managed portfolios; enhanced index and quant investing. Managing £369.7bn in assets on behalf of individuals, governments, pension funds, insurers, companies, charities and foundations across 80 countries.*
Central to our strategy is a firm commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. To that end, we promote sustainable investment practices through active ownership, and our unique and embedded team structure, ensuring sustainability expertise is located where it is needed.
Our focus is aligned with four pivotal themes shaping the future of investing: the democratisation of finance and digital innovation; the evolving needs of ageing populations; the development of Asia and emerging markets; and climate change and the energy transition.
These ‘mega trends' inform our approach, enabling us to deliver relevant and impactful investment solutions to clients of all sizes, today and into the future.
At Aberdeen Investments, we strive to create investment opportunities for our clients beyond tomorrow.
*All data, facts and figures are as of December 31, 2024.
About the Royal Institution
The Royal Institution’s (Ri) vision is that science is for everyone. Science transforms lives and underpins the modern world – from health to the latest technology, the environment, and the furthest reaches of our universe. Science is part of culture, but not everyone has the same opportunity to engage. The Ri believes there should be equitable access to science, and that people’s desire to engage with science and scientists should be nourished.
The Ri brings the public and scientists together to share their interest and passion for science, empowering people to explore and get involved.
An independent registered charity, the Ri provides science education, public engagement, and heritage activities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK and around the world. These activities include the world-famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES; public talks from the world's greatest thinkers in its historic lecture theatre and livestreamed online; a successful YouTube channel with over 1.6 million subscribers, a national programme of Ri Masterclasses for young people in mathematics and computer science; hands-on science workshops in its L'Oréal Young Scientist Centre; award winning animations and films; and the preservation of its scientific heritage and legacy through the Faraday Museum and archival collections.
The Ri is a home for science and everyone is welcome.
About the history of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The CHRISTMAS LECTURES are the Royal Institution’s biggest and most famous, demonstration-based science event for young people. They are broadcast on UK television every Christmas and have been a family festive tradition for generations.
The CHRISTMAS LECTURES have been inspiring children and adults alike since 1825. The Lectures were initiated by Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. He presented 19 series himself, establishing an exciting new way of presenting science to young people.
The CHRISTMAS LECTURES have continued annually since the 1825 series, stopping only for four years during World War II. Many world-famous scientists have given the Lectures including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, as well as Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan, Dame Nancy Rothwell, Hannah Fry, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam Dame Sue Black and Chris van Tulleken.
The CHRISTMAS LECTURES were first broadcast on television by the BBC in 1936 which makes them the first science show on UK national television. They have been broadcast on television every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four.
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