Scottish twins achieve masters distinction

By ANGUS HOWARTH
Published on 16/01/2013 01:25

A pair of Scottish twins have been awarded a distinction grade for their masters degree in what is thought to be the highest ever attainment by siblings on the same university course.

• Pair given scholarship and award by Carnegie Trust.

• Twins studied chemical engineering graduated in July with over 90 per cent each.

Carol and Claire Forsyth, 23, have spent the last five years working side by side to acheive masters degrees in chemical engineering.

To reward their efforts the pair were both granted PHD scholarships by the prestigious Carnegie Trust, set up to support industrious students.

And if that wasn’t enough Claire and Carol were yesterday handed the trust’s highest honour, the Robertson Medal, which is the first time the medal has been awarded to two recipients in the same year.

Carol, who is seven minutes older than her sister, said: “We’ve worked really hard to make sure we got the grades and it was great to get a distinction.

“We are very happy to have been given a scholarship and the award.

Research

“It partly helped us that we started the same lectures at the same time because we could get each other up.

“It’s always me that has to wake Claire up on the morning, she is the lazier one out of the two of us.”

The twins, who lived with their physics teacher dad William, 62, and their French teacher mum Eileen, 57 in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, attended Kilwinning Academy before graduating to take on a five-year masters of engineering degree at Strathclyde.

Both sisters decided to study chemical engineering and in July graduated with over 90 percent each.

The pair, whose older sister Laura, 29, works as a GP, are now hard at work studying for their research PHDs in the same subject.

Claire said: “We never really argue despite attending the same lectures and doing the same course.

Highest achiever

“We have always worked separately and there is an element of competition, but we both want the other sister to do well.”

Strathclyde University Principal Sir Jim McDonald presented the sisters with the Robertson medal from the Carnegie Trust, set up by legendary Dunfermline-born industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

The trust awards scholarships to just 15 out of hundreds of applicants and gives the Robertson medal to the highest achiever.

Claire and Carol are the first twins ever to receive the award.

Sir Jim said: “It’s totally unique to be presenting this award to identical twins.