The season for Carols began early this year. The first service in Selwyn’s chapel took place on November 29^th; and the Sunday Carol service was actually at the start of Advent.

Planning is well underway for the start of building work on Selwyn’s new library and auditorium – which will be constructed during 2019 and 2020. The project will create a library fit for the digital age, with a mix of communal and individual spaces for students to work; and the auditorium will be a flexible space with tiered seating for lectures and performances. The site is on the corner of Grange Road and West Road, completing the acclaimed Ann’s Court development.

Selwyn will be remembering those who died in conflict with services in the chapel on Sunday November 11^th. There will be a two minutes silence in Old Court at 11am; and later at 6pm the choir will sing Parry’s Songs of Farewell to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.

The college has named a room in honour of Kathleen Lyttelton (1856-1907): campaigner for women’s rights and social justice; journalist; and wife of our first Master.

The room, formerly known as the Tower Room, was opened on Sunday October 14^th by members of the Lyttelton family. Pictured are her three surviving grandchildren – Ned, Lavinia and Kate – with a photograph of Kathleen from the National Portrait Gallery.

The college is now home to a new generation of graduate students and undergraduates, following matriculation ceremonies on Friday 29 September and Monday 1 October. We’ve been joined this year by a total of more than 200 new students.

Undergraduates were addressed in Hall on Monday morning by the Senior Tutor Dr Mike Sewell and the Praelector Dr Stewart Sage.

The college admitted its latest Fellow Benefactor at a reunion dinner on Saturday September
22^nd.




Fellow Benefactor status is Selwyn’s highest recognition for philanthropy, marking a gift of
at least £1m. We were delighted to welcome Robin Jeffs to this cohort following his donation to the

The college is looking forward to welcoming its new undergraduates at the end of September. This year they will total 119: 57 men and 62 women.
Of the UK students, 74% are from state schools. This is up from 71% in 2017, and compares with an official Cambridge University target of 63.4%.

Another new Fellow who will arrive at Selwyn this autumn is Dr Deepak Venkateshvaran - our director of studies in Physics, and a European Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory. He comes to Selwyn from Fitzwilliam College on the completion of a three year teaching bye-fellowship funded by the Isaac Newton Trust.

We’ll be welcoming six new Fellows to Selwyn this autumn.

One of them will be Dr Katarzyna Macieszczak. She completed her PhD at the University of Nottingham, after taking her undergraduate degree at the University of Warsaw. She will become the Henslow Research Fellow.

The latest graduation ceremony on Saturday July 21st saw a large contingent from Selwyn at the University Senate House - including students receiving PhDs, MPhils and becoming Masters of Studies. Our home page photo shows two of those awarded doctorates: Nick Jamieson and Joshua Maher.