Apple CEO Tim Cook received an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow in Scotland today as planned. Cook then sat down for a Q&A session with the audience of students, reflecting on topics ranging from his personal beliefs and influences to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent immigration ban.

tim cook uofg
One student asked if he could work at Apple as a tongue-in-cheek question, and Cook noted the company is hiring worldwide and pointed him towards its jobs website. Cook later said "coding should be required in schools," as "kids will never know any other environment other than the digital one."

Cook, responding to a question about Apple's future activism plans, said he does not view Apple or himself as an "activist." Instead, he said Apple simply stands up for things it is deeply knowledgeable or has a strong point of view about.


Cook reiterated that he does not support Trump's recent immigration ban, echoing a memo he sent to employees a few weeks ago. Apple was one of several tech companies that sent a letter to Trump opposing the executive order, noting "we are a nation made stronger by immigrants."

Apple was also one of nearly 100 companies, including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Snap, Uber, Twitter, and Intel, to jointly file a legal brief backing the original lawsuit brought by Washington state's attorney general that brought a temporary halt to the immigration ban on Friday.

Cook finished by noting that late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had the biggest influence on his own life by far.

"He took a risk with me when I was 36 years old, and it was sort of that instance, and many instances thereafter, that I recognized that I had been on the wrong path—and that I was sort of rudderless in a way. I met a CEO for the first time that was totally focused on basically one thing: making great products. He had a focus that was unlike any other. His thinking was so pure. He wasn't trying to maximize his wealth or anything else. He really understood the sort of things we work on, and the results that come from those things, and he separated those two."

Cook said Jobs had a clear order in his life that was necessary in order to remain focused: family, Apple, Pixar, and very little else.

Cook remained in Bute Hall following the chat to take photos with students. Earlier in the day, he was spotted at a local Apple Store.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

atomic.flip Avatar
110 months ago
If it were Steve Jobs this would be an interesting story. No offense to Mr. Cook but everything great about Apple's culture and products he basically inherited from Jobs. We all know innovation has been stagnant since his death and it seems the company culture has also changed enough to cause significant churn in executive levels. This is not to say Apple isn't doing well for its shareholders. But it just doesn't have the character it did under Jobs.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miniyou64 Avatar
110 months ago
Nonsense.

For instance, under Tim, Apple launched a charitable matching program ('https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/08/apple-institutes-new-charitable-matching-program-for-employees/') and a global volunteer program ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/16/apple-launches-global-volunteer-program/'), and they've started doing annual diversity reports ('https://www.macrumors.com/2014/08/12/apple-releases-diversity-report/').

These sorts of things wouldn't have been a priority for Steve, thus clearly having an impact on Apple's corporate culture. And I'm pretty sure that impact is "great".
Sorry, as an Apple fan, I'm looking for great products that just work. I couldn't care less about diversity reports. They can have the most diverse company in the world, but if they're building garbage, what good does that do anyone?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aldaris Avatar
110 months ago
Cook said Jobs had a clear order in his life that was necessary in order to remain focused: family, Apple, Pixar, and very little else.
Advice to live by Tim...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
110 months ago
I am hoping that in visiting Glasgow, the historical legacy of the Mackintoshes and their name will sub-consciously spur Cook into action...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Appleaker Avatar
110 months ago
I'm surprised nobody considered asking about MacBook ports.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheDeviceUser Avatar
110 months ago
I'm surprised nobody considered asking about MacBook ports.
I was at the event and there wasn't really any questions about products. Apple Pencil was briefly mentioned and a student waved theirs in the air but it was more questions about values, leadership and academia.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple Hornsby

Apple Store Near Sydney Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday July 14, 2025 6:14 pm PDT by
Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October. Apple Hornsby In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...