Abertay University honours late lecturer Charlie Malone with new award at Prizegiving ceremony

This year's Abertay University Prizegiving ceremony introduced a new award in memory of the late Charlie Malone, a much-loved lecturer and influential figure in Dundee. 

The inaugural Charlie Malone Prize was presented at the event on Wednesday 10 December, and has been set up to annually honour the student from the Dundee Business School who has had the most positive impact in the local community.  

Charlie, who passed away in summer 2024, served as a senior lecturer in the Dundee Business School for over two decades. A passionate advocate for widening access to higher education, he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for students and equipping graduates for the world of work. 

Beyond his academic role, Charlie was a distinguished civic figure in Dundee. He played a key role in the landmark Timex industrial dispute of 1993 and later served as a local councillor for the Lochee ward from 2017. His longstanding involvement with trade unions cemented his reputation as a campaigner for fairness and equality in the city. 

The award was established by Angus Brodie, programme leader at Dundee Business School.  

Angus said:

Charlie was more than a colleague – he was a mentor, a friend, and a true advocate for education and equality. This award is about keeping his spirit alive and inspiring future generations of our students here at Dundee Business School to follow in his footsteps. Charlie was a true community champion, and I think it’s really fitting that we should harness his legacy in this way to encourage our students to look outward and consider what they can do to benefit others.

Charlie's family were at the ceremony to present the award to this year's recipient, Ben Lawrence, a recent graduate of the LLB Law programme. 

Lorraine Malone, Charlie's widow, said:

We are grateful to Abertay for recognising Charlie’s service to his students and his passion for teaching as a lecturer and senior manager in the Dundee Business School over many years. A passionate believer in the importance of education as a route to social mobility, he was dedicated to his students and highly respected for his innovative approaches to learning including leading the Innovation for Global Growth Project. One of his most rewarding achievements was being awarded the Abertay Students’ Association Award for excellence in teaching. Described as an amazing lecturer and inspirational by many students, he would be so proud to know that Abertay has chosen to recognise outstanding achievement with an annual award in his name. It is a fitting tribute to a brilliant person whose unwavering commitment to students and the people of Dundee touched many lives. As his family, we will always be proud of Charlie. We wish the recipient of the award every success for the future.

Ben completed his studies at Abertay in summer 2025 and served as the director of TayPer, a student-led law project operating across Dundee and Tayside. TayPer works to improve access to legal support within the local community through outreach initiatives and school education programmes designed to enhance understanding of the law. 

Ben said: 

Receiving the first Charlie Malone Prize truly means a great deal to me. It provides a wonderful culmination of my undergraduate experience at Abertay, as well as my work with TayPer. I've seen many students actively engage with our local community, which often lacks the support it needs. They deserve to have their efforts acknowledged. In turn, this prize may motivate others to pursue community-based work throughout their time at university, which can only have a positive impact on those in need. To receive recognition in the name of a great professor and businessman from Dundee, who was from the city and climbed to aspirational heights, makes the reward even greater. Dundee is a fantastic city, full of wonderful people who want to leave a positive impact, like Charlie Malone. I can think of no more positive legacy to leave than his, now incentivising future students to give back to the city that gives so much to them. 

The annual Prizegiving remains a highlight of Abertay’s academic calendar, celebrating excellence and dedication across all disciplines. This year, more than 62 awards were presented to students at City Quay, supported by donors including NCR Atleos, the NHS Tayside Charitable Trust, the Bonnetmaker Craft of Dundee, and the Institute of Civil Engineers, along with several others.