No images? Click here Greetings from Wolfson!Many of our students are about to embark on exams – about to polish off that final essay, that project, that dissertation. They have had to prepare under conditions that are far from ideal, and in a manner none of us would have dreamt of a few months ago. I hope everything goes well. Good luck, and if they need help, Wolfson is here to support them. But Wolfson itself has not shut down. We are still thriving, still doing research and still learning- albeit online! I am grateful to the organisers of Wolfson Societies for getting their talks programmes back; to WCSA for helping keep our bodies exercised (have you checked out the virtual yoga?) and our creative selves challenged (have you entered the Decameron yet?) I have enjoyed my virtual get-togethers with Fellows and other members of the community (although they are all BYO!). Coming up will be a series of gatherings with alumni in the US – organised by the Development office to replace the events that we should be enjoying in person right now – look out for those invitations. And soon we hope to be holding some events to launch our Wolfson Research Hubs - bringing Fellows, Students and other members of our international community together to consider global challenges that require multidisciplinary solutions, the coming together of creative people with different skills and perspectives. I am not, sadly, finding myself with a mass of free time to do more reading. However, something in a book I am reading reminded me of just what we are missing most in this lockdown. In his book: “A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived”, Adam Rutherford says: “Every scientist knows that the most productive conversations happen in the bar”. Yes, he says, you can learn things from the lectures in conferences… “But in the bar, the real science gets scrutinized and the best ideas assembled. Lifelong collaborations are made…” Indeed! Doesn’t that capture what the strength of a College like Wolfson is? It is in our interactions with others that real research, real learning, real My final message is a challenge. Be creative. Work out just how you can meet up with your colleagues and collaborators. Can you come out of this lockdown with fresh ideas and a determination to make the most of every opportunity? Keep well, Professor Jane Clarke FRS FRSC FMedSci President Wolfson College Cambridge CB3 9BB Please note: You have received this email as you are recorded as being one of our alumni or members. If you need to update your contact details, please email development-admin@wolfson.cam.ac.uk or click here. |