2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the arrival of the first women students at Univ.

Univ will celebrate the achievements of women students, academics and staff since 1979, while also acknowledging the contribution that women in many different fields have made to the life of the College since its foundation. We will reflect on the many opportunities that the College environment brings to female students and staff, but also the many challenges that continue to confront women in study and in work, particularly at a time of economic and political uncertainty.

Above all, we would like 2019 to be the year when we think about how the diversity and plurality of Univ provide the foundations of a strong College community in Oxford and among our Old Members.

Various events are being held to mark the anniversary. These include:

• A Garden Party for women Old Members and their guests to celebrate “40 Years of Women at Univ” (21 September)
• The Michaelmas Term Annual Seminar on 28 November, open to all members of Univ regardless of gender, on the subject of “Feminism: Where are we now?”
• Several opportunities across the year to view the exhibition “Women at Univ: 1249-2019”
• Workshops, seminars, lectures, concerts and other events distributed across the year

Throughout 2019 we will be adding weekly interview features on a wide range of students, academics, College staff and alumni; you can read theme in the Profiles page of our News and Features section.

Details of the Women at Univ exhibition, curated by archivist Dr Robin Darwall-Smith, librarian Elizabeth Adams, and lecturer in English Dr Laura Varnam, can be found here.

More information on the events will be available in due course.

40th anniversary logo designed by Issy Davies (2016, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History)

Published: 29 January 2019

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