Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Blog Page 349

Somerville College to divest from fossil fuels

Issy Kenney-Herbert
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Somerville College to divest from fossil fuels

Somerville College has committed to fully divesting from fossil fuels by July 2021. The update on their website stated that Somerville has already divested from £400,000 of investments in coal, and from a “significant proportion of our holdings in oil and gas companies”. Their plan is to “re-invest this income in new green investments.”

This forms part of a wider series of initiatives as well as a Sustainability Working Group that is comprised of representatives from Somerville including undergraduates, postgraduates, academics, and support staff who are going to be working towards helping Somerville become a “carbon-neutral college as fast as possible, but by 2050 at the very latest”. 

Somerville’s new College Climate Change Champion, Professore Renier van der Hoorn, will chair the efforts of this group. 

They are also making changes to lighting, heating, managing waste, food and biodiversity across the college – from replacing the lights that expire with efficient LEDs to implementing a comprehensive waste management strategy. 

Finally, Somerville outlined how it will continue to support climate change research including hosting a conference looking at the development of sustainable agriculture in partnership with UPL in September.

The Oxford University Climate Justice Campaign responded to the news, saying: “We are incredibly pleased to mark the Fossil Free National Day of Action by announcing that, after years of campaigning, Somerville College has committed to fully divest their
endowment fund, worth just shy of £100 million, from fossil fuels by July 2021 and re-invest the income in new green investments! They have also announced that the College will aim to be carbon neutral as fast as possible, and by 2050 at the latest.

“Today’s National Day of Action theme is Solidarity Across Borders. Divesting is the greatest statement Somerville can make to show its solidarity with frontline communities and Indigenous Peoples who are suffering the worst of the climate crisis. We are pleased to note that Somerville offers scholarships to refugee students. But as forced climate migrancy becomes increasingly unavoidable, it would have been hypocritical for Somerville to offer these scholarships while still invested in fossil fuel companies. We are delighted that Somerville’s stance is now more consistent and holistic. Climate justice cannot be separated from migrant justice.

“This announcement follows other divestment announcements this week from Cambridge including from Pembroke College Cambridge and Trinity College Cambridge. People power is turning the tide against the fossil fuel industry. But too many Oxford colleges, such as St John’s, are still investing millions in the fossil fuel industry, risking our shared future. We won’t stop campaigning until every college has committed to divest.”

Image Credit: Philip Allfrey/CC BY-SA 3.0

University responds to latest government announcement

Charlie Hancock
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University responds to latest government announcement

The University of Oxford has confirmed their plans for Trinity term, following an announcement from the government which would allow students to return after the Easter break.

Teaching will take place online and in-person, with the start date of in-person teaching differing across courses. For undergraduates, a small number of students will have ‘catch-up teaching’ in Week -1. For most courses allowed to return, especially science subjects including practical elements, in-person teaching will begin from Week 1 on April 26th.

The University will not be able to confirm dates for students on non-practical courses until the government releases further guidance around Easter. Postgraduate research students are not affected by the government’s announcement and can continue to conduct research on-site.

Residency requirements will not be in place for Trinity term. However, the University still encourages students to return to Oxford. Since government guidance allows students to return from March 8th, which falls at the end of Hilary term, some taught students may also be able to return from that date to access facilities such as libraries – if they meet certain criteria.  This will be from March 8th for taught postgraduates, and April 12th for undergraduates. Communication from the University stated: “In line with Government guidance, as well as returning for in-person teaching, you may also be permitted to come back to Oxford if you need access to facilities such as libraries and study space. These needs are likely to be particularly acute if you are nearing the completion of your degree, with important submissions and final assessments in the next term. Therefore, taught postgraduates in their final year, including those on one-year Masters programmes, may be able to return from 8 March; and undergraduate finalists may be able to return from 12 April.”

Colleges may allow individual students to return before their course begins in-person teaching for welfare reasons.

International students will be “supported to return in time to take part in in-person teaching where necessary”. Students from countries on the government’s ‘red list’, such as Brazil and Portugal, are advised not to return “unless you have substantial in-person teaching commitments”. Colleges will not be able to routinely cover the costs of quarantining for students from ‘red list’ countries who do return, which currently costs £1,750.

International students who have not travelled from ‘red list’ countries will have to isolate in their college for ten days on arrival. Students must agree this with their college in advance.

All students will be “expected” to take a lateral flow test upon arrival at the University, and another three days later. Students “should not take part in in-person teaching” until they have report two negative test results.

Once in Oxford, students will be expected to abide by the Student Responsibility Agreement, even if they have already had COVID or have been vaccinated. Although some restrictions will be eased over the course of Trinity term, the email warns “here will continue to be significant restrictions on what we can and cannot do for some time”.

Responding to the latest announcement from the University, the Oxford SU released a statement, saying: “We welcome the University communication to you today and we encourage you to read it carefully. We are pleased to see the University have outlined the expected timeline for return to Oxford for postgraduate taught and undergraduate finalists, remember to confirm you plans with your college before planning your travel. We continue to work with the collegiate university to develop plans for the return of students in line with government guidance”.

It continued: “The University’s website has also been updated with new information including around returning to Oxford and support provided. We would like to highlight that whilst the university and colleges will not routinely cover travel costs, ‘in some instances where the costs of testing or quarantine are a contributory factor in student hardship, it may be possible for some support to be provided from the University’s COVID- 19 Hardship Fund.’ 

“Over the past few days and weeks, we have spent hundreds of hours and 50+ meetings lobbying the University and colleges on key issues affecting students. We would like to thank staff across the collegiate University for working with Oxford SU to ensure student views and voices are at the heart of decision-making…  

“We know this remains an incredibly tough time for students and we stand in solidarity with you. We understand your frustrations following the recent government announcement. We remain committed to working with the collegiate University to secure the best university experience for you. We are working with the University’s student experience group and partners across the colleges to put in place plans for Trinity Term including sport, drama and social opportunities.”

Students are advised to wait for further information from their colleges and departments. The latest updates from the University can be found here.

6/03/21, 12:33 – “Postgraduate students are not affected by the government’s announcement and can continue to conduct research on-site” was updated to “Postgraduate research students are not affected by the government’s announcement and can continue to conduct research on-site”.

Professor Christine Gerrard announced as LMH interim Principal

Charlie Hancock
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Professor Christine Gerrard announced as LMH interim Principal

Professor Christine Gerrard, current Vice-Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, will act as interim Principal once Alan Rusbridger steps down at the end of September 2021.

Professor Gerrard will hold the position from October 1st 2021 until September 2022. Dr Fiona Spensley will act as Vice-Principal while the election for the next Principal is held.

Professor Gerrard’s main area of research are political literature and women’s writing in the eighteenth century. She teaches period papers covering literature written between 1550-1830, and has a teaching interest in American literature from 1680-1900.

In an email sent to LMH students, Rusbridger said “She [Professor Gerrard] embodies the values of the College and will continue to further establish LMH’s reputation for academic excellence, diversity and inclusion. She and I will be working closely to ensure a seamless transition when I leave.”

Alan Rusbridger became Principal in 2015 after stepping down as Editor-in-Chief at The Guardian.

As Principal of LHM, he implemented a fully-funded Foundation Year scheme aimed at supporting applicants from under-represented groups. He told Cherwell that its establishment was the part of his principalship he was most proud of.

Mr Rusbridger told Cherwell: “I hope LMH has a clearer identity as a welcoming and inclusive college. That was, of course, how it began – as a college to include people who had been excluded from an Oxford education. 140 years on, admitting women to Oxford no longer seems a very radical idea – but it was strongly resisted at the time. It feels as if we are now having the same argument over admitting candidates from under-represented backgrounds.

“Prof Gerrard has spent most of her academic life at LMH and the College will be in very safe hands.  I hope that my successors, like my predecessors continue to stay true to the LMH ethos of righting wrongs and including the previously excluded.”

Professor Gerrard told Cherwell: “My immediate priority is helping LMH students and staff to return to normality after a challenging and difficult year of Covid-19.  I’m looking forward to getting everyone back on site as soon as permitted, and enjoying all the brilliant teaching and the special social and physical facilities that LMH has to offer.

“I will remain committed to ensuring that LMH pursues its goals of academic excellence, inclusion and diversity. We will be continuing LMH’s Foundation Year pioneered under Alan Rusbridger’s tenure. 

“LMH has been fortunate to enjoy a period of strong and visionary leadership and we will be looking to build upon Alan’s achievements.”

New College begins trial of ‘friendship households’ initiative

Sasha Mills
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New College begins trial of ‘friendship households’ initiative

New College are trialling a new household system whereby students are grouped in households of between 6 and 7 people, based on their group of friends rather than the location that they are living in within the College. 

The household groups are now based on “who people are friends with and who they would usually spend time with, rather than who they live near on site.” Each student involved has been issued a household card by the JCR, detailing their household number and household members, that they will be required to keep with them while on-site to be checked by Porters and the decanal team. The trial is currently planned to run over the next 2 weeks, until the end of Hilary term.

The trial was initially proposed by the New College JCR as a welfare initiative, which surveyed the students current living on college about their preferred household arrangement. The data from the survey found that nearly 90% of participants would prefer a friendship-based household system. Isobel Cook, JCR President at New College, told Cherwell that “the structure of our on-site accommodation is such that there were very few problems with shared bathrooms or kitchens, but where these did arise they were easily dealt with by the JCR Committee.” She continued: “Mental health is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues faced by students today. This new system is a fantastic opportunity to bolster student wellbeing, whilst also reducing the risk of Covid through better rule compliance.”

A spokesperson for New College told Cherwell: “The aim of this new model is to ensure that students are able to spend time with their friends and access their established support systems, whilst also reducing the risk of Covid in College. Research conducted by the JCR showed that an overwhelming majority of students have said they will be more likely to comply with Covid rules in this new system.” 

“Many of the students living in College at the moment are here on the basis of mental health exemptions, and have expressed that this new system will positively impact both their wellbeing and their ability to carry out their academic studies.”

Image: Simononly. License: CC-BY-2.0.

University will not rename Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum scholarship after #FreeLatifa campaign expresses concerns

Sasha Mills
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University will not rename Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum scholarship after #FreeLatifa campaign expresses concerns

The University of Oxford will be retaining its Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Graduate Scholarship after new allegations have been made against the ruler. The Sheikh was initially accused of kidnapping and detaining his daughter, Princess Latifa, in 2018 when she tried to leave Dubai. New footage obtained by the BBC shows Princess Latifa claiming that she has been held hostage since her failed escape in 2018. The UN has since requested proof from the UAE that Princess Latifa is alive. 

The Oxford-Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Graduate Scholarships are available to applicants that are nationals of a range of countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and the UAE, amongst others. They are available to applicants for all full-time Master’s and DPhil courses, excluding MBAs, and the highest preference for the scholarship is given to nationals of the UAE applying to Master’s and DPhil courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences divisions. The scholarship was founded in 2016. 

The scholarships are jointly funded by the University of Oxford and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation. The Foundation was founded in 2007, and aims “to empower future generations and enable them to devise sustainable solutions to facilitate the process of knowledge and research in the Arab World.” 

David Haigh of the #FreeLatifa campaign told Cherwell:  “In Latifa’s particular case, one of the things that she wanted to do was study. […] That was denied to her, essentially, by her family. How do you explain to Latifa, watching this, that she, having spent 2 decades of her life trying to get basic things like freedom, being able to go to university, [she] isn’t allowed that?”

“Is it right to take money from someone that has been found to have consistently broken laws around the world, the very worst type of laws, and as we speak holding his daughter hostage such that […] people have had to speak up?”

Marcus Essabri, cousin of Princess Latifa, told Cherwell: “I think what’s important is highlighting that his own daughters want to have an education. It doesn’t make sense.”

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said: “The agreement between the University and MBRF was signed in 2016 and we have no plans to review or change the scholarship at this time.’’

The Media Office for the Government of Dubai has been contacted for comment.

Trials show azithromycin and doxycycline are not generally effective for treating Covid-19

Jonny Yang
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Trials show azithromycin and doxycycline are not generally effective for treating Covid-19

The UK-wide PRINCIPLE (Platform Randomized trial of Interventions against COVID-19 In older PeopLE) trial has demonstrated that the commonly used antibiotics azithromycin and doxycycline are not generally effective treatments for coronavirus.

This overturns previous clinical guidance in England which suggested both drugs might be prescribed to COVID-19 patients. Doxycycline in particular is prescribed orally for suspected pneumonia if the cause is bacterial or unclear. Current clinical guidance in England also recommends it for pneumonia caused by COVID-19; however, the PRINCIPLE trial has shown that doxycycline should not be used in this way.

The key clinical findings are as follows:

Azithromycin:
– 526 participants were given 500 mg of azithromycin daily for 3 days
– This group was compared with a control group of 862 participants
– Both groups were observed over the first 14 days of COVID-19 infection
– The study failed to find a meaningful difference in outcomes between azithromycin and conventional treatments
– Azithromycin did not reduce hospitalisations or deaths

Doxycycline:
– 798 partcipants were given 200 mg doxycycline on the first day and then 100mg for the next 6 days
– This group was then compared with a control group of 994 participants
– Both groups were observed over 14 days of COVID-19 infection
– Doxycycline has a very small clinical benefit (1 day reduced recovery, 2% less hospitalisation)

Professor Chris Butler from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and Co-Lead of the PRINCIPLE trial, said:”Azithromycin and doxycycline have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and possibly antiviral effects, and so were considered as potential treatments for COVID-19 in the community.

“While we are completing the analysis of the full range of study outcomes, and in different patient groups, our findings show that a three-day course of azithromycin or a seven-day course of doxycycline has no important clinical benefit in terms of the time taken to feeling recovered, and so will not help most patients with COVID-19 in the early stages their illness.

“These are two important findings, as both azithromycin and doxycycline have been used for treating COVID-19 in the community even in the absence of suspected bacterial pneumonia, so this practice should now be re-considered – particularly because overuse of antibiotics in the community can fuel the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.”

New University access scheme to increase number of British Pakistani and Bangladeshi applicants

Jonny Yang
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New University access scheme to increase number of British Pakistani and Bangladeshi applicants

Jesus College has launched an outreach initiative targeted at Year 12 pupils from British Bangladeshi and Pakistani backgrounds, which aims to provide university application support. The scheme will be run in collaboration with other Oxford colleges. It is planned to run until December 2021.

The programme was officially launched on the 17th of February with a half-day virtual open day, complete with panel discussions and a keynote speech from the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, Dr Samina Khan.  Over the coming months, there will also be a number of drop-in application clinics, admissions/academic live events, and question and answer sessions for pupils seeking to make their applications more competitive.

Access Fellow Dr Matthew Williams and Access and Outreach Officer Shelley Knowles from the Jesus College Access and Outreach team are leading the initiative, collaborating with all other Oxford colleges as well as several University departments. 

Dr Williams told Cherwell more about the motivations for the scheme: “As with all underrepresented groups at Oxford, there is a complex intersection of forces at work. Individuals from British Bangladeshi/Pakistani backgrounds are, on average, more economically disadvantaged, often face greater educational disadvantages, and often live in areas of the country with low progression rates to university. There are cultural reasons at work too. In discussions with students and community leaders, there has been a perception that the University was an unsafe space for South Asian applicants in general, and those wishing to observe their Muslim faith in particular. Part of our programme aims to dispel these concerns and demonstrate the range of support available.”

He added that particular emphasis has been placed on designing a programme “to incorporate parents, teachers, and community leaders into the discussions.” He says that this is “especially important given the strong emphasis on family values common amongst British Bangladeshi and Pakistani students.” Dr Williams has also indicated that there is scope for the access programme to continue beyond the end of 2021 should it be deemed impactful.

Ibrahim Mohammed, an academic influencer known as ‘Ibz Mo’ who makes informative academic guides on YouTube, will serve as the programme’s official spokesperson and played an integral role in the virtual open day. He joined St Anne’s College as a graduate student this year, reading for an MSc in Higher Education.

So far, the response to the programme has been enthusiastic. Dr Williams said: “We had planned for about 100 participants in the first instance but we have received 471 applications, 450 of which are from prospective undergraduate students. This is far beyond what we were hoping, and a really positive sign that there is a demand for this kind of support.”

Image: Bencherlite / CC BY SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

£70,000 to be spent to boost Oxford tourism

Anvee Bhutani
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£70,000 to be spent to boost Oxford tourism

£70,000 of public cash is set to be invested in Oxford’s tourism sector to give it a boost for after the pandemic.

£50,000 of the fund comes from a government grant and will be given to Experience Oxfordshire in order to help give tourism businesses access grants and general wider support. 

The other £20,000 will come from Oxford City Council’s budget this year and will be used in order to create a city-wide coach drop-off and layover strategy to allow for more stops where coaches can pick-up and drop-off passengers.

All of the money together will fund Oxfordshire’s official tourism promotion organisation and aim to solve long-term logistical problems with coaches in the city centre. This is expected to secure the future of the tourist economy post-pandemic. 

Oxford City Council additionally announced last summer that they plan on converting Boswells Department Store into a hotel in partnership with the Reef Group, “to increase the number of hotel spaces in Oxford to encourage overnight stays. It is estimated that Oxford now has about 3,215 hotel rooms – an increase of about 27.7% from about 2,517 rooms in 2010.”

Mary Clarkson, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Covered Market and Culture, told the Oxford Mail that the council had “spent years” on efforts to attract more overnight tourists and hopes to see the amount of visitors coming into Oxford grow after the end of the pandemic.

Image: David Hawgood /CC by-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Council pledges £50 million to retrofit homes

Daisy Aitchison
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Council pledges £50 million to retrofit homes

Oxford City Council is set to spend over £50 million in order to retrofit council homes, it has been announced. 

The scheme is going ahead as part of the council’s Local Plan and aims to ensure that all Oxford council tenants’ properties meet the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C standard as a minimum by 2030. At the moment just 50% of properties have reached this level.

The funding for the scheme, which comes on top of £7 million already pledged to tackle environmental issues, will be financed by a mixture of council borrowing and government funding linked to the Clean Growth Strategy. This project is looking at “decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy through the 2020s” and ensuring that the whole country can “benefit from low carbon opportunities, while meeting national and international commitments to tackle climate change”.

Councillor Tom Hayes, deputy leader and cabinet member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, expressed his support for the initiative, saying that “Oxford can’t deal with our carbon problem until we deal with our building emissions problem.

“Despite the impacts of the pandemic on our council’s finances, we will be making huge investments in our 7,800 council homes. We want to work with tenants to make their homes more energy efficient, reduce emissions, and save them money. By showing leadership, we want private landlords and homeowners to join with us in making retrofitting investments in their own homes.”

Oxford City Council is aiming to create a zero carbon city by 2040. A key part of ensuring this happens is retrofitting homes, given that residential buildings are the single largest contributor to total emissions. 

Councillor Mike Rowley, the cabinet minister for affordable housing, has also noted the need to balance reducing emissions with tackling the homelessness crisis in Oxford. Commenting on the scheme, he said: “Our homes are essential for a successful society. They provide shelter and a safe space for us. But those homes need to be fit for purpose. They need to be ready for the challenges we face over the coming decades. 

“We will lead the way in retrofitting our council housing stock to create better environments for people – and we will work with our tenants every step of the way. The measures being implemented will see tenants benefitting from lower energy bills. This will be supported by our ongoing commitment to developing further homes for the Oxford community by way of Oxford City Housing Limited.”

Image: Christine Westerbank. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Covid-19 admissions to the Oxford University Hospitals have dropped significantly since lockdown started

Sasha Mills
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Covid-19 admissions to the Oxford University Hospitals have dropped significantly since lockdown started

Data from NHS England suggests that since the start of national lockdown on the 5th of January, hospital admissions to the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been slowly dropping. This includes both patients admitted with Covid-19 and those testing positive for Covid-19 within the hospitals.

The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is made up of 4 hospitals: the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and the Horton General Hospital. NHS England data suggests that the Oxford University Hospitals trend fits that of the South East region overall, which has also seen a clear decrease in hospital admissions for Covid-19 since national lockdown started. 

A member of staff in the Oxford University Hospitals Trust told Cherwell: “I started working in the Covid-19 wards in January 2021, where all of the beds were full, and as soon as a patient was sent home or elsewhere, it was quickly filled again. In recent weeks this has not been the case. Although there is still a large [number] of very sick patients, there are empty beds that are not being filled. One of the two Covid wards I was working on has shut as we no longer have a need for it.”

“At the beginning of January all of the beds were full and all of our patients [were testing] positive for Covid. Now there are empty beds and patients who are no longer testing positive for Covid, but [are] still suffering from its effects. I have spoken with many of my colleagues and they would agree that there has been a reduction in Covid-19 admissions recently. The past few weeks have been much less busy than they were previously.”

In Oxfordshire, over 65s and people aged 16-65 with underlying health conditions are now being invited to get vaccinated, alongside other groups such as adult carers. Ansaf Azhar, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Public Health, said:

“It’s great news that the first dose of the vaccine has been given to so many people in such a short space of time. However, there is still a long way to go in the vaccination programme and we are keen that those who have now been inoculated are aware that the benefits do not kick in until around three weeks after the jab has been administered.”

“The figures for the number of people with COVID-19 in Oxfordshire have declined again this week and our weekly rate in the county has now fallen to below 100 per 100,000 for the first time since early December, which is really good news.”

“However, the virus is still very active in the county. […] We’ve seen before what happens when we relax too soon. The virus makes a rapid comeback and we end up in a frustrating one-step-forward two-steps back routine. Let’s not go there in 2021. Let’s see how much further we can drive down the levels of COVID-19 in Oxfordshire before lockdown ends. The lower it is, the better for all of us in both the short-term and the long-term.”

Image Credit: Ceridwen. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.

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