Professor Erica McAlpine, A C Cooper Fellow and Tutor in English Language & Literature
Contributors
Dr Habib Baluwala, Heather Barr, Dr Ben Chamberlain, The Rev’d Dr Mariama IfodeBlease, Minnie Leaver, Lukas Lehner, Rob Petre, Sarah Savic Kallesoe, Lydia Smith, Rebecca Smithson, Dr Jack Tan, Radhika Thiagarajan, Dr Elena Violaris, Andrew Vivian, Professor Baroness Kathy Willis CBE
Front cover
1985 St Edmund Hall matriculation photo, reproduced by kind permission of Gillman & Soame photographers and can be ordered online at gsimagebank.co.uk/seh/t/ nty4qy2024
Image credits
Front cover: Gillman & Soame
4, 23 (bottom left): John Cairns
9 (bottom left): Lee Atherton
10: London Marathon Events (top right), AELTC/Thomas Lovelock (bottom right)
12, 13, 20, 21: Fisher Studios
18 (top, middle): Chris Bateman
19: Gareth Ardron (top right), Nikola Boysova (bottom right)
35 (middle): Stuart Bebb
Design & Print
B&M Design & Advertising: bm-group.co.uk
The Aularian was printed using paper from sustainable sources.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
My sixth year as Principal at St Edmund Hall has, as always, flown past, with too much going on to capture in a single page or even the many pages of this year’s Aularian magazine – but I hope the enclosed gives you a taste of how busy the Hall has been in the past 12 months. Thankfully, the quiet Covid years feel like a long time ago now. Highlights for me this year include breaking ground on our ambitious Norham St Edmund project in October (see page 13), which is now well underway with an expected completion date of late spring 2026 and with students able to move in for Michaelmas term that year. The Hall has also continued to excel not only academically but also in all those extra cultural activities that you would expect of Teddy Hall students: in sports (see page 18), music, drama and arts – and – we have our first Aularian Prime Minister…in 750 years! Our Access and Outreach work is also reaching more students than ever, as you will see on page 20, inspiring the next generation of students to apply to this vibrant and upbeat college. Another milestone we passed this year was five years since the launch of our tenyear Strategic Plan. Over the past term,
we therefore used this midway point as an opportunity to reflect on the significant progress made so far, with Fellows, students and staff coming together to assess what has already been achieved and reconfirm our strategic aims going forward. You can read more about this review on the Hall’s website: seh.ox.ac.
uk/discover/strategic-plan
Our HALLmarks campaign is still, of course, a big part of our strategic vision. As you will see from Director of Development Andrew Vivian’s report on page 8, thanks to generous support from Aularians we are well on our way to making our mark on the future of the College. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far: every gift really makes a difference, ensuring the Hall continues to flourish for generations to come.
Another key part of the Hall’s work over the past year has been to ensure that we continue to be recognised as one of the greenest colleges in Oxford. To this end, our Environmental Sustainability Sub-Committee has been working with our students and staff to further reduce our impact on the natural environment, encourage the continued sustainable use of resources, and conserve and enhance
“The Hall has also continued to excel not only academically but also in all those extra cultural activities that you would expect of Teddy Hall students: in sports, music, drama and arts – and – we have our first Aularian Prime Minister…in 750 years!”
biodiversity across our sites. As part of this, the seminar series ‘Conversations in Environmental Sustainability: Beyond Greenwashing’ is now a wellestablished feature of our annual event programming. Please do consider coming to these events – you are always extremely welcome.
The past year has, however, been tinged with sadness. We have said a fond farewell to several longstanding and much-respected colleagues, with Professors Philip Mountford and Robert Whittaker retiring in 2023 (see page 23). We thank them both for their invaluable impact on generations of students and their contributions to the wider Hall community. Very sadly, a number of Fellows have passed away during the year: Dr Christopher Phelps, Fellow in Mathematics at the Hall from 1971 to 1999, in December; Honorary Fellow Sir David Cooksey GBE, FRS (1959, Metallurgy), in January; Professor John Knight, Tutorial Fellow in Economics from 1967 to 2006, in January; and Professor Stuart Ferguson, Fellow in Biochemistry from 1985 to 2019, in April. In March, Director of Music Dr James Whitbourn, who had only been in post four years but in that time made such a difference to the Hall, also passed away after a long battle with cancer. They are all missed and will remain in the Hall’s thoughts for many years to come.
Despite the sad moments this year has presented, the Hall continues to go from strength to strength, and I am proud of our resilient community. I hope you enjoy reading about the College’s year and are able to make a return visit to the Hall soon.
Floreat Aula!
Professor Baroness (Kathy) Willis, CBE
Official portrait of Sir Keir Starmer, licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https:// creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/3.0/)
THE FIRST AULARIAN PRIME MINISTER
SIR KEIR STARMER
St Edmund Hall proudly extends its congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer (1985, BCL) on becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Sir Keir is the first Aularian to have held the office.
Professor Baroness Willis, the Principal, comments:
“On behalf of the entire College community, I would like to offer sincere congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. We are deeply proud of all he has achieved as a distinguished alumnus of the Hall and he will, I am sure, lead the country judiciously during these challenging times.”
Sir Keir – an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund Hall – matriculated in 1985 to read for a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL). He was called to the Bar in 1987 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002. From 2003 to 2008, he was the human rights advisor to the Policing Board in Northern Ireland before serving as Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013. Sir Keir has been the MP for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015 and was elected as leader of the Labour party on 4 April 2020.
On his time in Oxford, he comments:
“When I arrived at St Edmund Hall, I had a first-class degree from Leeds University behind me. But I was still not clear what path I should take next. My time at St Edmund Hall – an intense year studying for the BCL – confirmed me in my choice of pursuing a career as a human rights advocate, both here in the UK and abroad. From then on, I did not look back!”
Congratulations also to Mel Stride (1981, Philosophy, Politics and Economics), a member of the Conservative party, who retained his seat in Devon Central, as did Labour Aularian Nick Thomas-Symonds (1998, Philosophy, Politics and Economics), MP for Torfaen, who was subsequently appointed Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations).
We are also delighted that John Spellar (1966, Philosophy, Politics and Economics), Labour MP for Warley 1992–2024, has been made a member of the House of Lords in the Dissolution Peerages.
Many congratulations to all!
THE HALLMARKS CAMPAIGN:
HOW YOUR SUPPORT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
On 27 April 2022, we launched our ambitious £50m HALLmarks campaign to inject vital investment into St Edmund Hall, with the overarching aim of ensuring our historic College, its estate, students and academics thrive for another 800 years.
To mark the two-year anniversary of the campaign launch in April, I was delighted to share that the Hall has raised nearly a third of its total towards our goals and, thanks to the generosity of our Aularian community, a remarkable £7.5 million has been raised for the Norham St Edmund development, which for the first time will allow us to provide affordable accommodation for all undergraduates.
ACCESS AND OUTREACH
Norham St Edmund is the most exciting flagship project of the HALLmarks campaign. It will provide a new ‘quadrangle’ with 127 study bedrooms and communal facilities accommodated in a mixture of new buildings and remodelled Victorian villas. Construction commenced in October 2023 and the project is due to be completed for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The HALLmarks campaign is, of course, much more than Norham St Edmund. In 2023–2024, thanks to Aularian support, your donations have contributed towards a range of important academic and student support priorities, highlighted below.
In 2023 we launched ‘Unlock Oxford’, St Edmund Hall’s flagship outreach programme. The programme is designed to support selected students through a sustained contact programme from Year 10 through to Year 12. We aim to raise participants’ aspiration to study at university and apply to St Edmund Hall, working with them through to the point of application. Read more about these activities on page 20.
NEW GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
We introduced new graduate scholarships for international students, including refugee scholarships for students from Ukraine and a new targeted programme for international scholars from developing countries. See page 22 for information on one such scholarship.
BURSARIES, AWARDS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
55 Hall undergraduates received a means-tested Oxford Bursary in 2023, and the Hall provides in the region of £70,000 towards this scheme annually. In addition, the College currently provides £30,000 per annum from its core funds to support both undergraduate and graduate students in financial difficulty. There are also several named on-course awards for students ranging from excellence in Music and Sport to demonstrating ‘Hall Spirit’.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND TEACHING EXCELLENCE
Your support is helping secure the future of our worldclass teaching and research capability, especially in relation to subject areas such as English, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Mathematics, Engineering Science and Modern Languages. We have established new Fellowships over the course of the last year in Computer Science and Philosophy, in partnership with the University.
EARLY CAREER TEACHING AND RESEARCH FELLOWS
Providing early career academics with the opportunity to develop their teaching and research skills is crucial for the intellectual future of the College, University and the wider Higher Education sector. We are aiming to establish a further six Early Career Fellowships across priority subject areas over the next decade.
Above: Construction at the Norham St Edmund site
MUSIC AND ART
Philanthropic funding enables student creativity and expression to flourish, emulating many outstanding alumni who also found their own voices and creative passions at the Hall.
First- and Second-Year Fine Art students held their art exhibitions in the Crypt and SCR this year, and in 2023, Second-Year Fine Art students published the second edition of TART (Teddy Art) magazine – a new student-run, submission-based magazine showcasing the art and culture of Hall students.
Thanks to Aularian support, we have been able to plan arts programmes with confidence and expand our provision, adding to the reputation of the Hall in the eyes of many prospective applicants.
LIBRARY FUND
Our historic Library is increasingly required to marry the physical with the digital, integrating technological and other developments in ways that maximise the study and research experience for students and Fellows. Your philanthropic support has enabled financial headroom to evolve each year, supporting the cost of new and rare antiquarian books, enabling a Library Traineeship (see page 15) and a new RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) book loan system.
SPORT
The Hall continues to thrive in its sporting achievements with funds raised helping to ensure our amalgamated sports fund can contribute towards sporting equipment costs, prizes, coaching and insurance costs. Read more about our sporting achievements on page 18.
QUEEN’S LANE MODERNISATION PROGRAMME
Last year we completed our decarbonisation plan to work towards being more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprint. The key elements of the plan are to reduce energy demand though the Hall’s gas boiler heating system and fabric of the buildings.
We have some way to go, but our ambition is to utilise funding raised through the campaign to refurbish and rewire the Front Quad and its 18 rooms. We aim to improve the energy efficiency of the site, including extensive double-glazing of the Kelly and Emden Buildings and other conservation initiatives. We will ensure key parts of the estate are fully accessible to those with restricted mobility and that we create at least one fully adapted ensuite bedroom with an adjacent nurse’s room.
Left: The Hilary term 2024 Conversations in Environmental Sustainability: Beyond Greenwashing seminar
I would like to take this opportunity to again thank all generous Aularians who have supported our HALLmarks campaign to date. Every donation really is making a difference in helping the Hall achieve its ambitious goals. If you would like to make a donation or learn more about the HALLmarks campaign, please do not hesitate to contact me using the details below, or scan the QR code.
Andrew Vivian, Director of Development & Fellow andrew.vivian@seh.ox.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1865 279096
CONVERSATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY SERIES
We have launched a new public seminar series which brings together leading thinkers and decision-makers from academia, business, government and NGOs to look beyond greenwashing. Each seminar examines a specific issue related to environmental sustainability, exploring how to effectively marry environmental, social and governance goals with financial returns, innovation and other business imperatives.
HALL NEWS IN BRIEF
CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVID PICKSLEY ON HIS LONDON MARATHON RESULT
On Sunday 21 April, Teddy Hall alumnus David Picksley (1953, French and Russian) was the oldest participant in the London Marathon for the second year in a row.
David shares: “The marathon walk was successfully finished after an unplanned break, when I tumbled as I was crossing a road hump. Picked up by four kind runners and patched up by a St. John’s Ambulance first aid team, and with no bone or muscle problem I was able to carry on at nearly the same good pace. On The Mall, I was taken to the medical centre for a thorough check and tidy up.”
Congratulations, David – you inspire us all!
AULARIANS HONOURED BY THE KING
The Hall was delighted that four Aularians were recognised in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours and 2024 New Year Honours lists.
Firstly, David Wright (1978, Modern Languages and Linguistics) received a BEM (British Empire Medal) for services to the Royal British Legion in Portugal in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours on 16 June 2023.
In the 2024 New Year Honours List, Lukas May (2008,
Philosophy, Politics and Economics) received an OBE for services to International Trade and Ian Hewitt (1966, Jurisprudence) received an MBE for services to Tennis and Charity; Rear Admiral Andrew Betton (1987, Earth Sciences) received a CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath) in the 2024 New Year’s Military Honours list. Congratulations to all four Aularians; you make Teddy Hall very proud.
David at the marathon finish line
Left to right: David Wright, Lukas May, Ian Hewitt
STUDENT #HALLLIFE CAMPAIGN
In Michaelmas term 2023, two Hall students were photography interns tasked with capturing aspects of Hall life from dining and studying to extracurricular activities, which were then shared weekly on the Hall’s social media channels. The result was a rich variety of College and Oxford life which we hope will give prospective students an insight into what it is really like to live and study in Oxford.
MINNIE LEAVER (2021, FINE ART)
I was excited to undertake a photo internship at Teddy Hall. Through weekly Instagram posts, I documented my term experiences and captured candid moments. I enjoyed showing such a diverse array of societies, events and Hall traditions to people who may not have known about them otherwise!
My favourite termly activity at Teddy is WOTH (Women Of The Hall). Every Thursday of 5th Week, it’s a chance for women and minority genders from all year groups to dress up and gather together for a night. The photo shows the ‘Minions’ themed WOTH called ‘Deswothable Me’.
I really love this picture of me and my friends before the Christmas Formal; the Front Quad looked beautiful covered in fairy lights!
SARAH SAVIC KALLESOE (2022, DPHIL POPULATION HEALTH)
I had the great opportunity to share my experiences at Teddy Hall through photography. Being a photo intern offered me a chance to share moments that felt significant to me.
Taking photos through the weeks and writing up descriptions for the photos on Sundays gave me an opportunity to take in all the things that Teddy and Oxford have offered me. Term-time passes by so quickly, and I found that being a photo intern helped me slow down time and reflect.
Two of my favourite photos from this term bookended Michaelmas.
At the very beginning of term, I visited the wild horses at Port Meadow and met a very young colt with his mother. I returned a couple of times over term and got to see him grow up through the spring and winter, which I thought was quite special to witness.
Another favourite photo of mine came very close to the end of term during Oxmas (Oxford’s version of Christmas). Before attending Carols in the Quad, my friends and I chatted in the MCR and I think this picture captures so much happiness, holiday spirit, and Teddy-ness.
THE HALL WELCOMES CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ OTERO AS NEW DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
This August, we welcome Carlos Rodríguez Otero to St Edmund Hall as our new Director of Music. Music is an important aspect of life at the Hall and alongside core responsibilities such as directing the Choir of St Edmund Hall, Carlos will be closely involved in continuing to develop an inclusive and vibrant music scene across the College.
Carlos was born in Santiago de Compostela and grew up in Bristol, learning the violin and piano from a young age. He read Music at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar, and has been a Tenor Lay Clerk at St John’s College, Cambridge, since 2021. During 2018–21, Carlos was the Director of the Fisher House Schola Cantorum and has experience directing choral and orchestral projects across the UK.
He also has an active performing life as a tenor – regularly singing with Tenebrae and other concert and church choirs – and keeps busy by teaching music to all ages. He is an active composer and, alongside his career as a practising musician, he is currently finishing a PhD in sixteenth-century sacred music in Northern Spain, with a general academic focus on medieval and early modern music in England, Spain and Italy.
On his appointment, Carlos comments:
“I am utterly thrilled to have been appointed Director of Music at St Edmund Hall. I can’t wait to start making music with the wonderful choir, honouring and building on the legacy left by my brilliant predecessor, the late James Whitbourn. As well as this, I am looking forward to facilitating a broad range of excellent and exciting musical opportunities for all members of the Hall. My very first job is to conduct the yearly choir tour to Pontigny Abbey in September – I’m sure that a week together in the valleys of northern Burgundy will set us up in very good stead indeed for the year ahead!”
Welcome to St Edmund Hall, Carlos!
This row and below: The St Edmund Hall Choir performing at the Third-Year Parents’ Dinner in March 2024
CELEBRATORY GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY AT NORHAM ST EDMUND
On Tuesday 24 October, St Edmund Hall celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Passivhaus student accommodation and communal facilities with landscaped and biodiverse gardens at Norham St Edmund. Hall alumni, staff and students, Ridge Construction Consultants, SDC Construction, Wright & Wright Architects and other members of the project gathered to hear speeches by the Rt Hon the Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH PC, Visitor of the Hall and Chancellor of Oxford University, and the Principal, Professor Baroness Willis, who spoke about the importance of the development in providing accommodation for all the Hall’s undergraduate students during the entirety of their course for the first time in the College’s history. This was followed by the formal groundbreaking of the soil and a drinks reception on site.
Top: Left to right: Domestic Bursar, Ridge, Principal, Chancellor, Finance Bursar and Wright & Wright Architects Middle and bottom right: Guests listen to speeches at the groundbreaking ceremony
Bottom left: The Principal speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony
COLLEGE BOATMAN COMPLETES TALISKER WHISKY ATLANTIC CHALLENGE
From December 2023 to February 2024, St Edmund Hall’s College Boatman Jim Ronaldson took part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a world-renowned event that brands itself as the toughest row to complete.
After setting out from San Sebastián in La Gomera, Jim and his rowing partner Ian Davies successfully completed their 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua on Sunday 18 February at 3:06am, having been at sea for a total of 66 days, 17 hours and 39 minutes.
“I chose to row the Atlantic with Ian to show that no matter what age you are, if you have the will and mental strength you can do whatever you want,” said Jim.
They raised over £25k for PAPYRUS UK, which supports the prevention of young suicide, and Myeloma UK, which helps fund research, treatment and care for people living with myeloma.
Jim and Ian also broke the record for the oldest combined pair with 132 years between them.
Jim and his rowing partner Ian Davies
Map of the Atlantic Challenge
Jim at sea on Christmas Day
Jim and Ian on boat celebrating with red flares
LIBRARY NEWS
LIKE A CHILD IN A SWEET SHOP
The problem that all archivists face is that their collections only ever get bigger. Once you decide that records are worthy of permanent preservation then those records must go somewhere, and eventually you run out of space. But how do you find spare capacity in a city-centre location?
I started at the Hall in December 2014 and it was obvious from the start that we were fast running out of space for the Archives. The oldest archival ‘strongroom’ in the Chapel Vestry was full (and does not quite conform to the relevant British Standard for the preservation of paper and parchment). A series of temporary fixes (such as re-arranging boxes in the Front Quad storage area where the student files are kept, and sneaking some archives into the Library Office before the current Librarian started) meant that we kept the show on the road – but by 2021 things were so bad that I had to start piling boxes on the floor of the Chapel storage. Not only was this tricky, in that I had to move all the boxes every time I wanted something from the rolling stacks or the safe, but also it seemed like every enquiry needing a record required something being pulled from the bottom layer!
When the basement of 52 High Street (formerly Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe) was suggested as a possible location for a new archive store it made my day, as it meant that our archives did not need to leave the Queen’s Lane site and could be stored together. The basement was tanked and rewired, tenders for mobile shelving were sought, bids accepted and in January 2024 the basement was converted into the new archival storage area that you can see in the photograph.
All I have to do now is wait for a spell of dry enough weather to move the archives from the Vestry, the Library Office and the Front Quad basement into their shiny new home.
Rob Petre, College Archivist
REFLECTIONS FROM A GRADUATE TRAINEE LIBRARY ASSISTANT
It is rather a cliché to say that it’s the people that make Teddy Hall a truly special place. Yet as I reflect on what has made my three years here as Graduate Trainee Library Assistant so valuable, the answer undoubtedly is the Hall community. In my first year here, I led a project to increase the Library’s sustainability, which involved working closely with people from across the Hall. I felt first intimidated and then genuinely welcomed by the senior leadership at Sustainability Sub-Committee; I felt so pleased that the JCR and MCR Sustainability Reps were filled with ideas they wanted to share with me; and I felt immensely grateful to Library Scout Paul for patiently working with me at 7am every morning to weigh our recycling…! The project was truly a team effort.
Of course, I can’t write ‘team’ without thinking about the incredible St Edmund Hall Library and Archives team. There is not space here to even begin to thank James, Emma, Rob, Karma and Andrew enough… Suffice it to say that the Hall is exceptionally lucky to have its Library and Archives in such safe hands.
As well as the people, it will be very hard to say goodbye to Teddy Hall as a space. I am writing this after a few days’ annual leave, and I am always struck by just how easy it is to return to the Library. A huge amount of work goes into making St Peterin-the-East not only the most beautiful of the Oxford libraries (biased? Moi?) but also a welcoming place where people really do want to spend their time. It might be another cliché, but I don’t think the point necessarily is that we provide blankets for cold weather, host study breaks outside in the warmer weather, or regularly rotate colourful book displays marking events from Black History Month to the arrival of spring. The point is what these activities represent: a Library space and team genuinely committed to providing for their readers. Many of our students are ‘regulars’ for precisely this reason. It has been a great privilege to be even a small part of students’ experience of, and journey through, their time here at the Hall.
Library graduate traineeships are usually one-year positions; the Hall’s three-year role, which includes the funding of a Library and Information Studies qualification, is a leader in the University – and indeed in the profession as a whole. Such investment in an early-career position is a testament to the Hall’s endeavour to build a community which cares for, and is cared for by, the College. I can’t wait to head off into the library world, bringing a little of that Hall spirit to wherever I go!
Heather Barr, Graduate Trainee Library Assistant,
2021–2024
The new archive store in the basement of 52 High Street
Heather outside St-Peter-in-the-East
GOVERNANCE OFFICER
RADHIKA THIAGARAJAN
Radhika Thiagarajan joined St Edmund Hall as Governance Officer in December 2023, a role that is key to the College in its support of the Hall’s Governing Body.
Radhika hails from the coastal city of Chennai in India, but came to the UK to attend university. “I would say what brought me here is the quality of education,” she says. “There is a really good system.” She had also always wanted to live abroad: “I didn’t really picture my future in India. My parents live there and they love the culture and food and enjoy living in India, but I am more adventurous and was very keen to move to another country.”
What are the main differences Radhika finds between India and the UK? “As a woman, there are a lot more opportunities in the UK: you are treated as an equal, whereas in India there’s a lot of patriarchy that I have always struggled with.” She does miss the food, though! “Not that Oxford doesn’t have many options,” she says. “Surprisingly, it does! But they are not quite as good as my Mum’s food…”
After completing a Law degree at the University of Warwick, Radhika completed a Master’s in Law at Queen Mary University of London. Her focus was mainly on International Business Law, with her dissertation focusing on data protection.
After graduating from Queen Mary, Radhika worked for two years as Vice-President of the Student Union: “It was in a representative capacity, so a bit different to what I do at the moment. I was a full-time officer and I loved it: helping students, working with young people – it felt like I was doing something for society.”
So, what brought her to Teddy Hall? “I thought to myself, ‘how can I combine two of my experiences – my work and academic experience?’, and that’s how I found this role.”
And how does an Oxford college compare to a bigger university? “Queen Mary’s community is very different to here,” she explains. “At Teddy Hall, the Principal and senior management are very willing to listen to student opinions. In fact, the Principal says their opinions are seen as very important for the betterment of how the College functions – and I think
that is very inspiring; I would have loved to have heard that in my old role.” The other thing Radhika really likes about the Hall “is that we are led by a very strong woman. I love that; it’s so inspiring to me.”
“Before I started at the Hall,” Radhika says, “I wondered if a job in an Oxford college might be intimidating – but that’s really not the case.” What makes the Hall unique is “how friendly everyone is – whether it is staff, students or senior management. Everyone is really down to earth, and that’s what I really like about Teddy Hall.”
As for the role of Governance Officer, Radhika says “no two days are alike. Some days, I am in back-to-back committee meetings, and I write the minutes for all of them. Sometimes these are difficult, because it’s not just about scribing, it is trying to capture what is relevant to be taken forward. It can be really time-consuming, especially if you are new to an Oxford college – I’ve had to learn quickly.” This means, she says, “I really understand the organisation – I’ve not been here long, but because I go to these meetings, I have so much understanding of how everything works.”
Radhika has also been helping with the refresh of the College’s 10-Year Strategy. Launched in 2019, the Strategy focuses on five areas of priority: Education and Research; Access, Equality and Diversity; Culture; Estates; and Finance. “It has been great [being involved], because I know what the vision of the Hall is,” says Radhika. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given her previous roles, she feels one of the most important parts for the Culture strand is “what we’re doing to help students overcome stress. We had some great meetings on this that had some really good points to take forward.”
Radhika’s role is incredibly important and the Hall is lucky to have her expertise brought to it. Having hit the ground running, she is already a huge asset to the College.
COLLEGE CHAPLAIN THE REV’D DR MARIAMA IFODE-BLEASE
The Rev’d Dr Mariama Ifode-Blease joined St Edmund Hall as College Chaplain in February 2024. Here, she tells us about her background and her role at the Hall.
The Chapel at Teddy Hall is a small, intimate space that is perfectly formed. It is here, primarily, that I have the privilege of serving the community, through private prayer and public worship, and especially through Evensong held every Sunday in term time. While the services are Anglican, the Chapel remains a space for those of all faiths and none. It is inclusive and welcoming, and a sanctuary when life gets hectic and exams loom.
As Chaplain to the College community, my role is to ensure there are prayers and worship in term time, mainly, and offer support to students who may need it outside term. This may range from talking about future possibilities beyond graduate study at Oxford, or planning the wedding of DPhil students. No two weeks are the same, but as a Benedictine, I value community and its importance in forming individual and collective identity. As the former Archbishop of Canterbury once said of The Rule of St Benedict: “Benedict is asking what it takes to develop people who can live safely, consistently and positively together.” There is an intentionality to community: habits form, and the ways we live, work and study together must be beneficial to both self and the whole.
I am what our American cousins call a ‘bi-vocational’ priest. This means that I have a job outside of the Church, while at the same time serving within the Church. My professional life beyond the Church has been rooted in education and the charity sector. Until recently, I led a small educational charity in London, focused on chemistry and science education. Academically, I am actually a modern linguist, having read Spanish and French at the University of St Andrews. Still eager to learn more, I continued my studies at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge, where I completed my MPhil (European Literature and Culture) and PhD (Spanish). St Andrews gave me a love of hot chocolate on freezing mornings, and Cambridge a love of Chelsea buns
from Fitzbillies bakery, the location of which was fortuitously a stone’s throw from my college.
In addition to being Chaplain at Teddy Hall, I serve at St James’s, Piccadilly. So, if you don’t find me in Front Quad you will likely find me on a train! In January, I was deeply inspired by the talk given by Rev’d Shawn Sanford Beck on a Sunday evening at St James’s. This was the first in a series of online conversations entitled ‘Changing our Minds: Learning to be Ecozoic’. The series focused on the climate emergency and how we can change our understanding and behaviour as a result. Shawn talked about different ways of defining and living with the earth. Instead of being a steward to the earth, we could perhaps see ourselves as chaplains to the earth, he suggested. I was quite taken by this idea.
The joy of being a chaplain is that you are simply there to be, walk alongside, and enjoy the presence of God between you and those you serve. I love people and, as Chaplain, you have a deep interest in others and you want to learn more. You pray for, and bring others towards, a sense of love and tethering to God that goes beyond human tragedy and joy. And I love that too –especially thinking about how I can do that here at Teddy Hall, and for our planet.
The Hall is a college that breathes welcome. By the summer, I will have served here for two terms. In this time, I have already seen the generosity of students to one another, the dedication of colleagues as they hold the students ‘front and centre’ in all they do, and the kindness of the collective community in seeking the very best of itself. As my mother often says, “one tree does not make a forest.” As Chaplain, I am only a small part of a formidable team of colleagues who serve selflessly to ensure that the Hall is a home away from home for our students. I look forward to welcoming you whenever you are able to visit us again.
SPORT AT THE HALL
In the 2023–2024 academic year, St Edmund Hall sport flourished as usual.
Although a Rugby Cuppers win unfortunately wasn’t in sight this year, the men’s team did win the Cuppers Plate Final, taking on the Saints (St John’s and St Anne’s) and securing a Hall victory with a final score of 28-21.
Also in rugby, this year saw four Teddy Hall students compete in the Varsity Matches in March. Seth Dockery, Hannah Riches, Sophie Shams and Hector Skipworth represented the Oxford Blues as they took on Cambridge. Unfortunately, the Light Blues took home the Men’s Trophy, but Oxford triumphed in the Women’s Match.
In football, the men’s team reached the Cuppers Final in February, unfortunately ultimately losing to Keble, but they had a fantastic run this year, having beaten Lady Margaret Hall, St Anne’s and Christ Church.
The women’s football team equally had a good year: captains Assia Storey and Mara Wuelfing lead them to victory at the Cuppers Plate Final. With the score at 2-2 at full time – goals scored by Anna Gullace and Assia Storey – Teddy Hall won on penalties.
The Boat Club had a strong Summer Eights week, the highlight being W2 which went +3 across the week. The first boats maintained their strong positions at the top end of Oxford colleges, and the
Above and below: The Rugby Cuppers Plate Final match 2024 Bottom: SEHAFC after winning the Football Cuppers semi-final
lower boats showed huge strength amidst some very fierce opposition.
Teddy Hall also triumphed at the Multisport Cuppers, which consisted of a sprint aquathlon (200m swim and 3km run). The team finished with a combined time (top three participants) of just over 44 minutes, beating the next fastest team by five minutes clear.
The Hall won the Cricket Cuppers against Magdalen in 8th Week. An excellent fielding performance restricted the Badgers to 132 in a first innings affected by heavy rain. Despite the loss of talismanic bat Robert Hardwick for 0 to an excellent piece of Magdalen fielding, SEHCC chased the Magdalen total with plenty of balls to spare, winning by 7 wickets.
Lastly, Croquet Cuppers and Powerlifting Cuppers were won by the Hall, and the College reached the final of Polo Cuppers, placing second only to a fierce Christ Church side.
23 Blues and Half-Blues have been awarded to Hall students this year (11 to women, 12 to men), across 12 sports.
Congratulations to all Teddy Hall sportsmen and women this year, and may sport continue to thrive at the Hall!
Above left: Victory at the 2024 Multisport Cuppers Above right and below: Summer VIIIs 2024
ACCESS & OUTREACH
FRebecca Smithson is St Edmund Hall’s Access & Outreach Coordinator, responsible for the day-to-day running of the College’s access and outreach programmes. Primarily, this involves working with schools and colleges in St Edmund Hall’s link areas: Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland.
ollowing the publication of our Outreach Impact Report for the 2022–2023 academic year, outreach in the College has gone from strength to strength. This does not mean that our work comes without its challenges: as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact schools, teachers and students, we have looked for ways to ensure Oxford can be as accessible as possible. We have run a record number of visits to schools in an effort to counter the costs of travel to Oxford. As part of these visits, we have led several sessions for parents and carers of bright students in our link areas, tackling misconceptions about Higher Education and Oxbridge.
A notable success of the academic year was our Roadshow in September, where we travelled to schools in Derbyshire and Leicestershire with student ambassadors in tow. During this week, we interacted with over 600 students at 12 different schools, providing information on admissions, student finance and more. A huge thank you to Rachel (2022, History), Rathi (2022, Geography), Finn (2022, Medicine) and Alex (2022, Engineering) for their hard work in making the week not only possible, but the most successful Roadshow yet.
One of the greatest focal points for this year has been our flagship sustained-contact programme, Unlock Oxford. Offered to bright state school students in our link regions of Leicestershire and Derbyshire, the programme is divided into urban and rural streams. Students on the rural stream experience a visit to Oxford to immerse themselves in university life, as well as visits in-school to work on key topics such as A-level choices and how to make a competitive Oxbridge application. Increasing the flexibility of the Unlock Oxford rural stream has allowed us to connect with a wider range of schools, doubling our reach compared with last year.
Running in tandem, the urban stream of Unlock Oxford offers an overnight stay to high-achieving students in inner-city Derby and Leicester, allowing them a comprehensive overview of studying at Oxford. This year we were able to offer our Unlock Oxford residential to six more of our linked schools, with students able to experience an expanded and more academically challenging programme of events. In particular, I hope to see the Year 12s on the programme apply to Oxford in October!
Below: Inaugural Offer-Holders’ Day
“The Offer-Holders’ Day was incredibly useful last weekend; it was also so nice to come and spend some time in the city too! All the staff and student ambassadors were so amazing and helpful.”
Offer-holder
I am pleased to report that our inaugural Offer-Holders’ Day was a resounding success. Given that interviews for shortlisted applicants now take place online, many undergraduate offer-holders do not have the opportunity to visit Oxford before their arrival in Freshers’ Week. To afford these students an insight into life at the College, we invited our UK offer-holders to visit: they heard from our College Registrar and Tutor for Undergraduates, met current students and enjoyed lunch in Wolfson Hall. 98% of attendees rated the day positively, and we hope that this experience can motivate offer-holders to join our wonderful Hall community.
I have been fortunate enough to contribute to this community in the past year through work in equality, diversity and inclusion at the Hall. Speaking with members of the Hall, be it Fellows, staff or students, has led to a focus on community, with events organised for International Women’s Day, Black History Month, Diwali and Lunar New Year. The Hall’s Coffee Afternoon in February celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month was a particular highlight – it was so well attended that we ran out of cake! A huge thank you to the dedicated staff, Fellows and students who have made these events possible and who continue to suggest ways to strengthen our community at St Edmund Hall.
Whilst much of our outreach work is focussed on our link regions of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland, we strive to introduce St Edmund Hall to students across the UK and beyond. I am pleased to share that the Big Think Competition, open to 15- to 18-year-old state school students in the UK, has gone from strength to strength. Each year, the competition invites young people to answer academics’ tutorial-style questions in a video essay, providing young people an opportunity to engage further with their subject of interest and strengthen a personal statement. With questions on offer from more subjects than ever before, it seems only right that we have received a record number of entries! A huge thank you to the tutors involved in the competition for their hard work in setting interesting questions and marking entries.
Looking forward, we hope to continue supporting high-achieving students in making an application to the University, and promote St Edmund Hall wherever we can, including at the upcoming Open Days.
“Just want to say a massive thank you for providing our students with such a fantastic opportunity! They really enjoyed the experience and from talking to some of them, your sessions have really got them thinking about university life and their future aspirations.”
Teacher, Derbyshire
Top and middle: Students at Unlock Oxford residential Bottom: Coffee Afternoon for LGBTQ+ History Month
THE SHUAIB CHAUDHARY SCHOLARSHIP AT ST EDMUND HALL
Arecent generous donation from Mr Shuaib Chaudhary has enabled the creation of a new endowed scholarship in perpetuity at St Edmund Hall.
The scholarship is available to graduate masters’ students from one of the Islamic Development Bank countries demonstrating exceptional academic merit; eligible courses for the scholarship are Islamic Studies or courses in the subjects of Business, Economics, Finance, Law and Politics, with applicants having received an offer to study at the University.
The College is incredibly grateful to Shuaib Chaudhary for his support for the scholarship. Shuaib is a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Circle, a fund manager and non-practising lawyer, and although not an alumnus of the University of Oxford he was motivated to establish the scholarship to support students from the Islamic world to study at Oxford and make a positive social impact in their communities. He said:
“I am delighted to be announcing this partnership with St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford in order to provide students from Islamic countries based internationally an opportunity to study at arguably the world’s best university. I sincerely hope this leads to a positive societal and economic contribution to candidates’ respective home countries but
also to the UK should they wish to remain.
“It is one of my goals that there is greater ethnic minority representation across all institutions in the UK. I would like to dedicate this scholarship to my late grandfather, Mr Adalat Chaudhary, cofounder of the Bestway Group, who always impressed upon me the importance of education and giving back to society. He believed in me when no one else did and was instrumental in my success. Without him I would simply not be where I am today and it was a privilege and honour to have been his grandson.”
The inaugural scholarship was awarded in the year 2023–2024 and supported
Khalid Abdelgadir, studying for an MBA at the Saïd Business School. Khalid is a Sudanese entrepreneur working in agribusiness. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Khartoum. Khalid is very keen on tackling the food-loss problem by making solutions that bridge the gaps within the food value chain. In 2020, he co-founded a start-up that gives farmers access to cold storage services using solar energy. After finishing his studies, Khalid aspires to continue building innovative solutions that enhance food security and achieve social stability for African smallholder farmers.
“I’d like to thank Shuaib for supporting my studies. The Scholarship provided me with the opportunity to enjoy a lifechanging experience while in Oxford, giving me the chance to realise substantial personal growth. The community at St Edmund Hall is family-like with a diverse student body and plenty of events.
“In the future, I aspire to become an impact investor, reframing the entrepreneurship landscape and working to develop and implement innovative frameworks that support the underserved communities in emerging economies. After graduation, I would like to focus on unlocking the underlying potential of the youth in Africa. Studying an MBA would be the first step I take towards making that dream a reality.”
Above: Khalid Abdelgadir (2023, MBA)
Left to right: Director of Development, Andrew Vivian; Khalid Abdelgadir; Shuaib Chaudhary; the Principal, Professor Baroness Willis; Finance Bursar, Eleanor Burnett
New faces and farewells in the Hall fellowship
Top: New Fellows 2023–2024, clockwise from top left: Associate Professor David Moreno-Mateos, Professor John Henderson, Associate Professor Brooke Marshall, Associate Professor Katharina Marquardt, Dr Nicolas Fréry, Dr Elena Violaris, Professor Mette Morsing
This academic year, we welcomed some new Fellows from the fields of Law to business sustainability as well as new College Officers, and we said goodbye to two longstanding Fellows.
We are delighted to welcome the following researchers to the Hall, ranging from those starting out in their academic careers to those leading in their field of expertise:
• Associate Professor David Moreno-Mateos, Associate Professor in Physical Geography, Tutorial Fellow in Geography and Governing Body Fellow at St Edmund Hall, and Ikerbasque Research Professor.
• Associate Professor Brooke Marshall, Sir Richard Gozney Fellow and Tutor in Law, Governing Body Fellow at St Edmund Hall and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law.
• Associate Professor Katharina Marquardt, Tutorial Fellow in Materials Science and Governing Body Fellow at St Edmund Hall.
• Professor Mette Morsing, Fellow by Special Election, Oxford Professor of Business Sustainability and Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment.
• Dr Nicolas Fréry, Junior Research Fellow in Modern Languages at St Edmund Hall and Astra Foundation Research Fellow at the Voltaire Foundation.
• Dr Elena Violaris, Junior Research Fellow in English at St Edmund Hall and Leverhulme Early Career Fellow.
• Professor John Henderson, Visiting Fellow in History.
And finally, we said farewell to Professor Robert Whittaker (left), Professor of Biogeography and Tutor in Geography, who has been with the Hall for the past 32 years and retired at the end of September. Professor Philip Mountford (right) also retired in August after 25 years. The Hall thanks Robert and Philip for their invaluable, positive impact on generations of Hall students, as well as their contributions to the wider Hall community.
PREVENTING THE NEXT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Dr Jack Tan is a Fellow by Special Election at St Edmund Hall, and Group Leader and Career Development Fellow at the CAMS-Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic shows what a significant impact emerging viruses can have on global health, livelihoods and the economy. We have also learnt from the recent pandemic the importance of having effective vaccines in reducing health burden. For example, it was estimated that COVID-19 vaccines prevented around 20 million deaths in the first year that they were rolled out1
SARS-like betacoronavirus (sarbecovirus), including SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, is endemic in bats around the world, even in the UK, and is sometimes found in other mammals such as pangolins. Occasionally, these sarbecoviruses spill over into humans and cause a zoonotic outbreak. Although more effort has been put into surveillance in animal reservoirs to identify sarbecoviruses and characterise them for their potential to spill over to humans, it is not possible to predict precisely which sarbecovirus will evolve in the future and cause an epidemic or pandemic. It is therefore important to develop a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine that can provide a broad-spectrum protection against all sarbecoviruses
1 Watson OJ, Barnsley G,
J, Hogan AB,
P,
as a pandemic-preparedness strategy – one can imagine how valuable it would be to have effective vaccines ready before the next coronavirus pandemic. Ideally, these vaccines will be manufactured, stockpiled and deployed at the beginning of a sarbecovirus outbreak in humans to prevent the progression of the outbreak into a pandemic.
Sarbecoviruses carry a protein (spike) on their surface which they utilise to infect host cells. The receptorbinding domain (RBD), which forms part of the spike protein, helps the virus to bind to receptor proteins on human cells (the human ACE2 in the case of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV) which then allows infection to take place. The spike and its RBD have been used as the main target for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, such as the mRNA vaccines, because antibodies against the spike/RBD can prevent entry of the virus into human cells.
The RBDs of all sarbecoviruses share a conserved region. Antibodies targeting this conserved region are broadly reactive and could protect against all sarbecovirus infection. Unfortunately, natural infection
AC. ‘Global impact of the first year of COVID-19 vaccination: a mathematical modelling study.’ Lancet Infectious Diseases 22(9):1293–1302 (2022)
Toor
Winskill
Ghani
“We are indeed very lucky to be based at Oxford University, as we have access to one of the best clinical trial groups globally.”
and current approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines do not preferentially induce antibodies that target the conserved region (probably because this region on the RBD is partially occluded), therefore offering very narrow, strainspecific protection.
In 2021, we collaborated with Professor Pamela Bjorkman (California Institute of Technology), Ingenza Ltd. (a small to mediumsized enterprise based in Edinburgh) and the UK Centre for Process Innovations, forming a consortium to develop a novel mosaic protein nanoparticle vaccine (namely Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3) that can protect against all sarbecoviruses2 3 4. As illustrated in the picture, Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 contains a ‘cage-like’ protein nanoparticle that displays eight different sarbecovirus RBDs on the surface using a ‘protein glue’ technology originally developed in Oxford.
The Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 vaccine is designed to be broadly reactive by preferentially
inducing antibodies that target the conserved region of the RBD. We have shown in animal models that Mosaic8b RBD-mi3 induced antibodies are broadly reactive, and protected animals against infection by a completely mismatched sarbecovirus (virus which was not contained in the vaccine). This encouraging data serves as a proof of principle to support the development of Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 as a pansarbecovirus vaccine.
The consortium has received funding from the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a charitable foundation, to develop methods to manufacture Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 at low cost and to bring this vaccine from bench to bedside5. We are indeed very lucky to be based at Oxford University, as we have access to one of the best clinical trial groups globally. The Oxford Vaccine Group (led by Professor Sir Andrew Pollard) will be conducting a human trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 in 2025.
2 Tan TK, Rijal P, Rahikainen R et al. ‘A COVID-19 vaccine candidate using SpyCatcher multimerization of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain induces potent neutralising antibody responses.’ Nature Communications 12, 542 (2021)
3 Cohen AA et al. ‘Mosaic nanoparticles elicit cross-reactive immune responses to zoonotic coronaviruses in mice.’ Science 371(6530):735–741 (2021)
4 Cohen AA et al. ‘Mosaic RBD nanoparticles protect against challenge by diverse sarbecoviruses in animal models.’ Science 377(6606):eabq0839 (2022)
Above: 3D structural model of Mosaic-8b RBD-mi3 adapted from Chengcheng Fan et al., ‘Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies elicited by mosaic RBD nanoparticles bind conserved sarbecovirus epitopes.’ Immunity 55(12):2419-2435.e10 (2022)
POSTMIGRATION AND PARTYING THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF IMMIGRANT GATHERINGS
Dr Elena Violaris joined St Edmund Hall in October 2023 as a Junior Research Fellow in English and a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow. Her next research project is a comparative study of contemporary British postmigrant literatures. Her previous work has explored media and migration, chaos theory, games, play, tragedy and semiotics.
My research studies the experiences of British ‘postmigrants’: individuals born or raised in Britain with descent from different cultures. For this project, I am interviewing British postmigrants with various backgrounds and analysing contemporary fiction about second- and third-generation British experiences.
So far, I have conducted fifty interviews with individuals of Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bengali, Pakistani, Ugandan-Asian, Kenyan-Asian, TanzanianAsian, Jewish, Iranian, Turkish, Syrian, Assyrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Egyptian, Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, Congolese, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Mauritian, Trinidadian, Jamaican and St Lucian descent. Responses have wildly varied in many ways, but one common theme pertains to the first-generation parties: big gatherings held by migrants with other members of the diaspora community. One fourth-generation interviewee with Jamaican descent remarked:
“My mum always talks about […] all the parties that they had at my great grandparents’ house, like all the cousins would go. They would all just play music and the doors would be open, the kids playing board games…”
A second-generation interviewee with Mauritian descent similarly commented:
“When I was young, one of the things I loved and
miss now is our parties. Our parents always tried to find an excuse to invite aunties and uncles and make a big party somewhere. […] There were loads of kids, a huge amount of people crammed into a house. None of us were particularly rich, so we didn’t have huge houses, but it was a lot of fun. Part of it was the food culture – people would cook huge meals.”
A second-generation interviewee with Syrian descent described how:
“In a lot of the parties we had growing up, we had Arabic Syrian music. […] People were laughing, talking loudly. […] The very young and the very old were all together in one place.”
And one first-generation Nigerian interviewee remarked:
“Initially, you migrate towards your kinsmen. You go to places where there are many Nigerians, you attend parties. One of the things we do in Nigerian culture is have parties in our homes. You go to a friend’s house, you have a barbecue, you have a party.”
The above examples illustrate how migrants from very diverse regions – Jamaica, Mauritius, Syria and Nigeria – engaged with their communities through parties involving their particular music and cuisines. These parties often begin to fade by the following generations; the
Mauritian interviewee, who is 59 years old, commented that these kinds of parties were not a feature of his own adult life. The Nigerian interviewee suggested that, as an immigrant’s social status in Britain increases, they often leave predominantly ‘migrant’ areas – and their diaspora community. This could be due to factors such as seeking better educational or employment opportunities.
In this, the collective migrant gatherings might be seen as a kind of survival mechanism. First generation migrants often speak English as a second language – or, occasionally, do not speak English at all. Migrants are therefore faced with the challenge of learning how to navigate British society, and in such a context, having strong connections with a diaspora community that can share insights and experiences is a significant advantage. This advantage is perhaps reduced for later generations who usually speak English as their native tongue and are more familiar with the social systems. One secondgeneration interviewee with Ugandan-Asian descent noted a “big practical advantage to hospitality”. Aged in his late fifties, this interviewee commented that his children, who are third-generation British, had lost the “survival instinct” possessed by the earlier generations – and with that, perhaps, the need (which is distinct from the desire) to maintain strong ties with a diaspora community.
Another reason why gatherings might diminish is that many non-Western cultures are structured collectively, while Western society is more individualist. Yet the longer a community spends in Britain, the more the later generations tend to adopt a more individualist format. Along these lines, one interviewee with Kenyan-Indian descent commented: “When I was born, we followed the traditional Indian structure where everyone lives in one household. […] But eventually, everyone ends up in their own houses because that’s the Western thing to do.” Even if postmigrants were born too late to experience the first-generation parties, they still often express an interest in the music and food of their heritage culture; multiple interviewees have commented on absorbing music because their parents played it in the car, and food is the most strongly preserved cultural characteristic in my sample of interviewees so far. Perhaps the diasporic parties give way to other kinds of parties, as postmigrants tend to integrate with the ethnic British population more than migrants. Nevertheless, the first-generation parties have left their legacy both in the history of diasporas in Britain and in the memories passed down through the generations.
GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED WORKERS
ULukas Lehner (2019, DPhil Social Policy) is a Doctoral Student at St Edmund Hall, whose research interest is labour market policy. He holds an MSc in Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Economics from the Vienna University of Economics.
As part of his doctoral studies at St Edmund Hall, Lukas co-designed and evaluated a pilot scheme that provides universal guaranteed employment to unemployed workers. The results showed that it has eliminated long-term unemployment in the targeted municipality and that programme participants felt happier, more financially secure, and more involved in their community. In recognition of the achievement, Lukas was awarded the 2023 Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Prize for Outstanding Early Career Impact. Here, Lukas tells us about the project.
nemployed workers often struggle to find employment, in particular the longer that they are out of work. As part of my doctoral studies, I collaborated with the Austrian job centres agency – AMS – in designing a universal job guarantee pilot, and with Professor Maximilian Kasy at the University of Oxford to design and conduct its subsequent evaluation. Launched in 2020 in the Austrian town of Gramatneusiedl (which includes the historic site of Marienthal), the scheme guarantees a job, paying at least the minimum wage, for every resident who has been unemployed for a year or longer, and aims to bring long-term unemployed people back into the workplace.
A long-term unemployed worker in Marienthal was jobless for five years on average. About one third of long-term unemployed workers had a medical condition, and about half had no more than a basic education. These aggregate statistics, however, mask the diverse nature of unemployment, which can affect anyone: from the 50+ year-old worker who lost a stable job, to the young adult who never managed to find stable
employment, or the parent struggling to return to work after extended paternity leave.
Together with Professor Kasy, I designed the field experiment to evaluate the pilot’s impact. We found that the job guarantee programme eliminated longterm unemployment in the municipality, participants’ incomes rose and they gained greater financial security.
Lukas Lehner, Maximilian Kasy and Sven Hergovich at the awards ceremony for the UK Research and Innovation ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize
“Job centres are now implementing the scheme permanently – and to date, over 50,000 job seekers have benefited from the innovation.”
Our evaluation of the scheme demonstrated that participants were happier, more satisfied, and felt more in control of their lives. Participants had more meaningful interactions with others, felt more valued, and felt they had more people around them who they could rely on.
Job seekers’ families and the entire community in the municipality benefited from the project. The scheme has also brought many community benefits, for example:
• A public food garden, on 250m2 of land.
• Expansion of animal therapy services for children.
• A carpentry workshop to repair used furniture.
• Renovation works of old apartments.
• Support for the local kindergarten and elementary school.
Based on the findings of the research, which suggested that there is a stigma attached to training offered by job centres that reduces the willingness of job seekers to pursue such programmes, I worked with the centres to run an information campaign about training opportunities to signal the monetary value of training,
using non-stigmatising language. I designed information resources to broaden the access of training courses for job seekers, which increased training for them by 20%. This widened access to training, which allowed them to pursue more ambitious training opportunities that further enhanced their skills. Job centres are now implementing the scheme permanently – and to date, over 50,000 job seekers have benefited from the innovation.
The project had documented impact, and was covered by The New Yorker, Financial Times and CNN among others. I have briefed the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Labour Organization, and European governments about the programme, and the results inform the development and implementation of innovative evidence-based social policies. To support the success of this and related initiatives in Europe, the EU Commission has provided €23 million of funding to support job guarantee pilots for unemployed workers in a call for tenders from the European Social Fund Plus.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Olivier De Schutter, wrote his annual report on job guarantees, informed by our evaluation, which was discussed at the UN Human Rights Council.
Access the full study: Kasy M, Lehner L. ‘Employing the Unemployed of Marienthal: Evaluation of a Guaranteed Job Program.’ (2023): doi. org/10.31235/osf.io/cd25u
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) summary: ukri.org/whowe-are/how-we-are-doing/ research-outcomes-and-impact/ esrc/helping-long-termunemployed-people-back-intowork/
UKRI short film: youtu.be/ mrJHNpeMkUo
Above and left: Workers from the Marienthal job guarantee pilot
AULARIANS IN…
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Two Aularians working in the Artificial Intelligence sector talk about their experiences in the field and offer advice for those wanting to take a similar career path.
Dr Ben Chamberlain (2002, Physics) is a Machine Learning Researcher at Isomorphic Labs, the sister company of Google DeepMind and part of the Alphabet group. Isomorphic Labs develops Artificial Intelligence systems for drug discovery. He holds a PhD in Machine Learning from Imperial College London.
Below: Isomorphic Labs is born out of the conjunction of biology and technology
Ihave always believed in the power of science and technology to improve people’s lives, but when I left the Hall, I had no idea where it would take me. One of the best things about working in AI is the opportunity it provides for moving between industries and problems. In my career I have had the chance to build defences for military bases in Afghanistan, improve content recommendations at Twitter and run the AI team of the UK’s largest ecommerce site (ASOS.com).
Recently, hopes have been growing that AI can have a profound impact on understanding and treating many diseases. In 2020, Google’s DeepMind lab developed an AI technology called AlphaFold that solved the proteinfolding problem – an important part of the drug discovery process. For this, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were awarded the Lasker and Breakthrough Prizes, which frequently precede the Nobel. DeepMind spun out Isomorphic Labs to begin applying AlphaFold to oncology. Like many of my colleagues, I have lost family members to cancer and so I feel privileged to be able to contribute despite lacking any formal medical training. We believe that AI will accelerate drug discovery and deepen our understanding of disease by simulating ever more complex biological systems.
I would strongly urge anyone seeking a career in AI to find problems and companies that you believe in and value. If you do this, you will inevitably build great relationships with colleagues and mentors who share your beliefs and passions. AI goes through very aggressive hype cycles (self-driving cars, drug discovery and chat bots, to name some of the most recent) and no one knows when and how these cycles will end. Like most modern scientific pursuits, AI is a team game and it is a lot easier to be successful if you surround yourself with great engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists who share your values. For this reason, it helps to be close to one of the world’s AI hubs. Fortunately, London is one. The others are San Francisco, New York, Paris, Toronto and Tel Aviv.
Access to large amounts of computation is increasingly advantageous for cutting-edge work, which tends to favour employees of large technology companies. Access to compute should be a major factor for anyone considering an AI role.
Finally, there is a myth that to be successful, you need to be programming before you can walk. This is completely untrue. AI is a very dynamic environment. Passion, problem-solving and creativity are worth more than decades of experience.
Dr Habib Baluwala (2007, MSc Biomedical Engineering) is General Manager of AI and Data Foundations at One New Zealand (formerly Vodafone), the second largest technology and telecommunications provider in the country. He completed both his MSc and DPhil in Engineering at St Edmund Hall.
My path into AI was driven by a core belief: technology can unlock solutions to some of humanity’s most complex challenges. During my MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford, I witnessed the potential of intelligent systems to revolutionise healthcare. My DPhil work further ignited my passion for AI, revealing the immense power of machine learning to analyse, predict and improve outcomes across diverse fields.
After completing my doctorate, I’ve had the privilege of working in AI for over 12 years, tackling challenges and driving innovation in industries like healthcare and telecommunications. Strict datausage limitations and overcoming resistance to change were hurdles I faced, but they also helped me foster a culture where creativity thrives alongside responsible AI practices.
Currently, as General Manager of AI and Data Foundations at One New Zealand, I am fortunate to lead data science and AI teams. My role centres on developing impactful AI strategies that align with our company’s core objectives and ensuring the ethical use of AI throughout the organisation.
For those eager to forge a path in AI, here are some insights I have gained along the way:
• Embrace the Fundamentals: Start with a solid understanding of
computer science, mathematics (especially statistics and linear algebra) and programming. These form the backbone of successful AI work.
• Curiosity is Key: Explore the vast subfields within AI – machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and more. Discover what resonates most and pursue projects that spark your passion.
• Build, Don’t Just Study: Theoretical knowledge is essential, but hands-on experience is invaluable. Start small, create personal projects, participate in online challenges and find ways to apply what you learn.
• Find Mentorship: The AI community is vibrant and supportive. Seek mentors and connect with peers to gain guidance and broaden your perspective.
• Think Beyond the Tech: While the technical aspects are crucial, don’t overlook the importance of understanding the ethical implications of AI. Consider the impact your work will have on society.
AI is an incredibly dynamic and rapidly evolving field. The possibilities are boundless, and as AI practitioners, we have the profound responsibility to guide this technology towards the betterment of humankind.
Below: One New Zealand, where Habib works
ALUMNI EVENTS
The last year has seen Aularians getting together all over the world! Here are some pictures from a few of those reunions and College events.
On 16 September, we welcomed back Aularians who came up in 1974 for their 50th Anniversary Dinner in the Old Dining Hall. Drinks in the Front Quad and a four-course meal were enjoyed, rounded off with a visit to the bar.
On 30 September, the Hall held a Geography Reunion in honour of Professor Robert Whittaker’s retirement.
An afternoon of talks was followed by drinks on the Front Quad and a delicious dinner in the Wolfson Hall. The evening ended with speeches from Professor Whittaker as well as Andrew Vivian, Director of Development, and finally drinks in the bar.
1963 matriculands came back to the Hall on 20 September to celebrate their 60th anniversary with a three-course lunch in the Old Dining Hall. Prior to the Lunch, drinks were enjoyed in the Senior Common Room.
To coincide with the Oxford University Alumni Weekend, on 22 September the Hall hosted drinks to welcome visiting Aularians.
On 6 April, the Hall welcomed a jazz quartet led by Aularian Alyn Shipton (1972, English). The band performed two sets in the Old Dining Hall and, following this, attendees heard a brief update on the Hall’s Norham St Edmund project. The event finished with drinks and canapés in the Front Quad – an enjoyable afternoon was had by all.
Members of the Hall, including Senior Tutor, Professor Robert Wilkins, and Director or Development, Andrew Vivian, visited New York in December to meet North American Aularians. Betsy and Peter Newell (1961, Jurisprudence), left, generously hosted a drinks reception at their apartment on the Upper East Side on Thursday 7 December. Friday 8 December saw the 38th Annual New York Dinner at the Links Club, kindly hosted by Justus O’Brien (1979, PPE).
In April, the Principal and Director of Development travelled to Asia to meet with alumni in Hong Kong and Singapore. In Hong Kong, Jose-Antonio Maurellet (1996, Jurisprudence) kindly hosted a drinks reception at his Chambers, and in Singapore, Luke Jones (1989, Experimental Psychology) kindly hosted an event at 1880.
Recently, Aularians have helped coordinate Teddy Hall pop-up drinks in (from top) Boston, Toronto, New York and Sydney, as well as Nashville. If you are interested in hosting pop-up drinks in your area, please get in touch with Emily Bruce, Head of Alumni Relations: emily.bruce@seh.ox.ac.uk
SPIRIT OF THE HALL
A PODCAST FOR AURALIANS BY AURALIANS
The St Edmund Hall Association’s podcast, Spirit of the Hall, finished its fourth season this year. The podcast’s fifth season will start soon, and it continues to feature engaging conversations with some of St Edmund Hall’s most fascinating alumni, Fellows, students and staff.
Hosted by Olly Belcher (1999, Geography), immediate past President of the St Edmund Hall Association for alumni, the podcast provides a chance for past and current members of the Hall to share how that unique spirit has shaped their insights and experiences in politics, academia, business, entertainment, technology and more. Join us as we lead the way and shine a light on some of those who make Teddy Hall what it is.
Listen and subscribe online: anchor.fm/spiritofthehall
EPISODE 7 JANUARY 2024
Larry Pressler (1964, Public & Social Administration)
Larry Pressler came up to the Hall in 1964 as a Rhodes Scholar and was awarded his Diploma in Social and Public Administration. Senator Pressler loved his time at the Hall and after was sent to Vietnam in 1966 to fight in the war there. He then entered American politics and describes himself as a ‘RINO’ –a Republican in name only.
EPISODE 8 FEBRUARY 2024
Alice Hart-Davis (1982, Modern History)
Alice Hart-Davis matriculated in 1982 to read Modern History. Today, Alice is the Founder of the Tweakments Guide, a remarkable source of knowledge about beauty tweakments and great practitioners to go to. In an evolving and often overwhelming world of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, laser skin treatments, dermal fillers, botox and wrinklerelaxing injections, this guide is all you need to know!
EPISODE 9 MARCH 2024
Jess Milligan (2023, Geography)
Jess Milligan came up to the Hall in 2023 to read Geography. Jess is Teddy Hall’s current JCR Environment and Ethics Officer and feels that students really do care about the College’s green agenda, which is being led so effectively by the Principal and her Senior Leadership Team. Jess also plays a vital role in College offering other students peer support when needed.
EPISODE 10 JULY 2024
Andrew Vivian (Director of Development and Fellow)
Andrew is responsible for fundraising and alumni relations at the Hall, and he touches on his day-to-day life in this role. He is also in charge of executing the £50 million HALLmarks campaign – he talks about how the College is progressing against this ambitious target. The biggest project at the moment is the Norham St Edmund development, necessary in order to house all undergraduate students, which is an important goal for the Hall.
Recognising your support
It is only through the help of our alumni and friends that we can ensure the Hall thrives for future generations, and we are delighted to acknowledge the generosity and commitment of our most loyal donors through our Giving Societies.
Regular Giving Societies
All those who make a regular gift of any amount to the Aularian Fund, which directly benefits the students of Teddy Hall every day by supporting all aspects of student life at the Hall, or support the Hall over a number of years will be invited to join our Regular Giving Societies.
Members of all Regular Giving Societies have their names published in the annual St Edmund Hall Magazine (unless wishing to remain anonymous) and receive email updates on the College, as well as exclusive Teddy Hall merchandise and event invitations. Find out more about the benefits of each society on our website: seh.ox.ac.uk/donor-recognition
Major Giving Societies
We also wish to recognise our significant benefactors who have given generous oneoff or cumulative donations over the years by inviting them to join our Major Giving Societies. Members of the below societies receive exclusive event invitations from the Principal and have their names written on the boards in Benefactors’ Square at the College site on Queen’s Lane (unless wishing to remain anonymous).
• Hallmarks Benefactor: Recognising major donors giving a cumulative total of £25,000 or more
• Principal’s Circle: Recognising major donors giving a cumulative total of £100,000 or more
• St Edmund Guild: Recognising major donors giving a cumulative total of £250,000 or more.
Floreat Aula Legacy Society
The Floreat Aula Legacy Society recognises and thanks those who have made a provision to the Hall in their will. Over 200 Aularians have committed to remembering the Hall in their will and for many this provides an opportunity to make a sizeable gift that they may not be able to make in their lifetime.
Legacy gifts are highly valued and always used respectfully to advance the College in very special ways. Recent legacy gifts have been used by the Hall to fund student accommodation, undergraduate bursaries, DPhil scholarships, tutorial fellowships and renovation of the Churchyard.
Members of the Society are invited to the biennial Floreat Aula Legacy Society Dinner, which offers an opportunity to revisit the Hall and meet Aularians of all generations.
Support your Hall and join one of our Giving Societies today! seh.ox.ac.uk/alumni/support-the-hall
The Floreat Aula Legacy Society Dinner
Benefactors’ Square
Alumni Drinks
UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS
Please save the dates for the following events in the 2024–25 academic year. Bookings usually open around three months before the date of an event, and email invitations will be sent out when they do.
Conversations in Environmental Sustainability: Beyond Greenwashing – Michaelmas term
Friday 15 November
St Edmund Hall
St Edmund Hall Association
London Lunch
Friday 22 November
Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, St. James’s, SW1Y 5JN
Carols in the Quad
Friday 6 December
St Edmund Hall
New York Drinks Reception
Thursday 12 December
Chelsea, NY 10001
New York Dinner
Friday 13 December
Links Club, 36 E 62nd St, NY 10065
St Edmund Hall Association
London Dinner
Tuesday 4 February
100 Wardour Street, Soho, W1F 0TL
Joe Todd Engineering Dinner
Friday 28 February
St Edmund Hall
Philip Geddes Memorial Lecture
Friday 7 March
Examination Schools, 75–81 High St, Oxford, OX1 4BG
Floreat Aula Legacy Society Dinner
Friday 21 March
St Edmund Hall
50th Anniversary Lunch for 1975 matriculands
Wednesday 2 April
St Edmund Hall
Conversations in Environmental Sustainability: Beyond Greenwashing – Trinity term
Friday 2 May
St Edmund Hall
HALLmarks Gala Dinner:
Alumni Summer Reunion
Saturday 28 June
St Edmund Hall
Gaudy for 2011–2013 matriculands
Friday 12 September
St Edmund Hall
Alumni Weekend Drinks Reception
Friday 19 September
St Edmund Hall
60th Anniversary Lunch for 1965 matriculands
Wednesday 24 September
St Edmund Hall
This list is not exhaustive; please visit www.seh.ox.ac.uk/events/alumni or scan the QR code for an up-to-date list, and booking links.
Development and Alumni Relations Office, St Edmund Hall, Queen’s Lane, Oxford, OX1 4AR E: aularianconnect@seh.ox.ac.uk | T: +44 (0)1865 279087
