Vice-Chancellor, we invite you to address the University .
Colleagues, students, alumni and friends – Good morning and welcome to the new academic year.
I am delighted to have this opportunity to address you all on the state of the University and the year ahead.
First though, congratulations to the new Proctors just elected by the Regent House and thanks to their predecessors who retired beforehand.
Cambridge had huge success last year, and not just in the Boat Races (though yes, in the Boat Races, and the rugby matches! ) .
By the numbers, the year saw: • 10 new Fellows of the Royal Society • 6 new fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering • 6 new Fellows of the British Academy • 25 Affiliates recognised in the King's Birthday and New Year Honours • 11 Alumni competing in the Paris Olympics, • 15 new spin-out companies, • Over 100 million learners served by Cambridge University Press and Assessment, and over 3200 new words added to the Cambridge Dictionary.
The Collegiate University received over £300M in philanthropic gifts last year and, importantly, achieved its fundraising target, set in 2018, of £500M for student support.
Let me pause over that £500M, because it has been transformative.
It has gone to support the Foundation Year and the Get-In Campaign; it includes the Stormzy scholarships, the Mastercard Foundation scholarships, and the Harding postgraduate scholarships; it has supported the transformation of our student health and wellbeing services, has spawned two very successful matching programmes, and much, much more.
I have met the students in many of these programmes, so for me, the student support initiative has names, faces, and life stories attached.
