About Selwyn College Cambridge
Academic excellence and a strong community.
Selwyn College Cambridge Description
THE COLLEGE - An Overview
Selwyn College takes its name from George Augustus Selwyn , who was the first Bishop of New Zealand (1841-68) and later Bishop of Lichfield (1868-78), and in whose memory the College was founded. The College crest incorporates the Selwyn family arms and those of the Diocese of Lichfield.
The distinctive red-brick Victorian Old Court is Tudor Gothic in style, much of it designed by architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. The Court comprises seven staircases (on which members of the College live and teach), as well as the Tower and Gateway, Master's Lodge, Chapel and Dining Hall and lovely Gardens . Building began on the gateway and on A and B staircases in 1880 on six acres of farm-land purchased from Corpus Christi College, and at the time many considered the site too far removed from the centre of Cambridge. However, due to the steady growth of the University, Selwyn now stands at its geographical heart . The College itself expanded in the late 1960s with the building of Cripps Court; it was also one of the first colleges to become mixed, admitting women in 1976.
The College opened in time for the beginning of the academic year in 1882, when 28 undergraduates were admitted. The teaching staff comprised the Master, the Tutor and one non-resident lecturer. Today the College is the home to around 360 undergraduate and 130 postgraduate students, drawn from universities all over the world, the Master and more than 60 Fellows. Former students from Selwyn College have become prominent in many walks of life, including the actor Hugh Laurie, barrister and television presenter Clive Anderson, the Rt Hon John Gummer MP, and writer Robert Harris (author of ' Enigma ' and ' Fatherland ').
The College has a committed and friendly body of non-academic staff numbering around 110.
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Sunday at Selwyn with the grass in Old Court showing the benefit of the recent rain.
Last Wednesday saw the inaugural meeting of the Selwyn Maths Society. A talk was given by fellow Dr Anita Faul on the importance of explainable AI and the internal mechanisms of neural networks.
The photo shows the students, fellows and alumni who attended, with Dr Faul at the front (right).
An excellent Ramsay Murray lecture tonight by Professor David Reynolds (2nd from right) on the shifting perspectives of academic history. David is seen afterwards with vice-master Janet O’Sullivan, senior tutor Mike Sewell and fellow historian John Morrill.
Selwynites were well represented at last night’s Global Cambridge event in San Francisco. The university and the college believe our international links are becoming ever more important, and the gatherings in the United States this week have been emphasising the ways in which we’re engaging with the big global challenges.
Among those attending: alumna Alison Davis, a technology investor (seen with the college master Roger Mosey); Sandra Gueorguieva, who works for Google, and Adrian Fradd; Robin Jeffs, a fellow benefactor, with his wife Freda; and Zachary McCune, now a staff member at Wikipedia.
Good news from Selwyn men’s cricket captain Jack Drew.
He tells us: “We played a cuppers fixture yesterday against Pembroke and won our game by 91 runs after batting first and scoring 179 in 20 overs!
“We have now won 2/2 and have booked a place in the knock-out rounds.”
... Congratulations to the whole team, and best of luck for the next game.
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Development director Mike Nicholson with some of the Selwyn group at last night’s Global Cambridge event in New York’s Public Library.
The Borgias move into Selwyn Chapel.
Well done to alumnus Jacob Lange, now studying at Warwick, who came 2nd in the men’s hammer throw at the British University Championships.
Brunch in Manhattan.
The Master Roger Mosey and development director Mike Nicholson hosted Selwyn alumni from New York (and visitors to the city) at a Sunday lunchtime gathering.
Thanks to Donna Netschert for her assistance with the photos.
“I was on my own for the first 10 or 11 years.” Sarah MacDonald, Selwyn’s director of music, talks about being the first woman in that role in Oxford or Cambridge in this interview on Cambridge 105 and the Women Making Waves podcast.
A former Selwyn engineering student, Ross Edmondson (2002), is about to set off on a flight around the world in a light single engine aircraft .
Ross, now a project engineer in Iraq, hopes to cover more than 40,000 miles in his 1981 Cessna to raise money and awareness for an old school friend’s charity, African Promise. He will be starting the challenge in Pittsburgh in the USA on the May 6th, flying six, one-month periods over the course of a year – and working in between.
T...his is his planned itinerary: • Section one, May 6th-17th: Pittsburgh PA, USA, to the Netherlands via Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and the UK. • Section two, July 1st-24th: Netherlands to Thailand via Europe, the Middle East, India, and Sri Lanka. • Section three, August 26th-September 18th: Thailand to Australia via Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. • Section four, December 9th-January 1st 2020: A flight all around Australia • Section five, February 3rd-26th 2020: A flight all around New Zealand • Section six, March 30th-April 22nd 2020: New Zealand to Pittsburgh, PA, USA, via Fiji, American Samoa, Kiribati, Hawaii, California, and Texas.
To find out more and support his cause, click here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ro und-the-world
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Yes, congratulations to Grace Wood!
And after all the other blossom around the college garden, it's now time for the wisteria. (Photo by Jess Gardner.)
This month’s archive image features a photograph of a college group, probably a boat crew, seated on the garden steps and includes Alexander Michael St Leger Ramsay Murray, who can be seen in the back row on the right.
Lt Col Ramsay Murray (1917-1994), who was at Selwyn in the 1930s, gave a generous bequest to the college, including funds to purchase a boat for the (male) first eight and to construct wrought iron gates for the West Bye Lane entrance to the college. He also m...ade a significant endowment for the annual Ramsay Murray lecture, the first of which was given in 1996, and on 10 May this year will be given by the distinguished historian, Professor David Reynolds FBA.
Ramsay Murray was a keen athlete, and medals from his competitions are also in the archives. He later joined the Royal Artillery and served with them during and after World War II. His diaries, which include descriptions of his student days at Selwyn, are now at the Royal Artillery Museum.
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Selwyn alumni and friends were given exclusive access to the Don McCullin exhibition at Tate Britain this week. The tour was facilitated by alumnus and Tate trustee Tim Davie.
Today's report about how Britain should adapt to cope with global warming was produced by the Committee on Climate Change - which is chaired by Selwyn alumnus Lord Deben. Better known as John Selwyn Gummer, he studied history here - and then had a long career in the Conservative Party and as a government minister before taking up his current role in 2012.
Details of the report are here: https://airqualitynews.com/…/government -must-to-be-bolder-…/
Roger Mosey’s latest column for the New Statesman argues that we should have the greatest possible range of political opinions on our airwaves - even if some of them are objectionable.
We were there only for a short time, as we were dropping out grandson off, he showed us round the grounds before we left. I imagine the gardens look lovely in summer. It was a very impressive building.
Selwyn College is very close to Sidgwick teaching site (just 5-mins walk). College porters and staff are very helpful and friendly.
The porter helped me seal the envelopes and send my letters to post office, as I was rushing to catch a flight. Thank you! 😊
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It was wonderful to be able to attend Choral Evensong Sunday 5th February. The standard of the Choir was amazing, thanks to Sarah MacDonald and they were accompanied by the Senior Organ Scholar Shanna Hart. It is a pity more people were not there to hear this wonderful group of musicians perform to such a high standard.
I absolutely loved my day at Selwing College and will definitely promote it with my A level students of Italian.
Hi,is there anyone at Selwyn that doesnt drink or like clubbing.Please pm me xx
Held a Clinical Case Conference there yesterday and we were very well looked after in all aspects of hospitality and such stunning location I felt so privileged to be there �
Grande!
Beautiful college, with great students!
Loved the Harry Potter room:-)
Absolutely beautiful ❤️❤️ The Chapel and gardens are delightful. Toby, my son, is doing a PHD there and absolutely loves it.
A very good place to pursue dreams and to study :D
<3<3
I wish to go back in time so that I can enter your college