Welcome to the Michaelmas edition of the Somervillian, and the start of a new academic year! Term is now in full swing here at Somerville, with students bustling around College, tutors hurrying back to give tutorials, and Hall full of the clamour of a hundred conversations. 

Alongside these markers of continuity, progress continues across many fronts. As you can see from the image above, the Ratan Tata Building is now poised to rise from its foundations, with Somerville’s new teaching and learning space hopefully ready in time for the next academic year. We also welcomed Somerville’s new Musician in Residence, Eric Whitacre, for a sell-out concert with the Somerville College Choir, and our Access team enjoyed their most successful Open Days ever, welcoming 7,202 visitors over three days in July and September. 

Then there are the less visible, yet equally momentous changes. At a time of global youth protests and proliferating uncertainties around AI, democracy and climate, Somerville does not look away. Our new Principal’s Discussion Series is bringing together senior practitioners, current students and Somervillians of all ages to ask how we can substantively address our most urgent problems – with more details below about how to get involved.

Educational opportunity will be key in tackling the problems of tomorrow, and here your help has helped us to innovate in the finest traditions of Somerville. This term, we launched a new Early Career Fund to address the decline in early career researchers that experts say poses an existential threat to the humanities and social sciences. Two early career fellows have now started at Somerville through the fund, in English and Ancient History, and we have aspirations to expand this and other programmes further as we safeguard Somerville’s academic provision for future generations.

Read on for more news and a preview of this term's events at Somerville.