One of my objectives as President of Queens’ College has been to support and enable all members of our community to thrive.  

As part of our mission to deliver academic excellence, we have worked very hard to expand financial assistance for students, introducing new academic scholarships, such as the Alexander Crummell scholarships, and enlarging financial assistance via bursaries, sports and subject funds and travel grants. The process has been institutionalised under the direction of a highly effective new Financial Tutor. The result has been record disbursements to students, year after year. 

I supported our Domestic Bursar’s bold initiative to introduce a low-cost meal option for students, ensuring that they have access to affordable dining options in College, especially at a time of high food inflation nationally. These “£3 meals” have become extremely popular, leading also to many positive community-wide spillover effects. And I am proud that Queens’ has led the way in implementing the living wage in Cambridge. 

Queens’ has pursued several other initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing of our community and enhancing our academic mission. They include a summer internship programme that provides academics and students with funding to pursue research activities, as well as a greater range of activities for our staff.  

My time at Cambridge has not only provided support for a wide range of academic activities, but also, and as importantly, non-academic ones. From the football and rugby pitches to our Chapel, Multi-Faith Centre, and Wellbeing Services, these are aimed at enabling all of our community to continue to grow and flourish. We completed the decarbonisation of one of our major buildings – part of a comprehensive infrastructure initiative seeking to ensure greater sustainability and provide our community with better accommodation and study space.  

I am committed to celebrating our outstanding students, staff and academics – past, present, and future. From Demis Hassabis’s Nobel Prize to the commissioning of ten portraits celebrating the college’s female alumni and Fellows, they mark outstanding accomplishments that inspire the current generation of students and Fellows. 

The impact of all these collective efforts is reflected in several measures and accomplishments. They have been facilitated by fundraising success, which has placed Queens’ among the top three Colleges in Cambridge in each of the last five years. The generous and thoughtful support of our donors, including non-alumni, has enabled the College to grow in many areas, from improving and expanding accommodation facilities to supporting our thriving sustainability initiatives. 

Building on the successful presidency of my predecessor, Lord Eatwell, Queens’ has deepened its reputation for a friendly and inclusive community that achieves academic excellence. If elected Chancellor, I will use my experience and expertise to enhance experiences across the university.