Milestone Anniversary 1956, 1966 and 1976
Univ’s Old Members who matriculated in 1956, 1966 and 1976 and their guests were invited back to College to celebrate 70, 60 and 50 years respectively since their matriculation. Following the reunion, Dr Martin Rabstein Yuillé (1966, Biochemistry) has kindly shared his reflections on the ways in which the College has changed. You can read the full report here.

Recognition of Distinction 2026
James Bryson, Sollas Tutorial Fellow in Earth Sciences at Univ and Professor of Planetary Science at Oxford, and Ine Jacobs, Supernumerary Fellow in Byzantine Archaeology at Univ and Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Visual Culture at Oxford, have been awarded the title of Professor in the University of Oxford’s 2026 Recognition of Distinction exercise. You can read more here.

The Gender and Medieval Studies Conference
Dr Laura Varnam, Univ’s Lecturer in Old and Middle English Lecturer, ran the annual Gender & Medieval Studies conference on the topic of ‘Gender & Creativity’ at the College. You can read more about the conference here.

Adam Smith joins Lord Hague for Meeting Minds discussion
Professor Adam Smith, Vice-Master of University College and Edward Orsborn Professor of US Politics and Political History at the University of Oxford, joined a distinguished panel for “Chancellor: Foreign Policy in a Turbulent World”, chaired by The Right Honourable The Lord Hague of Richmond, Chancellor of the University of Oxford at Meeting Minds Oxford on 19 September 2026. Read more about the event here.

Professor Adam Smith appointed Vice-Master of Univ
University College has appointed Professor Adam Smith as its new Vice-Master. Professor Smith, who is Edward Orsborn Professor of US Politics and Political History at the University of Oxford and Director of the Rothermere American Institute, succeeds Professor Peter Jezzard PhD FInstP CPhys, who has served as Vice-Master since 2018. Read more here.

Announcing Oxford Open Doors 2026
The College was delighted to take part in Oxford Open Doors 2026 on Saturday 12 September, welcoming visitors to discover the College’s historic buildings and features as well as its beautiful gardens. Read more here.

Read all of Univ’s College news or explore Univ’s Treasures.

Univ DPhil scholar’s quantum clock startup wins top prize
David McMahon (2021, Physics), an Oxford-Berman Graduate Scholar who recently completed his DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics at Univ, is one of four students behind Cloq, a startup developing miniaturised, low-cost quantum clocks which recently won £25,000 at the Reuben Entrepreneurship Forum. Read more the prize and Cloq here.

Surgical Elective at the CSC in Cambodia
Dr Kate Murnane (2018, Medical Sciences) undertook an eight-week surgical elective at the Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, during the final year of her graduate-entry medical degree. She has shared an account of her trip, which was funded by the Radcliffe Travelling Fellowship. Read more about Dr Murnane’s elective here.

Metamorphic Studies Group meeting in Cagliari
Xiangying Ye (2024, DPhil Earth Sciences) has shared an account attending the Metamorphic Studies Group meeting in Cagliari, Italy, where he presented his current work in the form of a poster. This trip was supported by Old Members’ Graduate Conference and Academic Trust Travel Fund. Read more about Xiangjing’s trip here.

Read more Travel Reports.

Alumni publications update September 2026
We shared a selection of recently published fascinating fiction and non-fiction written by Univ alumni. Read more about recent alumni publications here.

Bruce Balden featured in final chapter of Up series
Bruce Balden (1974, Maths) featured in 70 Up, the final instalment of the groundbreaking Up documentary series on 15 September. The series followed the lives of ten boys and four girls across the UK, starting at the age of seven in 1964 and revisiting them every seven years. Read more about Bruce and the Up series here.

Lord Justices of Appeal
Sir Martin Chamberlain (1991, Law, PPE) and Sir Richard Meade (1985, Law) have been appointed Lord Justices of Appeal, with approval from His Majesty the King. Read more about the new Lord Justices of Appeal and their appointments here.

Read all of Univ’s Alumni news.

Kids Planet Garden House Nursery opens
University College, Oxford is delighted to announce the opening of Kids Planet Garden House Nursery, a new purpose-built early years setting that will provide high-quality childcare for College and University staff, students and researchers. You can read more about Kids Planet Garden House nursery here.

Read all of our Univ North news or visit our Univ North Page.

Profile: Violet Nyamutora
Violet Nyamutora (2025, Biomedical Sciences) is studying an MSc in Applied Cancer Sciences at Univ. Violet shared with us some insights into her studies and her experience at Univ. Read Violet’s full profile here.

Explore all of our Profiles.

Please note some of these items link to external sites.

Fellows

• Dr Natalya Benkhaled-Vince, Sanderson Tutorial Fellow in Modern History and Associate Professor of Modern History at Oxford University, commented on the Swedish election in the BBC World Service show Weekend on 13 September. You can listen to the episode here.

• Professor Sarah Harper CBE, Sarah Harper, Clore Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, joined BBC Radio 4 programme Radical on 29 August. She challenged the increasingly common narrative that ageing populations represent an inevitable economic and social burden, arguing instead that longer lives should be seen as an achievement that requires us to rethink the way society is organised. You can listen to the programme here.

An article in The Telegraph on 31 August about Britain’s ageing society included comments by Professor Harper, who argued that our current attitude to later life is based on a 20th-century model in which we stopped work in our 60s and enjoyed a brief retirement before becoming frail and dying. The 21st-century reality, she says, demands a radical rethink, perhaps along the lines of Denmark, which recently raised the retirement age to 70 by 2040. Read more here.

Old Members

• Tim Coates (1967, Engineering) has written a theatrical piece called Constanze Mozart which was performed by the actress Jane Asher at the Frinton Summer Festival in July 2026. It is a “theatrical and musical portrait giving voice to Mozart’s wife, Constanze, using her own letters and memories.” The piece will also be performed on 27 November 2026 at St Mary Magdalene church, Richmond. Find out more here.

• Award-winning author Professor Nandini Das OBE (1997, English), Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture, Faculty of English, and Fellow of Exeter College, University of Oxford, has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the humanities and social sciences. Read more about the Oxford academics elected as Fellows of the British Academy here.

• Rupert Egerton-Smith (1992, History) released his recording of a programme of music inspired by water and fire in May 2026 and a cinematic album, Otherland, in June 2026. For more information, see Rupert’s website here.

• Luke Harding (1987, English), discussed his new book, Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest at Blackwell’s Bookshop on 24 September. He was also featured in Quad, the University’s alumni magazine in a piece focusing on books about Ukraine by Oxford alumni. You can read more here.

• Armando Iannucci (1982, English) is to write the screenplay for Paddington 4, with his Thick of It, In The Loop and Veep co-writer, Simon Blackwell. Read more here.

• Philippa Malicka (2007, English) is appearing at the Bury St Edmund’s Literary Festival on Saturday 10 October, to discuss her debut novel, In Her Defence, with Jenna Smith, founder of Book Taster, one of the UK’s most celebrated reading communities. In Her Defence was selected as Reece Witherspoon’s Book Club pick in February 2026. Find out more here.

• Fabienne Morris (2004, Music) has organised an evening of film, music and conversation on the life and work of French composer Charlotte Sohy (1997-1955) at Oxford’s Maison Française on Friday 23 October. The evening will feature the UK premiere of a new documentary about Sohy, a live performance of some of her music, and a live Q&A which will involve the composer’s great-grandson. You can find out more about the event here.

• Acclaimed climate crisis drama Kyoto, by playwrights Joe Robertson (2008, English) and fellow Oxford alumnus Joe Murphy, was nominated for four 2026 Lucille Lortel Awards.