The new Uehiro of Oxford Institute, launched on 1^st October, has tasked itself with answering a long-standing philosophical question: “How should we live?” Through its interdisciplinary research, the institute aims to apply its findings and get closer to answering the Socratic question, providing forms of ‘ethics consultancy’ to organisations.

The Uehiro Oxford Institute will replace the previous Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics based in the Faculty of Philosophy. However, the Institute will retain its strong links with the department and will be directed by Oxford’s renowned philosophy professor Roger Crisp.

Crisp told Cherwell: “The fundamental question we are asking is ‘How should we live?’, and more particularly ‘How should we act?’. To answer that question in particular areas will require input from specialists in politics, science, medicine, and many other areas, and so we aim to be genuinely interdisciplinary in our approach. We are not expecting to provide all the answers, but we aim to use what we’ve found to help others make their own decisions: this is what we call ‘Thought into Action’.”

The Institute aims to help solve pressing contemporary ethical issues such as how we should respond to the climate crisis, pandemics, and rapid developments in information technology. It will be based in the Humanities Division and will focus on producing interdisciplinary research across a range of areas such as art, literature, law, medicine and social sciences. The move to the Humanities Division from the Faculty of Philosophy recognises the collaboration between relevant disciplines needed to tackle ethical issues.

A gift from Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education, which has worked with the University for over two decades, enabled the institute’s creation. The gift will also allow for the creation of postdoctoral research fellowships and graduate scholarships for the Institute.

Founded in 1987, the Uehiro Foundation was formed by Eiji Uehiro, a Japanese social educator and writer. Inspired by his father’s survival of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he dedicated himself to the furthering of moral and ethical education.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey said: “The ethical challenges facing humanity today are greater and more numerous than at any point in our history. To understand them and to find the best ways to confront them, the Uehiro Oxford Institute will draw on the expertise of our world-leading researchers across the university.”

CW: Mental Health, Suicide.

Around 12% of Oxford students have made use of Oxford University’s counselling services in the past academic year, Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey said in her Oration this year. 2,000 staff have also received training to provide mental health support to students.

Last year, the University joined the University Mental Health Charter Program, an initiative by charity Student Minds to support universities in improving their mental health services. Tracey said that the Charter is a new commitment that will “strengthen” Oxford’s existing policies.

This is in line with the University’s pre-existing “Common Approach to Student Mental Health”, which commits to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all students across the collegiate University, including through access to a range of specialist services such as counselling. The priority of the service is that all treatment be “efficient and focused”. As a result, the University acknowledges that students must use the NHS or private services for long-term talking therapy. 

A uniform approach was implemented across colleges after a review into five student suicides in Cambridge, which concluded that a significant cause was “wide variations” in provision between colleges. Cambridge’s new updated policies on mental health are similar to the Common Approach in centralising the mental health provisions to provide a single university-wide standard. 

A student who has accessed Oxford’s counselling services in the last year appreciated the speed at which they replied to her request. However, she expressed frustration over the limited time offered: “45 minutes every other week isn’t enough to form the sort of relationship that I needed to make any progress. Besides, after two sessions my counsellor told me that I wouldn’t need any further meetings and dismissed my feelings as ‘freshers’ anxiety’, despite me disagreeing.” The student told Cherwell that she went on to seek private counselling.

A 2023 investigation by Cherwell found that students did not believe that the University’s services were adequate to meet mounting mental health challenges.

A University spokesperson told Cherwell: “We take the mental wellbeing of our students very seriously and encourage those who are in need of support to access the extensive welfare provision available at both University and college level.  A range of specialist support services for students who experience mental health difficulties is accessible via the Student Counselling Service as well as college Welfare Teams. Oxford’s Student Support and Welfare Services are committed to delivering timely, high-quality and effective support to all members of our student body who need information and support.”

An 1872 medal from the Varsity Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University was scavenged in the River Thames by two mudlarkers. It likely fell amid severe weather conditions described as “a pitiless descent of swirling snow [that] was literally blinding” by the Times.

The medal, bearing the crests of both universities, is inscribed with the words “University Boat Race Putney to Mortlake” – the same route used today. The reverse side is engraved with the year “1872”. It was likely a commercially produced souvenir rather than an official medal awarded to participants.

The find was made at Southwark on the banks of the Thames by Tom Chivers, author of London Clay: Journeys in the Deep City, and Nicola White, who posted a video of the discovery to her mudlarking YouTube channel.

Mudlarking is a centuries-old tradition which entails combing the shores of rivers to find valuable items. London is particularly well known for this particular pastime, with the Thames holding objects from the Roman period to the present day. The Boat Race medal is one of many objects uncovered by mudlarks along muddy shores of the River Thames, where significant artifacts, including mammoth remains and Tudor garments, have been discovered by licenced mudlarks such as Chivers and White.

The 1872 Boat Race marked the 29^th time rowers from Oxford and Cambridge competed in this event, with Cambridge winning for the third consecutive year. That particular race was notable for being the last year to feature fixed seats before sliding seats were introduced.

A snowstorm during the 1872 race led to poor visibility and fewer spectators than usual lining the banks of the river, with the Times describing it as “of the most cheerless character” and “in the teeth of a bitter gale and snow storm”. The weather conditions marked the worst the Boat Race had seen until 1912, when strong winds caused both team boats to sink – an incident that has not been repeated since.Now a world-famous event, the Boat Race attracts around 250,000 spectators to the Thames riverbank each year, with millions more tuning in to watch the race on television. Last year Oxford lost to Cambridge, giving defending champions Cambridge a 87–81 record for men and 48–30 for women.

The OvarianVax project by Oxford University professors Dr Ahmed Ahmed and Dr Nancy Zaarour’s has received £600,000 of funding from Cancer Research UK to use across three years for a preventative ovarian cancer vaccine.

On average 1,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with 60% of the cases found in the later stages of the disease, making them harder to treat. There is currently no screening process. Most at risk are women born with genes, such as the altered BRCA2 gene, which can increase risk by up to 65%.

The current treatment for patients with the altered genes removes their fallopian tubes or ovaries. This eliminates their risk of cancer but stops the women from conceiving naturally. If the vaccine’s clinical trials are successful, these high-risk patients will be the first to benefit.

Dr Ahmed’s project builds on earlier discoveries of the immune cells’ ability to “remember” the tumour. In past years the research involved analysis of 6,000 cells from 16 women, some of whom had cancer. Single cell RNA sequencing allowed scientists to identify new types of fallopian tube cells and notice that some had molecular fingerprints mirrored in individual ovarian cancers – thereby identifying women who are most at risk of ovarian cancer.

OvarianVax will draw from this previous knowledge to use tissue samples from the ovaries and fallopian tubes of people with cancer to recreate the first stages of ovarian cancer. The premise of the research is to train the immune system to recognise over 100 tumour-associated antigens, which are proteins on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. This could increase the ability to prevent the cancer spreading from its earliest stage.

The project benefits from the large breadth of vaccine research which occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. If the research goes to plan, the next step will be advancing to clinical trials.

The researchers involved women with lived experience of ovarian cancer. Ovarian Cancer Action, a charity that has previously given funding to Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, created a workshop in which these women shared their opinions on the new study. Researchers intend to continue working with members of the public to find out how popular the vaccine will be, and people’s preference regarding how to administer it.

Dr David Crosby, head of prevention and early detection research at Cancer Research UK, has made it clear that it will be “many years” before the vaccine can progress to public use. However, the charity’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, described funding for OvarianVax as “a really important step forward into an exciting future”. Cancer Research UK aims to help 3 in 4 people survive cancer by 2034.

A new termly series to “reaffirm the importance of free and inclusive speech” was announced by Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey in her annual oration on 8^th October. Named the Sheldonian Series, these events will explore “the big questions of our age” and observe a set of ‘Free Speech Tips’.

The series is open to all students and staff, who will have the opportunity to hear from a wide range of scholars. The first topic will be “Democracy” and is scheduled to commence this November, just weeks after the US elections. Speakers for the events are yet to be confirmed. 

The Sheldonian Series will follow a set of  “Free Speech Tips”, which provide detailed guidance on how to conduct debates on controversial topics. This intercollegiate initiative was developed by students, academics, and Heads of Houses from Balliol, Brasenose, Mansfield, Somerville, and Worcester College. It aims to supplement, not replace, official Oxford University guidance on free speech.

The tips advise that while the contents of conversations may be discussed outside the event, specific comments and questions should not be attributed to individuals, with the hope that people will feel freer to speak. It asks for organisers to consider contingency plans in case “respectful communication breaks down” and encourages people to seek the advice from college heads if their events are facing “roadblocks”.

Associate Professor Julius Grower was amongst several colleagues the Vice-Chancellor thanked for their help developing the Sheldonian Series. Grower is a signatory of an open letter addressed to Education Secretary Bridget Philipson, which seeks the reinstatement of the previous Conservative government’s Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 that was halted by the Labour government.

The act gave greater protection to academic freedom of speech; universities that failed to do so could have faced sanctions and fines. It also provided a complaint scheme for academics and visiting speakers if they were prevented from speaking. The government has said the reason to pause the act was in the interest of student welfare and to protect vulnerable groups. Grower was the sixth academic to sign the letter. There are now over 650 signatures from academics, among them Richard Dawkins, Kathleen Stock, and seven Nobel Laureates.

An academic recently won a legal battle against Oxford University after being unfairly dismissed over accusing a colleague of plagiarism. 

Former Oxford academic Dr Amin Moghaddam and Professor Quentin Sattentau collaborated on a groundbreaking study which found that dry-roasted peanuts are more likely to trigger an allergic reaction than raw peanuts.

A 2014 paper outlining their research was released with Sattentau as the lead author, which Moghaddam claimed to be a breach of academic guidelines as he was the main contributor. 

In 2018, Sattentau produced a review of the paper in which he was cited as the sole senior author with Moghaddam named “third author”, leading to further accusations of plagiarism.

Moghaddam was dismissed in 2019 after 16 years of employment at the University, with the reasons cited as being unable to secure further funding and his fixed contract ending. 

Following the termination of his contract in March 2019, Moghaddam took the university, Sattentau, and his chief supervisor, Professor Matthew Freeman, to an employment tribunal which ruled in favour of the University and threw out his unfair dismissal claim. However, Moghaddam has won his recent appeal of the tribunal’s verdict.

Although the initial tribunal concluded that Moghaddam had not been unfairly dismissed but rather the funding he required was simply not available, Judge Shanks overturned their decision and concluded that it could not be supported, stating that the “breakdown in relationship” with Sattentau and the “detriment because of whistleblowing, protected disclosures based on his allegations about Sattentau stealing his work” had not been adequately considered in the first tribunal.

Dr Moghaddam’s case will now be taken to another tribunal to consider whether he is due any compensation, having already succeeded in two of his four grounds of appeal.