A project involving Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Business School students will see 240 first year students gathering information on Glasgow's war memorials in an effort to protect them for future generations.
While the Cenotaph in George Square is the best known war memorial in the city, there may be many more in offices, churches, schools and factories, and it's hoped mapping the memorial will prevent them from future theft or damage.
Dr Derek Bryce of the Department of Management, is leading the project. He explained the hospitality and tourism management students were given an initial list of 'known' sites to research, then were given ten specific areas of the city to look for 'hidden' or lesser known sites.
"The idea was to get them thinking about the wealth of cultural heritage resources Glasgow can draw upon both for community benefit and for tourism purposes. By getting them out into communities, they should learn about the challenges inherent in identifying and cataloguing cultural heritage resources while the significance of the subject matter should get them thinking about community significance of cultural heritage.
"By fulfilling a genuine project for an organisation like Glasgow Council, they are also getting early experience in working, as teams, to the requirements of a 'client' brief."
Overall, Dr Bryce emphasized, this type of project allows students to enhance their academic, business and citizenship skills.
Once the project is complete, the information will be handed to the city council, and it's hoped will be used as part of a pilot project in city schools to encourage pupils to investigate the story behind some of the names on community memorials.
Council leader Gordon Matheson said, "This is a fascinating project. War memorials represent an important part of our city's local heritage and stand as a testament to the impact of war on families and communities.
"What I found most interesting is the fact that all memorials, with the exception of the Cenotaph in London, have been erected by the local community as opposed to the government. It is therefore a very important link to our own local history and past.
"I look forward to seeing what this project uncovers in Glasgow."