News and updates from Balliol College

 
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January 2023

‘It’s a strange, but wonderful feeling to be back at Balliol. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was here as a student. College life feels reassuringly familiar. Colleagues in the SCR have been so generous and welcoming; I enjoyed meeting some graduate students from the MCR over dinner in 0th week. My first few weeks here have reminded me of what an extraordinary place Balliol is, and I’m thrilled to have returned. Just a pity I have to accept that the days of Holywell Manor bops, and playing cricket on the Master’s Field, are well and truly over . . .’

Tim Soutphommasane (2004), Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory, Oxfords Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Research Fellow

COLLEGE NEWS

New Year Honours

Sir Julian Lewis MP (1970) (left) and opera singer Christine Rice (1988) are among the Balliol people who have been recognised for their achievement and service in the 2023 New Honours List.

Monday Maths

Balliol’s latest access programme for Year 12 students who aspire to Oxbridge or other highly competitive universities has begun, attracting hundreds of applicants.

Denis Noble

Lomonosov Gold Medal 

Emeritus Fellow Denis Noble has been awarded the 2022 Lomonosov Grand Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences for his work on the heart.

New Vice Chancellor 

At her Admission Ceremony, Professor Irene Tracey was welcomed by the Chancellor, Lord Patten (1962 and Honorary Fellow) and set out her vision for Oxford University. 

Sakaguchi Scholarship 

Yosuke Matsumiya (2022) has been awarded a scholarship for outstanding Japanese DPhil students at Oxford who are intending to take a leadership role in an international organisation in future.

ALUMNI NEWS

Christmas University Challenge

They won! Team Balliol - Elizabeth Kiss (1983, Professorial Fellow and Warden of Rhodes House), Andrew Copson (1999), Martin Edwards (1974) and Martin O’Neill (1993) - beat the University of Hull in the final.

Honorary KCs

Professor Richard Susskind (1983) and Professor Richard Ekins (2003) (left) have been named as Honorary King’s Counsel.

Sachs Scholarship

Isabelle Stuart (2016) has been awarded a Sachs Scholarship by Princeton University, where she will pursue her research in English literature for a year. 

Election to UK Young Academy

Wenmiao Yu (2015) has been elected to the UK Young Academy, a new network of early career researchers and professionals.

BALLIOL ON THE WEB

BALLIOL CONTACTS

  • Andrew Gritten (1975): in what would have been his 70th year, the family of Andrew Gritten, who died in 2004, seek memories of him. If you can help, please email Nicky Gritten, his widow.

PUBLICATIONS

If you would like us to mention any significant work published this year or last, please send details to Anne Askwith. Previously submitted publications are listed on the alumni publications page.