Before we dive headfirst into another exciting year of successes and achievements for Queens’ College, we wanted to take a moment to look back at 2025 and review what we think are some of the most noteworthy events of the past year. Explore our top ten below.
13th January 2026
In March, best-selling author, award-winning science presenter and host of many popular podcasts and television shows, Professor Hannah Fry, joined Queens’ College as a Professorial Fellow, following her appointment in early January as the first Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
Read more about her appointment below:
Queens’ College was delighted to welcome back Alumnus, Honorary Fellow, and Fellow Benefactor Sir Demis Hassabis, Queens’ first Nobel Laureate. We were thrilled to host him at the College for an interview and a Fireside Chat.
Watch Demis’ Fireside Chat on our YouTube Channel below:
Queens’ College Alumni and Development Office’s most successful Giving Day on record raised a staggering £945,000, and has already started making a significant impact across our three featured funds: the Unrestricted Fund, Access and Outreach, and the Student Accommodation Initiative.
Read about how your donations have made a difference, six months on, via the link below:
We received many wonderful updates throughout the year, celebrating the successes of our Fellows. These included Professor Marie Edmonds, Vice-President of Queens’, being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, Professor Clare Bryant being elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and two Queens’ Fellows Dr Tore Butlin and Dr Mairi Kilkenny were both awarded this prestigious Pilkington prize which aims to acknowledge excellence in teaching and to recognise the contribution each individual makes to a Department or Faculty.
Read about Professor Marie Edmonds being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society below:
We continued our journey towards net zero with the completion of the newly refurbished Erasmus Building. The refurbishment prioritised environmental performance, with a strong focus on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Read more about the Erasmus renovation in the article below:
It may happen every year, but that doesn’t make our summer graduations any less exciting. With the weather showcasing the best of the British summer, General Admission was a joyful day filled with sunshine and smiles.
To view some more photos from General Admission see the gallery below:
Another highlight in the University calendar is Open Days. With July’s events proving to be the most popular, plus this year contending with sweltering summer temperatures, it was certainly a memorable one.
We filmed a full Open Day tour which is available to view on our YouTube:
Following a historic installation ceremony held at the College, Dame Menna Rawlings DCMG CVO began her tenure as the first female President of Queens’ College, University of Cambridge.
A video montage of the day is available to view on our YouTube:
A key moment in the academic year is Freshers’ Week, particularly Matriculation. At the start of October, we welcomed hundreds of new students to Queens’, who took part in centuries-old traditions as they became members of the College.
For more photos of Freshers’ Week activities view our Instagram post below:
In November, Queens’ Chapel launched their new regular streaming channel on YouTube, enabling alumni and friends from around the world to watch and engage with Chapel services.
You can view previous streams and subscribe to their channel via the button below:
Before we launch into an exciting new academic year, here are a few things that happened over the summer that you might have missed.
28th August 2026
We are delighted to share that Professor Marie Edmonds, FRS, has been appointed as the next Head of the School of the Physical Sciences.
25th August 2026
Congratulations to our Postgraduate students who graduated on the 23rd July 2026.
24th July 2026
We are delighted to share the news of our brand-new Postgraduate Scholarship: The Ogden Scholarship in AMES (Chinese Studies).
24th July 2026
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