The inaugural Oxford & Cambridge Club Spring Drinks

On the 20th March, the Alumni & Development Office hosted the first Spring Drinks event for alumni at the Oxford and Cambridge Club. Alumni were able to enjoy drinks and canapés in a convivial atmosphere and lavish setting, with attendees representing a wide range of specialisms and interests. Many of the attendees were from the same matriculation years and were able to catch up with their peers - in the case of two alumni who matriculated in 1956, they reconnected at the event after many years and have made plans to meet up again.

In addition to the President, several Fellows were in attendance, including the Senior Tutor, Dr Andrew Thompson, the Senior Bursar, Jonathan Spence, and Professor Julia Gog, Director of Studies in Mathematics.

The evening included speeches and a Q&A with the Fellows. The President opened the speeches by updating those present on the latest developments at Queens', highlighting the changes that the College is making to further support students. These align with the five strategic pillars of development being implemented in College, including fostering the intellectual society, infrastructure, strategic financial decisions, governance, and widening participation.

Professor Gog spoke about the welfare of students, which has been challenged throughout the pandemic at various stages of their degrees. She told an anecdote from her role as Senior Treasurer for Queens' College Association Football Club (QCAFC), saying that the first years on the women's and non-binary team all knew the players on the men's and non-binary team and were cheering them on, despite not living near each other or being on the same course, because they had decided to make the most of their time at Queens' and form lasting friendships in response to the 'lost' Covid years.

Dr Spence also outlined the financial resilience of the College, summarising the shocks created by Covid and the war in Ukraine in the context of Queens' being in the top five largest colleges with the fifteenth largest endowment. Dr Thompson added that Brexit has impacted the intake of EU students and research opportunities as graduate students choose to go to the EU.

Following the success of this event, the Alumni & Development Office is looking to hold further drinks receptions for alumni - watch this space for more information.