̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Eilís Ferran

Gates Cambridge: Class of 2024

mjg209 — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000

This year’s Gates Cambridge cohort comprises 75 new scholars, studying areas from the impact of climate change on tropical biodiversity to how the circulation of conflict photographs shapes perception.

Gates Cambridge announces new Provost

mjg209 — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:50:08 +0000

̽��ֱ��Gates Cambridge Trust – which oversees the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge's leading international postgraduate scholarship programme – has announced that its new Provost, its first female leader, will be Professor Eilís Ferran.

Professor Ferran has a wealth of experience both as a distinguished academic and as a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations. She succeeds Professor Barry Everitt as Provost on 1 October 2022.

Currently Professor of Company and Securities Law at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and the Tom Ivory Professorial Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Professor Ferran was the ̽��ֱ��’s Pro –Vice-Chancellor from 2015 to 2021 and, as academic strategic lead for staff and for significant international partnerships, she led the modernisation of career paths, oversaw the ̽��ֱ��’s response as an employer to COVID-19 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Strategic Partnerships Office. She was also the ̽��ֱ��'s lead for equality and diversity matters.

Professor Ferran, who is a Fellow of the British Academy and an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple, served as Chair of the Law Faculty from 2012 to 2015. In her current research, she is focusing on the intersection between governance and risk management in financial market infrastructures, on the civil liabilities of credit rating agencies, and on the post-Brexit evolution of financial regulation in the UK.

̽��ֱ��Gates Cambridge Trust oversees the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, which were established in 2000 by a donation of US$210m (about £170m) from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge – which remains the largest ever single donation to a UK university. ̽��ֱ��scholarships fund outstanding international postgraduate students who are selected on the basis of their intellectual ability, capacity for leadership, and a commitment to improving the lives of others.

There are almost 300 Scholars at Cambridge pursuing the full range of academic subjects who form a diverse community integrated within the ̽��ֱ��, and a global network of more than 1,600 alumni spread across the world improving the lives of others in myriad ways. Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,081 scholarships to scholars from 111 countries who represent more than 700 universities globally, and more than 80 academic departments and all 31 Colleges at Cambridge.

Bill Gates said: “For more than 20 years, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship has educated future leaders who are dedicated to improving the lives of others around the world. I’m confident that Professor Ferran will build on that legacy in the years ahead as she serves as Provost.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ��’s Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Gates Cambridge Trustees, Professor Stephen J Toope, said: “ ̽��ֱ��Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme supports extraordinary students driven by academic excellence and a strong sense of leadership in tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges. I’m incredibly proud of what the Trust has achieved in its first 22 years, and very grateful for Professor Barry Everitt’s inspiring leadership over the past 9 years in post. I’m delighted with the appointment of Professor Eilís Ferran, who I have worked with for many years. She is an exceptional and inclusive leader who will continue to develop this unique programme in new and exciting ways.”

President of the Gates Cambridge Scholars’ Council Ariel de Fauconberg said: “As a distinguished academic in her field with a demonstrated commitment to the ̽��ֱ��’s international engagement, we are excited for Professor Ferran to bring her wealth of experience to the leadership of this extraordinary scholarship programme in the years ahead.”

Dr Halliki Voolma and Dr Sanjana Mehta, Co-Chairs of the Gates Cambridge Alumni Association Board, said “We are delighted with the appointment of Professor Ferran as the first female Provost and are confident that her experience in building international strategic partnerships and passion for furthering equality and diversity will help us pave new avenues for fostering our global alumni community.”

Professor Ferran said: “I am thrilled to be appointed as the next Provost. I look forward to working with the scholars, alumni, staff and trustees to drive forward the founders’ vision for improving lives through this exceptional programme.”

Professor Eilís Ferran will be the new Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge's leading international postgraduate scholarship programme.

I am thrilled to be appointed as the next Provost. I look forward to working with the scholars, alumni, staff and trustees to drive forward the founders' vision for improving lives through this exceptional programme.

Professor Eilís Ferran

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Cambridge Vice-Chancellor pledges to step up efforts to tackle racial harassment

ts657 — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 09:23:01 +0000

̽��ֱ��Vice-Chancellor said: “There is no place for racism or racial harassment of any kind at Collegiate Cambridge.

“We are determined to nurture the right culture at Cambridge, and will intensify efforts to equip staff and students with the confidence to talk about race, and identify and challenge racism whenever they encounter it.

“We will ensure all members of our community can access help when they need it, and know decisive action will be taken when behaviour falls short of what we expect.

“Collegiate Cambridge is becoming increasingly diverse, with more than 25% of our student community drawn from BAME backgrounds. We have introduced decisive measures to promote and support diversity across our staff and student community.

“But we must build on these to remain a place where all members of our community can thrive and feel safe, and supported to do their best work.

“We will continue to work closely with students and staff on how we can enhance our efforts to make Cambridge truly inclusive.”

This follows the publication yesterday of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report Tackling racial harassment: universities challenged, which found students who experienced racial harassment were left feeling angry, upset, depressed, anxious and vulnerable with 8% expressing suicidal thoughts.

In response to the report, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations Professor Eilís Ferran described the ‘the urgent need to address the issues university staff and students are facing’.

Last academic year, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge launched a race equality action plan as part of its Race Equality Charter application that commits universities to improving the representation, progression and success of BAME staff and students.

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope joined in the call for universities to step up actions to safeguard staff and student welfare in the wake of a national report that showed one in five minority ethnic students had been subjected to racial harassment.

We are determined to nurture the right culture at Cambridge, and will intensify efforts to equip staff and students with the confidence to talk about race, and identify and challenge racism whenever they encounter it.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope

Students at the ARC Cafe in Cambridge

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Cambridge and Nanjing break ground on 'smart cities' Centre

plc32 — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:03:44 +0000

Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope joined Zhang Jinghua, Party Secretary of Nanjing City Party Committee and Nanjing Deputy Mayor Jiang Yuejian to turn the first soil at the site where the Centre's dedicated building will rise in Nanjing's Jiangbei New Area.

̽��ֱ��Cambridge ̽��ֱ��-Nanjing Centre of Technology and Innovation will establish a home for joint research and innovation in collaboration with the Chinese government, industry and China's global research universities that is dedicated to the future of creating 'smart' cities.

"Here in Nanjing, an ancient city and former imperial capital, we are embarking on a unique enterprise," Vice-Chancellor Toope said at the groundbreaking ceremony. " ̽��ֱ��innovations emerging from this Centre will enable the development of 'smart' cities in which sensors can enable sustainable lifestyles, improve healthcare, limit pollution and make efficient use of energy."

Cambridge and its Chinese partners will share revenue derived from the commercialisation of Intellectual Property (IP) developed at the Centre. It is the ̽��ֱ��’s first overseas enterprise at this scale.

Funded by the Nanjing Municipality for its first five years, the project will have its own dedicated building as a pilot urban development based on high levels of technological innovation.

At the heart of the new Centre’s activities will be research into technologies that support a modern 21st century city with integrated IT, health care and building management. Innovations emerging from the Centre will enable the development of 'smart' cities in which sensors – applied at the individual level and all the way through to the level of large infrastructure – will enable sustainable lifestyles.

As well as supporting health and wellbeing in new cities, the new Centre will help deliver efficient energy use through its academic and entrepreneurial activities.

̽��ֱ��agreement between Cambridge and Nanjing will fund positions in Nanjing, both academic and management, and will allow Cambridge-based academics to engage with specific, long-term projects in Nanjing. It will also support the establishment of a professorship, based in Cambridge, with responsibility as the Centre’s Academic Director.

̽��ֱ��project has been driven by Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, although it is hoped that there will be opportunities to widen participation to other departments and Schools. IP generated by research funded through the Centre will be licensed for commercialisation by Cambridge ̽��ֱ��’s innovation branch, Cambridge Enterprise.

̽��ֱ��Centre will seek to demonstrate the power of collaboration with China’s universities, industry, government and other partners to conduct the kind of academic research of excellence today that will make life better for the city dwellers of tomorrow.

One of the two initial projects already approved is to create a high resolution scanner that can provide a low-cost easily accessible method for examining difficult areas of the body, such as bent spines, without using large and expensive CT scans.

That project will be led by Cambridge Engineering Department Professor Richard Prager, in collaboration with China's Southeast ̽��ֱ�� and established local ultrasonic manufacturer Vinno.

A second identified project led by Principal Investigator Professor Toni Vidal-Puig from Cambridge’s Clinical Biochemistry Department, will study the associated complications of increased obesity in China.

Both themes are closely linked to the focus area of local partner, NIHA (Nanjing International Healthcare Area).

̽��ֱ��Vice-Chancellor was joined at the groundbreaking ceremony by representatives from partners Nanjing ̽��ֱ��, Southeast ̽��ֱ��, Peking ̽��ֱ��. Tsinghua ̽��ֱ��, Fudan ̽��ֱ�� and Zheijiang ̽��ֱ�� as well as the Academic Director of Cambridge ̽��ֱ��-Nanjing Centre, Professor Daping Chu of Cambridge's Electrical Engineering Department, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Relations Eilis Ferran.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and the Nanjing Municipal Government have broken ground on the Cambridge ̽��ֱ��-Nanjing Centre of Technology and Innovation.

Here in Nanjing, an ancient city and former imperial capital, we are embarking on a unique enterprise.

Vice-Chancellor Stephen J Toope

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Cambridge attends U7+ Alliance global summit of Universities

plc32 — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 10:37:35 +0000

̽��ֱ��U7+ summit brought together 47 universities from G7 countries and beyond, who are committed to academic freedom and scholarly values and convinced of the key role of universities as global actors, to engage in discussions leading to concrete action to address pressing global challenges.

Professor Ferran was invited by U7+ Alliance organisers Sciences Po to be one of five ̽��ֱ�� presidents and representatives to carry conclusions from their discussion groups to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who sponsored the summit as part of his preparations for the G7 summit in Paris later this year.

"It was a great honour for Cambridge to be invited to summarise some very stimulating discussions on how universities can help to confront the global challenges facing us all for a leader with an important voice at the G7," Ferran said.

̽��ֱ��summit provided a unique opportunity to discuss a common agenda and establish a framework for action in today’s global landscape, resulting in a 2019 Presidential Declaration, which included a mission statement and the adoption of six agreed principles.

̽��ֱ��principles included commitments to pursue joint action through the U7+, recognition of the responsibility to train and nurture responsible and active citizens, to address environmental challenges, to combat polarisation in society, to promote interdisciplinary research, and to consolidate and share best practices worldwide.

"It was inspiring to hear from so many other ̽��ֱ�� leaders who share Cambridge's determination to tackle the great challenges that lie before us in the 21st century," Ferran said. "We can all clearly see that collaboration is vital if we are to mitigate threats to humanity such as climate change and to ensure that rapid technological change works for the benefit of society."

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Relations Eilis Ferran attended the inaugural two-day Paris summit of the U7+ Alliance of universities from 18 countries across the globe this week.

It was inspiring to hear from so many other ̽��ֱ�� leaders who share Cambridge's determination to tackle the great challenges that lie before us in the 21st century

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Eilis Ferran

U7+ Alliance of world universities

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African academics collaborate on Cambridge Research Office programme

plc32 — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:25:04 +0000

̽��ֱ�� administrators from Uganda, Namibia, Ghana, Botswana and Sierre Leone took part in collaborative workshops, heard from speakers such as ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor Eilis Ferran on the importance of administration to researchers and pored over the best practices for contracts, due diligence, audits, impact statements and applications.

̽��ֱ��GCRF Africa Initiative’s Capacity Building 2019 programme provided a forum for African university research office administrators to share their experiences, hear from the experiences of the Cambridge Research Office and develop their own unique solutions to the challenges of building capacity in the administration of grants and research in Africa.

“ ̽��ֱ��purpose of the programme is to help universities in the development of their research management support structures in the grants life-cycle,” said programme coordinator Debbie West-Lewis from the Cambridge Research Office.

Participants said the programme was as valuable for its insights into best practice at a global university as it was for discovering the shared problems and solutions at institutions across the African continent.

“It’s given us an opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and share ideas that will be quite useful for us as an institution to better serve our academics,” said Mercy Mwaura, Director of the Office of International Relations and Projects at the ̽��ֱ�� of Makeni in Sierra Leone.

Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation Knowledge Commons and Research Manager Kgomotso Radijeng said it was refreshing to hear that even ancient universities with global reputations such as Cambridge also have their challenges.

“They’ve been able to share with us how they resolve their challenges,” she said. “So we shouldn’t despair.”

William Alpha from ̽��ֱ�� of Makeni in Sierre Leone said that the programme deepened his belief in capacity building as a key cornerstone to driving better research and helping Africa’s universities make a real difference at home.

“That’s the core value for universities: do research that will impact our people and our communities,” he said.

One of the key takeaways all of the group agreed on was the newly formed network of support they’ve created for themselves with colleagues from the programme.

They have all joined up in a new WhatsApp group.

“Now we have a network and you know when you have a problem you can call up and say I’m struggling with this,” Radijeng said.

Academics from across sub-Saharan Africa gathered in Cambridge this week to share knowledge and attend talks on how to build greater capacity in their research support offices.

That’s the core value for universities: do research that will impact our people and our communities

William Alpha, ̽��ֱ�� of Makeni, Sierra Leone

Debbie West-Lewis

African Academics on Cambridge Research Office Capacity Building Programme

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Cambridge and Tsinghua sign joint research initiative

plc32 — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:37:34 +0000

Climate change, food security, chronic disease and other global challenges all require the kind of scientific advances that can only be vastly accelerated by combining the research capacity and intellectual power of global research universities.

Tsinghua and Cambridge have a long history of collaboration in the United Kingdom and China. This new strategic research agreement will deepen our relationship and help us scale up our efforts to address real global issues.

Tsinghua created a £200 million Bio-Innovation centre at the Trinity College-owned Cambridge Science Park last year. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Tsinghua have shared an engineering forum since 2013 and there are many other active academic research collaborations in areas such as advanced materials, nuclear engineering or energy and climate policy.

"By focusing on the grand challenges faced by our global communities, such as climate change and emerging technologies, I believe our collaboration will be a powerful engine to drive the academic fusion and synergetic developments between China and UK, as well as with global academic communities,” Tsinghua ̽��ֱ�� Vice-President of Research Professor You Zheng said.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is dedicated to seeking out collaborations wherever they offer the prospect of bolstering its mission to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

“We are delighted to enter into this joint research initiative with Tsinghua ̽��ֱ�� which will provide increased momentum to the many existing collaborations between academics at the two universities and provide a framework for setting up new research collaborations in areas of mutual interest,” ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations Professor Eilis Ferran said.

Summer 2021 update: Call for proposals 2012/22

With COP26 taking place in Glasgow on 31 Oct – 12 Nov 2021, this initiative is issuing a call to fund collaborative projects that address the challenges relating to the climate emergency and the transition to a zero-carbon future. ̽��ֱ��initiative intends to fund around 10 projects for a project duration of not more than 12 months. ̽��ֱ��deadline for submissions is Friday 5 November 2021.

Find out more

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Tsinghua ̽��ֱ�� signed a joint research initiative on Monday as part of efforts by both universities to tackle the urgent challenges faced by humanity.

We are delighted to enter into this joint research initiative with Tsinghua ̽��ֱ��

Cambridge Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Eilis Ferran

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Cambridge and Shandong ̽��ֱ�� sign agreement to support innovation and entrepreneurship

sc604 — Thu, 31 May 2018 13:18:21 +0000

̽��ֱ��agreement between Cambridge and Shandong Universities was signed earlier this week, and will establish the Shandong ̽��ֱ�� School of Innovation Intermediary and the Innovation Institute in Qingdao. Qingdao is the largest city in Shandong province and supports a rapidly-growing high-tech sector: Shandong ̽��ֱ�� opened a campus there in 2017. ̽��ֱ��new school will be supported by Cambridge Enterprise, the ̽��ֱ��’s commercialisation arm, Shandong ̽��ֱ�� and Qingdao Municipal Government.

̽��ֱ��signing ceremony was witnessed by Professor Fan Liming, President of Shandong ̽��ֱ�� and Professor Eilís Ferran, Cambridge’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations.

As part of the agreement, Cambridge will bring its expertise in commercialisation to aid technology transfer processes and encourage entrepreneurship in Shandong Province. ̽��ֱ��two universities will explore ways to improve interactions, build a world-class institution and cultivate talent. They will also support faculty and students to put their results into practice.

“We will help to establish an enterprise team in Qingdao and share our experience and knowledge to help businesses innovate and thrive, improve the university campus and support the city’s development,” said Dr Tony Raven, chief executive of Cambridge Enterprise.

In her speech, President Fan Liming said that innovation and technology transfer are of great importance to the university’s development and its responsibility to give back to society. ̽��ֱ��signing of the agreement is an important beginning for the two universities to promote the construction of the School.

With the support of Qingdao government, both sides will work closely to promote the development of the School in accordance with the framework and plans that both have agreed upon. It will help to contribute to the social and economic development both at local and national levels, and will also enhance the people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK. Professor Ferran expressed her appreciation to President Fan Liming for her strong support to the cooperation between the two universities.

“Cambridge attaches great importance to the cooperation with Shandong ̽��ֱ��,” she said. “This agreement will deepen the relationship between our two universities and our two countries through the collaboration of universities, industry and governments.”

Tony Raven, the CEO of Cambridge Enterprise, and Sun Fengshou, Director of the Department of International Affairs of Shandong ̽��ֱ��, signed the agreement.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has signed an agreement with one of China’s largest universities to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in one of China’s fastest-growing high-tech clusters.

L-R: Professor Eilís Ferran, Dr Tony Raven, Sun Fengshou, Professor Fan Liming

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