̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Deborah Prentice

Complete clean sweep for Cambridge at ̽��ֱ��Boat Race 2025

hcf38 — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:34:14 +0000

Thousands of spectators lined the banks of the River Thames on 13 April to witness a dramatic afternoon of action, with millions more following live on the BBC.

Cambridge Women secured their eighth consecutive win in the 79th Women’s Boat Race, extending their overall record to 49 victories to Oxford’s 30. ̽��ֱ��Men’s crew, too, were victorious in defending their title in the 170th edition of the event, notching up their 88th win, with Oxford sitting on 81.

Goldie, the Cambridge Men’s Reserve Crew, won the Men’s Reserve Race, while Blondie, the Cambridge Women’s Reserve Crew, won the Women’s Reserve Race. And the day before, the 2025 Lightweight Boat Race also saw two wins for Cambridge.

Cambridge’s Claire Collins said it was an incredible feeling to win the race.

“This is so cool, it’s really an incredible honour to share this with the whole club,” she said.

̽��ֱ��Women’s Race was stopped initially after an oar clash, but Umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent allowed the race to resume after a restart. Claire said that the crew had prepared for eventualities such as a restart and so were able to lean on their training when it happened.

“I had total confidence in the crew to regroup. Our focus was to get back on pace and get going as soon as possible and that’s what we did.”

For Cambridge Men’s President Luca Ferraro, it was his final Boat Roat campaign, having raced in the Blue Boat for the last three years, winning the last two.

He said: “It was a great race. ̽��ֱ��guys really stepped up. That’s something that our Coach Rob Baker said to us before we went out there, that each of us had to step up individually and come together and play our part in what we were about to do. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys, they really delivered today.”

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, congratulated all the crews following the wins.

“I am in awe of these students and what they have achieved, and what Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Boat Club has been able to create,” she said.

“These students are out in the early hours of the morning training and then trying to make it to 9am lectures. It’s so inspiring. And a complete clean sweep – this was an incredibly impressive showing by Cambridge, I am so proud of them.”

̽��ֱ��Cambridge Blue Boats featured student athletes drawn from Christ’s College, Downing College, Emmanuel College, Gonville & Caius, Hughes Hall, Jesus College, Pembroke College, Peterhouse, St Edmund’s, and St John’s.

Cambridge is celebrating a complete clean sweep at ̽��ֱ��Boat Race 2025, with victories in all 4 openweight races and also both lightweight races.

Row360

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 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 – 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.

Yes

Stormzy among eight nominated for honorary degrees

ps748 — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:56:30 +0000

Michael Omari Owuo Junior, better known as Stormzy, will receive a Doctorate in Law in recognition of his philanthropic work and impact in a number of fields, including education, music, sport and literature. He launched his Scholarship programme at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge in 2018 funding two Black British students each year covering both their tuition fees and maintenance costs. Three years later, the programme was expanded after HSBC UK agreed to fund a further ten students per year. So far, 55 students have been supported by a Stormzy Scholarship and 2025 will see the largest group graduate so far. ̽��ֱ��‘Stormzy effect’ has been credited with being a contributor to an increase in applications to Cambridge from Black students across the UK.

An honorary Doctorate in Letters will be conferred upon the actor Sir Simon Russell Beale. Renowned for his stage, film and television roles, Sir Simon is an Honorary Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, where he studied for his undergraduate degree. He is the recipient of two BAFTA awards, three Laurence Olivier Awards and a Tony. He was knighted in 2019.

Professor Angela Davis, the political activist, philosopher and author, will also receive a Doctorate in Letters. A Distinguished Professor Emerita from the ̽��ֱ�� of California, Santa Cruz, Professor Davis is a radical feminist thinker and prominent civil rights campaigner who was an active member of the Communist Party and champion of the prison abolition movement. She is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Lady Arden of Heswall, former Justice of the UK’s Supreme Court, and an Honorary Fellow of Girton College, will receive a Doctorate in Law. She was previously a Judge in the Court of Appeal and before that, at the High Court of Justice, where she was the first female judge assigned to the Chancery Division. She is a former Chair of the Law Commission and a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. She was made a Privy Counsellor in 2000.

A Doctorate in Law will also be conferred on former Olympic rower and current chair of UK Sport, Dame Katherine Grainger. She is one of the most decorated British female Olympians and the only British woman to have won medals at five successive Olympic Games. In November, she was elected as the next chair of the British Olympic Association, the first woman to hold the post. She is currently Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Glasgow.

̽��ֱ��Nobel Prize-winning economist, Sir Oliver Hart, is to receive a Doctorate in Science. He is currently the Lewis P and Linda L Geyser ̽��ֱ�� Professor at Harvard ̽��ֱ��. Hart’s work focuses on the theory of contracts, how parties can write better contracts, and on the social responsibility of business. He was knighted in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours.

Professor Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council, is to be conferred with a Doctorate in Medical Science. Formerly a Staff Scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, she is a developmental biologist and immunologist. She is best known for her work on the mechanisms that allow a developing body to take on its correct shape. She was formerly Director of the European Molecular Biology Organization in Heidelberg.

Sir John Rutter is no stranger to Cambridge, being an Honorary Fellow at Clare College and Director of Music at the College from 1975 to 1979. A composer, arranger and conductor of choral music, his work has been performed all over the world. Founder and Director of the Cambridge Singers, Sir John, who was knighted in 2024, will receive a Doctorate in Music.

All eight distinguished individuals have accepted the ̽��ֱ�� Council’s nomination to receive an honorary doctorate. Subject to final approval by the Regent House, the ̽��ֱ��’s governing body, they are now due to be admitted to their degrees at a special Congregation in the Senate-House on Wednesday 25 June, at which the ̽��ֱ��’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, will preside and which will be attended by staff, students and alumni as well as specially invited guests.

Talented individuals from the world of science, music, drama, law, economics, sport and political activism are recognised in the list of distinguished people nominated for honorary degrees from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge this year.

Yes

Licence type:

Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike

Cambridge UK leaders explore Cambridge US innovation ecosystem

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 13:05:01 +0000

̽��ֱ��tour included visits to CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), Greentown Labs, LabCentral, ̽��ֱ��Engine, MassRobotics, and Harvard Innovation Labs – each playing a vital role in supporting technology startups and scientific enterprise.

̽��ֱ��delegates met with entrepreneurs, investors, and research leaders to understand how these organisations facilitate the transition from cutting-edge research to commercial success. They observed how dedicated innovation hubs provide early-stage companies with access to lab space, venture funding, and corporate partnerships, creating an environment where ideas can rapidly develop into high-growth businesses.

̽��ֱ��visit highlighted the impact of physical infrastructure in driving innovation. ̽��ֱ��Engine, for example, supports startups developing breakthrough technologies by offering 200,000 square feet (more than 18,500 m²) of lab space, funding, and specialised resources. Greentown Labs, the largest climate tech incubator in North America, and LabCentral, a shared lab facility for biotech startups, provide entrepreneurs with critical resources and networks to scale their businesses.

These hubs foster dense, high-energy ecosystems where startups, researchers, and investors work in close proximity. Co-location with major research institutions and established tech companies further accelerates innovation by facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration.

Cambridge, UK, is already a leading centre for research and innovation. However, the visit reinforced the need for investment in dedicated innovation infrastructure alongside the existing world-class science to scale up commercial success. Boston’s innovation growth has been underpinned by over $1.5bn (£1.16bn) in state funding over the past 15 years, ensuring startups have access to space, funding, and industry connections.

̽��ֱ��Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, said: "Kendall Square demonstrates what is possible when world-class research, investment, and entrepreneurial ambition come together in a concentrated ecosystem.

"Cambridge, UK, has all the ingredients to be a global leader in science-driven enterprise, but we must ensure our innovation infrastructure matches our research excellence. This visit reinforced the urgency of scaling up our support for deep-tech and life sciences startups to drive economic growth and tackle global challenges."

A delegation of university representatives and innovation leaders from Cambridge, UK, recently visited Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to examine one of the world’s most successful innovation hubs.

̽��ֱ��British Cambridge delegation in the American Cambridge

Yes

Vice-Chancellor continues UK tour

ps748 — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:52:55 +0000

̽��ֱ��South West of England has one of the country’s lowest levels of student progression into higher education. One of the key objectives of the visit was to engage with pupils and teachers in an area that is conspicuously under-represented in applications and admissions to Cambridge.

First stop was Colyton Grammar School, in east Devon, where Professor Prentice talked to school leaders about the barriers encountered by students from the region wishing to attend university. Joining her were representatives from Downing College, which has a particular connection to the area. They were also joined by Mike Nicholson, the ̽��ֱ��’s Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Participation, and Tom Levinson, Head of Widening Participation and Collaborative Outreach.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Downing College have partnered with the ̽��ֱ�� of Bristol and the Sutton Trust to support the Colyton Foundation Your Future Story – a programme that aims to support high attaining students from under-resourced backgrounds in the South West to pursue higher education opportunities.

In the evening, the Vice-Chancellor attended a reception in Bristol which was attended by nearly 50 Cambridge alumni, including one who matriculated in 1949.

̽��ֱ��following day the Vice-Chancellor travelled to North Somerset for a visit to Priory Community School, part of an Academy Trust in Worle, near Weston-super-Mare. Mike Nicholson led a school assembly for year 11 students. Later that morning, Xanthe Robertson, Access and Recruitment Officer of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, led assemblies for 1,500 students in Years 7 through to 10.

̽��ֱ��Vice-Chancellor and colleagues were interviewed by members of a student news team named after the journalist Jill Dando, who grew up in Worle. ̽��ֱ��visitors noted that among the school’s notable alumni was Stephen Jenkins, Professor of Physical and Computational Surface Chemistry at Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��next stop was Weston College, a further and higher education College in Weston-super-Mare that provides education and vocational training to students from the age of 14 through to adulthood. There the group met Sixth Form students to hear about their aspirations.

̽��ֱ��final leg of the journey took the Cambridge delegation to St Bede’s Catholic and Sixth Form College in Bristol. ̽��ֱ��school is part of the HE+ network, through which the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Colleges work together with schools FE establishments across the country to encourage applications from talented students.

Reflecting on her visit, the Vice-Chancellor said: “Travelling to the South West allowed me to learn more about the region and to understand some of the barriers to aspiration and attainment that prevent bright students from pursuing higher education. ̽��ֱ��students we met were impressive. Their teachers’ commitment to supporting their educational journey is outstanding. I hope that the outreach partnerships between the ̽��ֱ��, the Colleges and local schools will help us attract talented students to Cambridge, and will more generally encourage them to consider going to university.”

This visit to the South West followed the Vice-Chancellor’s trip to Rochdale, Manchester and Liverpool a year ago and her visit to Peterborough in the autumn of 2024.

̽��ֱ��Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, has led a delegation to Devon, North Somerset and Bristol. It was the first time a serving Cambridge Vice-Chancellor had travelled to the region in an official capacity to engage with local schools and alumni.

̽��ֱ��students we met were impressive

Professor Deborah Prentice

Yes

Cambridge recognised as the UK’s leading university for global innovation

cjb250 — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:00:13 +0000

̽��ֱ��report, carried out by analytics firm Clarivate, looks at the critical role of research in shaping global industrial innovation and societal impact, using data and expert insights derived from academic research and patent citations.

̽��ֱ��report highlights how knowledge flows between academia and industry across countries and regions, underscoring the global nature of innovation. It identifies the top 50 universities named on the academic papers that received the highest number of citations from patents granted to the companies and organisations on the Top 100 Global Innovators 2024 list.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “Cambridge has a thriving community of spin-outs, start-ups and partnerships that demonstrates how academia and industry can work together to transform ideas into real-world impact. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� is key to this, and we are developing hugely ambitious plans that will transform the UK economy and reinforce the UK’s status as a leader in global innovation.”

̽��ֱ��report comes the day after Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves unveiled her strategy to unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor by catalysing the growth of UK science and technology. ̽��ֱ��plan recognises the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge as the world’s leading science and technological cluster by intensity, and its potential to rapidly build on the £30bn contribution it already makes to the UK economy.

According to the report, the top 10 universities influencing patented inventions are:

Harvard ̽��ֱ�� (US)
Stanford ̽��ֱ�� (US)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT (US)
̽��ֱ�� of California, Berkeley (US)
Université Paris Cité (France)
̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge (UK)
̽��ֱ�� of Washington, Seattle (US)
̽��ֱ�� of California, San Diego (US)
̽��ֱ�� of Michigan (US)
̽��ֱ�� of Toronto (Canada)

Among the report’s key findings was that the UK demonstrates particularly diverse international influence, with its research often serving as a bridge across regions.

Gordon Rogers, report author and Senior Manager, Data Science at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate, said: “Groundbreaking ideas driving the world’s most innovative companies often originate from academic research. Our report demonstrates that by fostering collaboration between academia and industry, we can fuel technological advancements, providing solutions to societal challenges in healthcare, sustainability, and economic development.”

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has been named as the leading UK university in a new report on the top 50 universities powering global innovation.

Cambridge has a thriving community of spin-outs, start-ups and partnerships that demonstrates how academia and industry can work together to transform ideas into real-world impact

Deborah Prentice

Student at Maxwell Centre, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge

Yes

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital given green light by government

cjb250 — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 08:00:32 +0000

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will transform how we diagnose and treat cancer. It will bring together world-leading research and clinical excellence to change the lives of cancer patients across the East of England, the UK and beyond.

̽��ֱ��Hospital was part of the government’s review of its New Hospitals Programme. In naming the project as one of the schemes that has advanced plans in place, including significant progress on our full business case, the Government confirmed the good news that we can prepare for construction to start in 2026. It remains on track to be built by 2029.

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, a partnership between Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals and the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, will combine NHS clinical space with three new state-of-the-art research institutes that will support the ambitions set out in the government's new NHS ten-year plan.

Bringing together world-class NHS clinicians with cutting-edge ̽��ֱ�� and industry-led research, the hospital will accelerate the early detection of cancer and prevention of illness, and lead the way in delivering bespoke, precision treatments that will radically improve patient outcomes.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “This is excellent news for the future of Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, which promises to have a huge impact on how we diagnose and treat cancer, not only in our region, but globally.

“Our teams are also working hard to secure much-needed philanthropic support to complement the funding committed by the NHS and the ̽��ֱ��. Generous donations will help realise our vision for this revolutionary, and much-needed, research hospital.”

Find out more about the hospital that will change the story of cancer forever here.

̽��ֱ��Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced that ambitious plans can proceed for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, which promises to change the story of cancer forever.

Our teams are also working hard to secure much-needed philanthropic support to complement the funding committed by the NHS and the ̽��ֱ��. Generous donations will help realise our vision for this revolutionary, and much-needed, research hospital

Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor

̽��ֱ��hospital that will change the story of cancer forever

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital - artist's impression

Yes

Celebrating an outstanding fundraising achievement

ps748 — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:53:02 +0000

Six years after launching its ambitious target of raising £500 million to support students the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has surpassed this major milestone.

With investment, universities can drive growth - Vice-Chancellor

hcf38 — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:54:37 +0000

It is Nobel prize-giving season and last week alumni of Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� were awarded four of them for their brilliant work. In a leading article last week, ̽��ֱ��Times pointed out that if it were a country, Cambridge’s total of 125 would place it third for Nobel laureates behind only the UK and the US. This is a tribute to outstanding work which changes lives.

As an American who took over the role of vice-chancellor a little over a year ago, I am struck by how often the value of world-class research universities — to our economy, and to society and our daily lives — is underestimated here in Britain. Two of the top five in the world are British and in higher education terms this country punches well above its weight. This week we will announce a huge new investment in transformative research focused on a common foe: cancer. It will bring global benefits.

Our world-class, research-intensive universities are national assets. They can be genuine drivers of economic growth. Cambridge research contributes a staggering £30 billion to the UK economy each year. By contrast, no single US university plays such a national role.

And yet some UK research universities are in a precarious financial state. They are vital to their local and regional communities, as well as to Britain as a whole. They need more than just recognition if they are to drive future sustainable growth: they need investment, yes, but also support to innovate so they can continue to break new research frontiers and to serve their communities.

In Cambridge, we plan to launch an innovation hub that attracts and hosts the best researchers from around the world, plus entrepreneurs, funders and philanthropists. Under one roof, ideas will be driven forward, before they are spun out. ̽��ֱ��US and France have successfully pointed the way in these hothouses for innovation, in Boston and Paris. ̽��ֱ��UK must catch up — and fast.

With the budget looming, even — or perhaps especially — in tough times, the government must see our research universities as key allies and partners in its mission to drive economic growth. They are one of the main advantages this country enjoys in the global race for economic success.

At the start of a new academic year, thousands of students and researchers have arrived in Cambridge and at other British universities. We should invest in our world-class institutions and their contributions to tackling society’s greatest challenges so that in the decades to come we will have more Nobel laureates to celebrate.

This article first appeared in ̽��ֱ��Times on 14 October 2024.

Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, writes in ̽��ֱ��Times about how universities can drive UK growth - but they need more than just recognition.

Yes