Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

The Fitzwilliam College Arts Society presents 'Migrant Poetry, Migrant Food', from 5-6.45 pm on Saturday 20th of June in the Upper Hall at Fitzwilliam College. We will have poetry readings by Anthony Vahni Capildeo and Yousif M. Qasmiyeh, followed by a few readings by Fitz student-poets, and then F***j Alnasser, the Syrian-born chef, in conversation with food writer and journalist, Bee Wilson, on migrant food. Further conversation over a drinks reception. All warmly welcome. The event is free but please sign up via this link to give us a sense of numbers: https://buff.ly/M9QGuRF

On Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June, members of the Fitzwilliam MCR travelled to Oxford for a weekend exchange with our sister college, St Edmund Hall (Teddy Hall).

The visit included a tour of the college, sightseeing across Oxford, and a Formal Hall, building on the warm welcome they received at Fitz a fortnight earlier when they visited for the reciprocal leg of the swap.

The Oxford trip caps a busy term of college exchanges for the MCR, with members also attending swaps at Pembroke College and Peterhouse here in Cambridge.

Thanks to Fitz MCR and Teddy Hall MCR for organising!

**PRIVATE SCREENING @ FITZ!***

When? 14th June 6-7.30pm
Where? Gordon Cameron (or Auditorium if lots of bookings…)
What? Unique chance to watch two episodes of a brand new environmental docu about India with Fitz’s Prof Bhaskar Vira who co-presents the series!

Embers of Hope: The Fight for Our Future is a landmark 10-part environmental documentary series conceptualised, co-produced and presented by the Mobius Foundation in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Directed by Robin Roy, the series explores India’s urgent ecological realities—including climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, urbanisation, pollution and rising sea levels— and combines research-driven storytelling to inspire sustainable practices and collective action.

Fitz's Professor Bhaskar Vira played a key role in the series, on screen and off, and he is delighted to host an informal screening of two episodes of the programme at Fitz. Do book your place now - this will be popular! This event is in collaboration with Fitz Green Soc and the JCR.

Link to book: https://buff.ly/hm1wRCE

Huge congratulations to Fitz Fellow Professor Srinivasan Keshav, Co-PI of the TESSERA project at the University of Cambridge, who has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. The Royal Society is the one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific academies and being elected a Fellow is the highest honour for British scientists. Keshav, the Robert Sansom Professor of Computer Science in the University of Cambridge Department of Computer Science and Technology, is one of seven members of the University of Cambridge to be elected a Fellow this year.

“It’s a great honour,” Keshav said. “I am happy that it recognizes the area of sustainability and gives an imprimatur of quality to this area of work.”

Over 90 outstanding researchers from across the world have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. They include pioneers and leaders across a range of scientific fields, from astronomy and cancer research to mathematics and biotechnology.

On Saturday, we were delighted to welcome our 2026 Competition Winners and Runners Up to a prize-giving ceremony at Fitzwilliam College! Students and their supporters had the chance to join Directors of Study for light refreshments as well as current students for a tour of the college - we loved having you, and hopefully can welcome you back soon!

Our Competitions run annually for Years 10 and 12, thanks to the generosity of donors. Subject areas include The Ancient World and Classics, Architecture, Archaeology, Economics, English, History, Land Economy, The Medieval World, and Modern Languages and Culture (French, German, and Slavonic).

Fabulous to see over 100 people at last night's IV Roberto Gerhard Annual Lecture on Catalan Cultures. The packed audience enjoyed listening to Catalan novelist Pol Guasch in conversation with Fitz PhD student William Kirby. Many thanks to Fitz Fellow Isaias Fanlo for curating such a successful event.

At the weekend Fitzwilliam met Selwyn in the football Cuppers final at Grange Road.

Fitz overcame a determined Selwyn side, scoring two late goals to win the match 2-1. The first Cuppers trophy for Fitzwilliam since 2023!

Captains Cam and Toby lifted the trophy before celebrating with the team and delighted Fitz supporters. Congratulations 🥳 🎉

Thanks to for the photos.

Fitzwilliam’s Victoria Proaño Carrasco recently undertook some fieldwork in the Ecuadorian Amazon to research indigenous schooling for her Mphil dissertation.

After a ten-hour drive, Victoria boarded a canoe for a three-hour journey along the Aguarico River; the only route into the two small indigenous communities she was visiting.

During her time in Playas del Cuyabeno, Victoria conducted interviews and undertook participant observation with the local community.

Reflecting on her time in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Victoria said: ‘This fieldwork was absolutely crucial to my dissertation. Being in the Amazon allowed me to understand first-hand how indigenous communities relate to the state, to development, and to education, and to hear directly from them about the tensions to engage with modernisation and their own perceptions of urbanity. It's an area and topic scarcely studied and without the fieldwork, I wouldn't have had the material to write my dissertation.’

On Wednesday 13 May at 6pm we are hosting the IV Roberto Gerhard Annual Lecture on Catalan Cultures.

This year, acclaimed Catalan novelist Pol Guasch, whose novel Na**lm in the Heart (a q***r, post-apocalyptic chef d’oeuvre) has been published in the UK by Faber & Faber to great acclaim and was named one of the best books of the year by The New Yorker, will discuss his work in conversation with Fitz PhD student William Kirby.

This event is free and open to everyone so do come along!

We have lots of FITZ+ events coming up in May to help you take care of your wellbeing, plan for your future and fill your stomach!