Ring True Oct23}

Ring True

Ring True
October 2023

Greetings, Wolves!

As I start my 7th academic year at Wolfson, I find myself more determined than ever to enjoy each and every occasion – since they will all be my last… My last large October matriculation, my final Benefactors’ dinner next month, and, with the kitchen refurbishment underway, I am relishing my final months feasting in the Dining Hall.

I do hope that all our alumni will connect with Wolfson this academic year. Perhaps you will join one of our alumni events online or in person? Come along to our concerts or lectures or join in some of our hybrid events which we will be running throughout the year. Throughout the year, I plan on holding virtual events as well as visiting local alumni groups in the UK and across the world, so I hope to meet many of you again during the next 10 months. Keep in touch, Wolves, and Ring True.

Professor Jane Clarke
President

Making the Most of Your Wolfson Connection

A warm welcome as we kick off a new term! Since our last Ring True edition, we've had an exciting summer. Wolfson alumni united in Mexico City, we met over 100 Wolfson and Cambridge friends in San Francisco and LA, hosted our annual Alumni Reunion weekend, and launched this year's new Networks program. We're hugely grateful to our global alumni network for their support and participation in our events.
Our focus in the Networks and Alumni Office is to help you make the most of your Wolfson connection, regardless of your location or career stage.
Alumni Relations: we’re here, to help you tap into the Wolfson network and enjoy alumni benefits like our newsletter, dedicated events, hosting reunions, and attending formal halls. You can find all College events here.
Interdisciplinary Research Hubs: These programs unite our community to tackle pressing global challenges through events, talks, conferences, Living Lab projects, career mentoring, and more.
This year, our goal is to empower you to make the most of your Wolfson connection, no matter where you are in the world. We're excited about the year ahead!

Sian Cook
Director of College Networks

College News

This report needs to start a conversation"
The largest survey to date of the opinions and attitudes of Black people in Britain has revealed a central split on the question of British pride: around half (49%) of Black Britons consider themselves at least somewhat “proud to be British”, while almost half (45%) take little to no pride in Britishness.

The research, led by Wolfson Fellow and Lead Convener of The Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Hub, Dr Kenny Monrose, also suggests racial prejudice and insensitivity in UK workplaces remains entrenched, with a high percentage of respondents (88%) saying they have experienced... Read more

Your Alumni News

Wolfson alumnus to be inaugurated as 9th President of Singapore
Tharman Shanmugaratnam (m.1981) has been elected Singapore’s ninth President following the first election in the country for 12 years.

Tharman, who completed an MPhil in Economics at Wolfson in 1982, was made an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson in 2006.

Wolfson College President, Professor Jane Clarke, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Tharman on his election as President of Singapore. When we met earlier this year, Tharman spoke of his fondness for Wolfson and his commitment to our shared vision of... Read more

Alumni Publications
Congratulations to our alumni who have recently had books published!

Eleanor Boyle (m.1982)
Mobilize Food! Wartime Inspiration for Environmental Victory Today

Daniel Cowling (m.2012)
Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans: The British Occupation of Germany, 1945-49

Andrew Colley (m.2017)
In-patient mental health care from the asylum system to the present day – a lived experience of policy and practice

Richard Hill (Former Visiting Fellow)
Secret History: State Surveillance in New Zealand, 1900-195

We always love to hear what our alumni are up to. From new babies to new jobs, let us know your latest news by emailing Tiffany at alumni@wolfson.cam.ac.uk so that we can share it with our community!

From the Development Director

Simon Crookall

Philanthropy and partnerships enable Wolfson to fund 30% of new PhD students
Senior Tutor, Susan Larsen, reflects on the impact of philanthropy for Wolfson students at the start of the new academic year.

Wolfson College relies on philanthropy to fund the education of many exceptional candidates as well as to ensure that all Wolfson students have an incredible Cambridge experience. We have worked creatively with our funding partners so that we were able to offer 17 brand new fully-funded PhD studentships to Wolfson students matriculating in October 2023 for a total of 22 full PhD studentships as well as partial scholarships for another 13 doctoral, 10 Masters-level, and 12 undergraduate students. This means that almost 30% of our 2023/2024 PhD cohort... Read more

Morrison Society Lunch
We had a full house in the Combination Room as we gathered this September to commemorate those who have already left a legacy in support of Wolfson and celebrate those around the table and throughout the world who have pledged to do the same by including a gift to the College in their Will.

We were joined by Lily Tekseng, an inspirational PhD student who spoke to us about her work and what Wolfson, and philanthropy, means to her.

We are now launching a new legacy brochure and we hope that learning about the impact of remembering Wolfson with a planned gift will inspire others to join us in doing the same

Learn about legacies to Wolfson

Music News

Music in Michaelmas Term
The full details of Wolfson's Michaelmas term concerts are out now! We have a wide selection of musical performances for you to enjoy in the coming weeks. We very much hope to see you there!

Wolfson Michaelmas Concerts

Sport News

Rowing
A new academic year is underway, and Wolfson College Boat Club has welcomed an influx of new members. Across College Boat Clubs, Michaelmas is focused on training “novice” coxes or rowers in the art of making boats move fast - and having fun along the way! After two weeks of taster sessions, novice crews have now been selected and are commencing training for the term’s races.

Alongside this, senior boaties continue their training, building up fitness, strength, and skill for the term’s grand finale on the 1st December: the Fairbairn Cup. Following Michaelmas (or “Novice term”), these ranks will be bolstered by all the graduated novices. Last year, WCBC had the strongest performance of all colleges across Lent and May Bumps. Heads are focused, as we look to consolidate this momentum and enjoy plenty more success!

You can find the full list of the 2023/4 committee and introductions can be found on the Boat Club Instagram here.

Don't forget to save the date for the Fairbairns Dinner on Friday 1 December! More details will be available soon!

Entrepreneurship & Alumni Event

Thursday 16 November
The Wolfson Networks Team invites you to join us for the 2023 Wolfson Entrepreneurship & Alumni Panel Event and Dinner. The evening will consist of a panel discussion followed by a formal dinner in the Dining Hall.

This event marks the inauguration of the newly re-formed Entrepreneurs Society and Hub at Wolfson College, aimed at fostering connections between entrepreneurial students and alumni and demystifying entrepreneurship for all.

The evening is open to all Students, Alumni, Wolfson members, friends, and guests and is generously supported by an Alumnus. Please note that booking for the dinner will close on 1 November.

Find out more about the event and register using the link below.
We do hope that you will be able to join us!

Upcoming Events

An evening with Prof Jason Pomeroy, Wolfson alumnus and Fellow, CISL
Thursday 23 November
Join us for an in-conversation event with Wolfson alumnus Prof Jason Pomeroy as he returns to explore in more depth the role of digital twins in the built environment, stakeholder engagement, and the potential of convening Wolfson’s community around these topics.
You can find out more about the event here

Fairbairns Dinner
Friday 1 December
More details will be available soon

Toronto Mixer
Friday 24 November
The Wolfson Networks Team invites you to join us for a mixer at the Queen & Beaver pub, 35 Elm Street in Toronto! The reunion will be a superb opportunity to reconnect with former classmates and meet other alumni living and working in and around Toronto
Register here

What's On and How to Get Involved

If you want to get involved, check out College’s five Interdisciplinary Hubs in Gender; Global Health; Entrepreneurship; Sustainability & Conservation; and Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage (REACH). Each has its own webpages and there are events, group programs, and many ways to participate. You can find a list of all the Interdisciplinary Hub events here!

You can also check out the Wolfson What's On webpage to find out about everything that's happening in College. Don't forget that you are also entitled to a range of alumni benefits!
You can also join Wolfson Connect, Wolfson's exclusive alumni portal.