Creative Commons CEO Catherine Stihler OBE has been elected to the Fellowship of Scotland’s national academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).

The Fellowship is made up of the greatest thinkers, researchers, and practitioners working in or with Scotland today.

Catherine has been an international champion for openness as a legislator and practitioner for more than 20 years.

In 2020, she was appointed CEO of Creative Commons, the global non-profit organization that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity to address the world’s pressing challenges.

Catherine was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of her services to politics in 2019 after two decades as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland.

Alongside Catherine, this year’s intake includes award-winning Scottish singer, songwriter, and activist Annie Lennox, who has received an Honorary Fellowship.

 Dr Catherine Stihler OBE said:
“It’s an honor to have been elected as a Fellow of the RSE, joining so many talented and inspirational people who have helped shape our world. The RSE is a globally-recognized organization that works to address the greatest challenges facing humanity and the planet, and informs policy and practice through in-depth examination and expert knowledge.

At Creative Commons we believe in better sharing so that we can advance universal access to knowledge and culture, and foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration for a brighter future. Our goals align perfectly with the RSE, and I look forward to collaborating with the Fellowship to address the biggest issues of the day.”

The RSE’s 2022 intake of Fellows includes 80 names from the arts, business, public service and civil society as well as academia from Scotland and beyond.

They will be joining the RSE’s current Fellowship of around 1,700 Fellows.

Dr Annie Lennox OBE said:
“My hope has always been to create a positive influence and contribution towards lasting transformative change.”

Others named as Fellows of the RSE this year include Professor Mark Logan, co-founder of Ipso-Facto where he is an investment and start-up adviser, Theresa Shearer, CEO of ENABLE Group and an influential Scottish third sector leader, and Professor Marc Turner, director at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Professor of Cellular Therapy at the University of Edinburgh.

About Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Fellowship of Scotland’s national academy:

The RSE, using the expertise of its Fellows, creates a unique impact by:

• Inspiring and supporting talent through a wide-ranging programme of research grants and awards.
• Engaging the public across Scotland on key contemporary issues through its outreach programme RSE@ and a wide-ranging programme of public events.
• Providing impartial advice and expertise to inform policy and practice through in-depth examination of major issues and providing expert comment on topical matters.
• Promoting Scotland’s interests overseas through building relationships with sister academies across the world and facilitating research collaborations.