Friday 15th August 2025
Blog Page 453

St Hilda’s Chaplain let go after 30 years, making way for Multi-Faith Director

Violeta Perea Rubio
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St Hilda’s Chaplain let go after 30 years, making way for Multi-Faith Director

St Hilda’s governing body has decided against renewing Canon Revd. Brian Mountford’s post as Chaplain of St Hilda’s after 30 years of service to the college. He will cease to be Chaplain on 30th June 2020 and a new position of Chaplain and Director of Multifaith Space will be advertised. This follows the college’s decision to replace an Anglican Chapel with a multi-faith room earlier this year. 

This has raised concerns among some students with regards to the college’s handling of the situation, which some deem has been “discriminatory” and inadequate. This change was not made public to the JCR as it was a Governing Body decision, which has led to some criticism against the college’s transparency and clarity in matters regarding the new multi-faith space.

The lack of a formal termination to his chaplaincy comes as a result of Revd Mountford’s non-contractual position at the college. The Chaplain had a fixed-term appointment. Fixed-term contracts have “no expectation of renewal or conversion,” according to the UN. Nevertheless, he had been working with St Hilda’s College for 30 years. 

The college told Cherwell that “his legacy provides an excellent basis for our future work as we move into a new phase.” 

During the lockdown, Brian Mountford has been providing weekly virtual Reflective Prayer Services. In the service for Week 6, he emphasised: “Nobody wants religion thrust down their throats. I have been careful to do my best to be inclusive in these reflections.”

St Hilda’s follows colleges like Green Templeton College, Linacre College, and St Catherine’s College that do not have a Chapel. However, these colleges do not have a multi-faith space instead, making St Hilda’s the first college to offer this.

A statement by a spokesperson for St Hilda’s college explained: “In January 2020 following a wide consultation with the undergraduate, graduate, and SCR members of the college, St Hilda’s reconceived the College’s provision for religious practice by proposing to establish a multi-faith space. The multi-faith space is intended to be accessible to those of all faiths and none as a place for worship, assembly, and prayer, and for quiet contemplation and reflection.

“As part of this faith provision the College will employ for the first time a Chaplain who will also be the Director of the Multifaith Space, supporting the College to develop this vision and implement a plan for the successful operation of the shared space for all.”

Regarding the Chaplain, St Hilda’s stated: “The College is immensely grateful to the Revd Canon Brian Mountford for his 30 years of service and dedication to the College as Chaplain. Canon Mountford was appointed a Supernumerary Fellow of the College whilst being the College Chaplain and the Vicar of the University Church. Canon Mountford retired from his employment at the University Church in the summer of 2016, but kindly agreed to continue as a Supernumerary Fellow and the College Chaplain, providing crucial support for our students and fostering a culture of debate on the significant questions concerning faith, belief, and the contemporary world through his regular ‘Chaplain’s Chat’ series.”

One student at St Hilda’s College told Cherwell: “It is very sad that after 30 years, the college has decided to cease Brian’s role as chaplain. Brian has been wonderfully ‘interfaith’ in his support for people of all faiths and none. The diverse range of speakers he has hosted in his ‘Chaplain’s Chats’ showcase this. He will be missed by very many students.”

Image credit to Steve Cadman/ Flickr.

Gender gap persists in lockdown, Oxford study finds

Trudy Ross
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Gender gap persists in lockdown, Oxford study finds

Oxford University’s Department of Sociology has released a report showing that gender inequality in the UK has remained throughout lockdown.

The report, published on 9th June, reveals that most front-line health care workers are women: 80% of health and social care workers in the UK are women. This means women are more exposed to COVID-19. 

Despite this, women are still carrying out the majority of childcare and housework roles within the home. While men have increased the amount of housework they do, the gap between genders remains unchanged as women are also putting more work in at home. On average, women do 5 hours more housework than men per week. 

Women have also been facing worse health and well-being than men during the pandemic. Depression is more common in women, especially single mothers, who are one of the least likely social groups to own their own house or car. Single parents have seen the largest increase in non-working rates during the pandemic. 

In the report, Professor Man-Yee Kan and her team stated: “In a crisis, it is paramount to ensure the safety and livelihood of all. Women, and particularly single mothers, are already severely affected in the economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Policymakers must consider the gendered impacts and their repercussions when implementing measures to tackle the epidemic.”

The report outlines three key measures: “To prevent the long-term decline in women’s economic power, spikes in poverty among single-parent households in particular, and the resulting child poverty.” 

These include securing child-care options, prioritising single parent families, and a focus on improving the well-being of women.

The study compares employment, income, time-use and well-being figures reported by the same individuals, aged between 20 and 49, both before and during the lockdown period.

Image credit to Jeshoots/ Unsplash.

International lawyers sign Oxford Statement protecting healthcare from cyber-attacks

Sophia Cerullo
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International lawyers sign Oxford Statement protecting healthcare from cyber-attacks

More than 120 lawyers have signed the Oxford Statement on the International Law Protections Against Cyber Operations Targeting the Health Care Sector. The Oxford Statement is a declaration that the world is not incapable of combating assaults on healthcare computer systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to cyber harm as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Oxford Statement reads: “We, the undersigned public international lawyers, have watched with growing concern reports of cyber incidents targeting medical facilities around the world, many of which are directly involved in responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We are concerned that the impact of such incidents is exacerbated by the existing vulnerability of the health-care sector to cyber harm. Even in ordinary times, this sector is particularly vulnerable to cyber threats due to its growing digital dependency and attack surface.

“We consider it essential that medical facilities around the world function without disruption as they struggle to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any interference with the provision of health care, including by cyber means, risks further loss of life as thousands continue to die every day.”

Initiated by Professor Dapo Akande, Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, the Statement has been signed by legal experts from over 20 countries including Argentina, India, China, Germany, France, and the US.

Professor Akande explains: “[We] have come up with a set of principles, something that states can point to as a framework for battling cyber-attacks. We hope the Statement will be used as an example of what the rules are.”

The Oxford Statement has already been referred to in the UN Security Council as a good articulation of relevant international law principles.

Professor Akande says that cyber-attacks against healthcare facilities can be tackled using existing international law on human rights: “[We] don’t need new rules, we already have them.” He places a duty on providers and nations to protect their own citizens and those of other countries. Since cyber-attacks in one country will originate from, pass through, or use infrastructure located in other countries, those other countries are required, under international law, to ensure that harm is not caused to other states and their populations. 

Professor Akande describes that a two-pronged approach will be needed in order to create an international consensus on the issue. Countries must protect themselves and others by exercising due diligence, but they are also entitled to take action against unlawful activity against states using counter measures.

He said: “Right now, taking action against cyber-attacks against the health sector is low-hanging fruit, world leaders are wanting to sign up and back the campaign. It is easier if we act together.”

Image credit

Oxford Foundry awards grants and support to four COVID-19 solutions

Joe Hyland Deeson
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Oxford Foundry awards grants and support to four COVID-19 solutions

The Oxford Foundry has awarded funding and expert assistance to four entrepreneurial businesses as part of its OXFO COVID-19 Rapid Solutions Builder programme.

In the Healthcare category, the award was given to My110, a company originally focusing on helping athletes to better understand their fitness levels, which has adapted its technology to provide effective and non-invasive saliva tests for COVID-19. 

In the Education category, the award was given to Devie, which uses Artificial Intelligence to power a coaching app for parents, providing accessible advice. This was seen as especially valuable following the closure of nurseries and pre-schools.

In the Inclusive Social Engagement and Mobility category, the award was given to Oblivious AI, which engages with how data is processed by governments and has adapted to advising several states in India on contact-tracing while maintaining privacy.

In the Operations, Logistics and Supply Chains category the award was given to Crowdless, an app originally built to help users avoid queues at supermarkets and shops but now useful in aiding solutions to socially-distanced consumer experiences. The app has been successfully supported by the Foundry since winning Best Postgraduate Idea in its 2019 All-Innovate competition.

The judges in the four categories included the co-founder of Twitter, the founder of Just Eat and the former CEO of Burberry, among others.

As well as triumphing over a hundred entries to the Oxford Foundry’s scheme, My110 and Crowdless were both also successful in securing Innovate UK funding from the British government, which saw 8600 applications.

The Foundry, established by the Saïd Business School in 2017 to provide infrastructural aid and funding to innovative Oxford student and alumni start-ups, will provide each of the companies with £10,000 in funding as well as a two-month programme of support and ongoing expert assistance and advice.

Ana Bakshi, Director of the Foundry, said: “Universities are homes of innovation that provide critical sources of income, impact, and job creation for government and the economy. With the onset of the pandemic it was vital that we mobilised our networks and leveraged our community as quickly as possible, this included repurposing nearly 100% of the team’s time to the COVID-19 action plan.

“The ventures we support are having an impact in hospitals, care homes, schools and other sectors. Cutting edge innovation will be at the forefront of economic and societal recovery and resilience, so we must build and invest in solutions that respond to the secondary and tertiary challenges of the pandemic as quickly and sustainably as possible.”

Image of My110 founders

Oxford scientists urge government not to ease lockdown

Lucy Tansley
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Oxford scientists urge government not to ease lockdown

Oxford University academics are among over 100 scientists who have signed an open letter to the government, asking them to avoid easing lockdown prematurely. 

The letter, written by St Hilda’s Professor Aris Katzourakis, Professor of Evolution and Genomics and Co-President of Oxford UCU, has 18 Oxford scientists among its 100 signatures. This includes Christ Church’s Professor Kayla King and Merton’s Professor Thomas Richards. It was initially circulated via Twitter and has since been published by Times Higher Education. 

The scientists work in a diverse range of fields including genomics, microbiology, and biochemistry, and form part of a wider plea from scientists across the country warning the government of the dangers of underestimating the long-term effects of coronavirus. 

The letter notes that the UK is second only to the US in number of deaths globally and have “a higher death rate per million than the US itself”. It writes that “we are still in a situation where there is substantial community transmission”, and that government plans to substantially ease social distancing measures will “bring us back to a situation where the outbreak is once again out of control.”

It continues: “As a group of UK-based scientists, we urge the government to reconsider, and to follow the science, postponing the relaxation of lockdown. The level of community transmission is still far too high for lockdown to be released, and should not be attempted before we have a substantial and sustained further drop in community transmission.”

Professor Katzourakis noted on Twitter that he hoped that the government would “follow the science and not end the lockdown prematurely”. His letter said that the UK needs “effective test, track and trace capacity to be implemented, transparent reporting of new case diagnoses in community and primary care settings on a daily basis, and the implementation of routine screening for high-risk key worker professions.”

The letter has not yet received a response from government health officials.

Image credit to Max Pixel.

Social bubbles proposed for route out of lockdown

David Tritsch
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Social bubbles proposed for route out of lockdown

A study by a team of researchers from the Oxford Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science suggests creating ‘social bubbles’ to increase the efficiency of social distancing measures while reducing their psychological harm.

The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour and carried out in collaboration with researchers from Zurich, models different strategies for social distancing after lockdown measures are loosened. 

Based on the results, the authors suggest repeatedly interacting with the same social contacts, for instance with people who live in the same neighbourhood, thus creating micro-communities. 

The study states: “Instead of blanket self-isolation policies, the emphasis on similar, community-based, and repetitive contacts is both easy to understand and implement thus making distancing measures more palatable over longer periods of time.”

Cherwell spoke to the lead author of the article, Dr. Per Block, about how this could be applied to universities.

How feasible do you think the ‘social bubbles’ model is in a campus context?

“In principle, social bubbles or other forms of localising contact in small groups can help reduce the risk of disease spread. Different strategies, like limiting face-to-face teaching to small groups within the same degree and year could be an approach, with the college structure in Oxford adding additional structure to interaction that can be exploited. 

“Something to consider in either case is how this can be done with the teachers/ lecturers, who might be a potential bridge between bubbles. Other approaches, like block-structuring courses (taking only one course at a time but then over a shorter amount of time) could be solutions. 

“However, while I believe this could mitigate risks of wide-spread infection the exact implementation would most likely differ by departments, given the different ways in which curricula are structured. So I think this model is in principle feasible, but implementation might not be trivial and would require some thought.”

When do you think would be an ideal point to move from self-isolation to strategic distancing?

“If a university agrees to implement [social bubbles], deciding on the time point would need to consider the risks and benefits of this approach. The risks depend very much on the exact implementation and the assumed prevalence of infection and risk of transmission; thus, assessing the risk would require further custom-made models that take the local contact patterns into account. Without such models, it is hard to know when the benefits would outweigh the risks.”

The Guardian has reported that several UK universities are planning to implement ‘social bubble’ strategies when campuses reopen. Under plans being discussed at Staffordshire University, students would interact only with others on their courses and year groups when accessing campus facilities. 

The University states on their website that they are considering a ‘social bubbles’ approach, and have announced that colleges and the University will be open: “We are considering a number of options for ensuring the safety of our students and staff, including a ‘household’ approach within Colleges. However, the arrangements have not yet been confirmed. Further details will follow over the Long Vacation.”

Image credit: Charlotte Bunney

Murakami’s ‘Killing Commendatore’: where art can transport you

Robbi Sher
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Murakami’s ‘Killing Commendatore’: where art can transport you

Murakami’s Killing Commendatore got me thinking about art within literature. We can easily find examples of literature within art: Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Millais’ Ophelia, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland in Dali’s Mad Tea Party, Lord Tennyson’s The Lady of Shallott in Waterhouse’s painting of the same name. Leonardo da Vinci famously said that “painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt”. But art within literature seems to be something entirely different – for Murakami it is the threshold between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Paintings in Killing Commendatore are “channels through which reality can become unreal – or unreality can enter the realm of the real”. If reading Killing Commendatore can be likened to deep-sea diving, then paintings are the magnificent underwater caverns you might encounter after miles of seaweed. As you find yourself surrounded by chandelier-like rock formations and coral gardens, you struggle with the concept that these worlds can exist within the realm of the sea. The moment is transitory though, and suddenly you’re negotiating murky water again. Art is Murakami’s doorway to surrealism.

Murakami’s nameless narrator is a portrait artist who attempts to document the turbulent nine months following his flight from a failed marriage. He settles in the remote mountain home of Tomohiko Amada, a famous ex-painter and his friend’s father. There, he uncovers the evocative painting Killing Commendatore, an Asuka-style depiction of the opening scene from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni (art within art within art?), which ultimately takes him down a rabbit hole of self-discovery. Thrown in there somewhere is a ringing bell from a pit in the woods, a thirteen-year-old girl obsessed with the size of her breasts, and a Gatsby-esque tycoon living in a mansion across the valley on an elaborate mission to prove said girl is his daughter. Best of all is the “sentient idea”, a two-foot-tall apparition of the Commendatore from the painting, who acts as a kind of tour guide in Murakami’s museum of magical realism. “The truth is a symbol, and symbols are the truth,” he says. “It’s best to grasp symbols the way they are”. He also warns against an “underworld haunted by double metaphors”. I don’t understand – but I’m not sure Murakami wants me to.

The oscillation between natural and supernatural is seamless. It becomes impossible to extract one from the other. Boundaries “always seem to be shifting […] we need to pay close attention to that movement otherwise we won’t know which side we’re on”. The plot is so ludicrous that it’s hard to believe this is Murakami’s fourteenth novel; it has the chaotic nature of a debut. But (and this is the source of our wonderful confusion) Murakami’s writing, at all points, remains exquisitely controlled. Perhaps here it’s worth mentioning his legendary daily routine when working on a novel. “I wake up at four a.m.,” he explains in a 2004 interview for the Paris Review, “and work continuously for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run ten kilometers, read a bit or listen to music, and go to bed at nine p.m.” He describes the routine, to which he adheres without variation for six months to a year, as “a form of mesmerism”. To remain grounded, to regulate the pace of his writing in the face of a tumultuous and volatile plot line, “is like survival training,” he continues. “Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.”

Murakami’s narrator likes to leave some of his portraits unfinished, and, suitably, the ending of Killing Commendatore leaves a multitude of questions unanswered. The narrator simply returns home to make amends with his ex-wife. Maybe he has been liberated as an artist; maybe he has rebuilt his identity from the initial wreckage of the relationship. But he echoes my mild dismay with the line “I couldn’t be sure if I had moved forward or fallen behind, or if I was just circling over the same spot”.

It seems like both characters and reader have traversed the depths of the ocean, only to be dragged anticlimactically to the surface. But with this comes an awareness of the transcendence of art, and the knot of magical realism we have left behind. “If this was a dream, then the world I’m living in itself must be a dream,” Murakami insists. “The objective does not necessarily surpass the subjective, you know – reality does not necessarily extinguish fantasy”. Killing Commendatore is a reminder of the enchantment within life’s humdrum events – to disregard it is to disregard life itself.

Oxford University releases Michaelmas Term plans

Maya Misra
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Oxford University releases Michaelmas Term plans

The University has today released plans to reopen to students at all levels from the start of Michaelmas term.

Colleges will be open with accommodation available for students, as well as libraries and laboratories, though in a more limited capacity. The University has stated: “Work is also ongoing to preserve the much-valued social aspects of college life for students”. The SU Fresher’s Fair has been moved to a virtual format.

Large-group teaching like lectures will remain online “at least for the first term”, hosted over Canvas and other platforms.

In addition, “Oxford has set out clear guidance as to what is expected of students and staff and how they can best protect themselves and others. This includes a dedicated testing service, support for students needing to self-isolate, and clear guidance informed by scientific advice.”

The University also states that it will support students who need to self-isolate on returning to the UK, but students will need to arrange accommodation with college: “They will accommodate you from the date of your arrival, at the usual rates.”

Guidance states that the University recognises some will not be able to return in Michaelmas, for travel or health reasons, but that all students are expected to be in residence by the start of Hilary term.

The University is also working with the city of Oxford to prepare for the influx of students in autumn to reduce additional burdens on local services. Additionally, given than building may not be operating at full capacity, it is considering the possibility to extending term time “to ensure students get suitable levels of contact time”.

Prof Martin Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, said: “The Oxford University experience is unlike any other. We want all our students to enjoy Oxford’s academic and social opportunities as fully as possible, and these plans will help them to do so within the constraints of the ongoing pandemic.

“Our commitment to supporting our students includes their health and wellbeing and the quality of their experience. We are working closely with the colleges and student representatives to achieve this balance. We will take active steps to ensure all students can access Oxford’s enriching opportunities regardless of their background or personal circumstances. For example, Oxford SU is planning a virtual version of its Freshers’ Fair, giving new and returning students the chance to engage in their wider student community, and find out about the wide range of clubs and societies and local organisations that support students.

“We recognise that these are unsettling times, but have worked hard to provide opportunities for all to connect with other students and thrive in these new conditions, whether face-to-face or online – regardless of their backgrounds, or any disadvantage or disruption they may have faced as a result of Covid-19.”

Image credit to Max Pixel.

Oxford University leads ‘breakthrough’ in coronavirus treatment

Imogen Duke
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Oxford University leads ‘breakthrough’ in coronavirus treatment

A trial led by Oxford University has discovered that dexamethasone, a cheap steroid, can help reduce deaths in seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

The drug reduced the risk of death by one-third for patients on ventilators and by one-fifth for patients on oxygen.

Oxford University says: “Based on these results, 1 death would be prevented by treatment of around 8 ventilated patients or around 25 patients requiring oxygen alone.”

Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has described it as “the most important trial result for COVID-19 so far”.

The British government has immediately authorised use of the drug in the NHS, saying “thousands of lives will be saved”. The government has secured supplies of dexamethasone in the UK, meaning there is already treatment for over 200,000 people.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said this is “a remarkable British scientific achievement” and that the government “have taken steps to ensure we have enough supplies, even in the event of a second peak”.

It was discovered as part of the RECOVERY trial, the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy, which has involved over 11,500 patients at over 175 NHS hospitals in the UK.  

About 2000 hospital patients were given 6mg of dexamethasone per day and compared with more than 4,000 who were not.

For patients on ventilators, it cut the risk of death from 41% to 28%. For patients needing oxygen, it cut the risk of death from 25% to 20%.

The drug costs £5.40 per day and treatment takes up to 10 days. Professor Martin Landray, one of the Chief Investigators, has said: “So essentially it costs £35 to save a life.”

Chief investigator Peter Horby has said: “This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality – and it reduces it significantly. It’s a major breakthrough.”

The UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said: “This is tremendous news today from the RECOVERY trial showing that dexamethasone is the first drug to reduce mortality from COVID-19. It is particularly exciting as this is an inexpensive widely available medicine. This is a ground-breaking development in our fight against the disease, and the speed at which researchers have progressed finding an effective treatment is truly remarkable. It shows the importance of doing high quality clinical trials and basing decisions on the results of those trials.”

Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine and one of the Chief Investigators for the trial, said: “Dexamethasone is the first drug to be shown to improve survival in COVID-19. This is an extremely welcome result. The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients. Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”

Martin Landray, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, one of the Chief Investigators, said: “Since the appearance of COVID-19 six months ago, the search has been on for treatments that can improve survival, particularly in the sickest patients. These preliminary results from the RECOVERY trial are very clear – dexamethasone reduces the risk of death among patients with severe respiratory complications. COVID-19 is a global disease – it is fantastic that the first treatment demonstrated to reduce mortality is one that is instantly available and affordable worldwide.”

Image credit to Pixabay.

Ping-pong

Florine Lips
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Ping-pong

Out, my brother says,
as he halts the ball mid-air into a curled-up fist.
Absolutely not, reply I,
bat in the air like I’m bidding to be right:
you touched the ball with your bat.
But we’re not doing that rule, he says,
I thought we agreed
it was stupid.
Stupid rules are still rules –
is my defence, which I imagine to be quick and cutting and final.
He tells me I’m being pretentious.
I tell him I’d rather be pretentious than someone who believes
rules that are stupid aren’t rules.
[I’m not even sure I agree with this. I twirl the bat in my palm.]
Well, he says.
We fall silent. A bird chirps in a tree. A dog barks from a nearby garden.
Fine, say I, being the bigger person, or maybe just older, or possibly just
impatient.
Take the point. Play on.

Later, when we are eating carrots in the kitchen
and I am silently stewing in unwarranted sweat and slightly more warranted defeat, I will
say:
okay, fine, if you really want, we can reconsider which rules we think are
stupid and which we don’t.

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