Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

Clare Hall Affiliated Postdoc Dr Elizabeth Barsotti has been featured on the University of Cambridge homepage for her impactful research, as part of one of only three labs across the world using electron microscopes for mapping animal brains!

Through using an electron microscrope, Dr Barsotti is able to reveal a highly detailed map of neurons in animal brains. This research aims to uncover the secrets of brain structure and potentially develop revolutionary treatments for neurological disease, along with gaining a deeper understanding of the creatures around us. Just last year, Dr Barsotti’s team published a significant study on the brain of the fruit fly larva, producing the first ever “connectome,” or comprehensive map of the brain’s neurons and their wiring.

Read more on our website:

Dr Elizabeth Barsotti featured on the University of Cambridge Homepage - Clare Hall Clare Hall Affiliated Postdoc Dr Elizabeth Barsotti has been featured on the University of …

An incredible first day of May Bumps for Clare Hall Boat Club! Both our M1 and W1 bumped, and our W2 had a strong row-over. Our crews are ready to take on today's races--follow Clare Hall Boat Club for daily updates!

Photos by Giorgio Divitini

Clare Hall Boat Club has an exciting week ahead, with three boats lined up for May Bumps 2024! They have been training hard all year, from on the Cam to Lake Bled, so cheer them on as they aim for blades 💛❤️🖤 If you're unable to watch in person, follow the live updates and listen in at https://bumps.camfm.co.uk/

Schedule of Racing:

W2: Div 5 at 13:45 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), at 11:45 (Saturday)

W1: Div 4 at 15:15 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), at 13:15 (Saturday)

M1: Div 3 at 16:00 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday), at 14:00 (Saturday)

Our warmest congratulations to Life Member Dr Wesam Al Asali (Clare Hall PhD Architecture 2021; MPhil Architecture and Urban Studies 2016) who has received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, alongside Dr Iyas Shahin, for their practice IWLab.

“Receiving the Global Award marks a significant milestone in my research and career journey. It is particularly meaningful given my formative years at Cambridge, where I studied the integration of traditional and sustainable building techniques with advanced building technology. The insights gained during my time at Cambridge have greatly influenced our approach at IWLab, guiding us to focus on local building techniques and sustainable architectural practices,” Wesam said.

Read more about Wesam's impactful work at the intersection of sustainable development and architecture:

Life Member Dr Wesam Al Asali receives Global Award for Sustainable Architecture - Clare Hall Our warmest congratulations to Dr Wesam Al Asali (Clare Hall PhD Architecture 2021; MPhil …

Join us for an exciting violin and piano duo with the internationally renowned Mélanie Clapiès and Patrick Hemmerlé! Tickets are available on Eventbrite ⭐
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-concert-by-melanie-clapies-and-patrick-hemmerle-tickets-761089909407?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Franck’s violin Sonata has achieved immense popularity with both performers and audiences. It is not difficult to see why, for it combines a wealth of unforgettable melodies, a richly chromatic harmony, an expressive sound world of searing intensity, and a formal design of great originality.

The Sonata No. 3 in A minor “dans le caractère populaire roumain” (in Romanian Folk Style) for violin and piano, Op. 25, is a chamber music composition written in 1926 by the Romanian composer George Enescu. It is one of the composer’s most popular and at the same time most critically respected works.

Don't miss out on a wonderful evening of music!

Today we bid a special farewell to Chef Luigi, who has been at Clare Hall for the past eight years, preparing incredible recipes and meals for us all to enjoy. We are very grateful for Luigi's years of dedication and service, and wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life!

We are counting down the days to this year's Clare Hall May Week Event, and can't wait to see you there! Mark your calendars and prepare to indulge in the magic of a Venetian Carnival where elegance meets joy, with an evening of vibrant masks, captivating entertainment, and exquisite cuisine. Enjoy a night of unlimited food, drink, and entertainment at the 2024 Clare Hall May Week Event on Friday 14th June!

Ticket sales close on 7th June, so be sure to grab your spot: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/clarehallgsb/1162239

Included in the ticket price is:

Food service provided by college 18.30-20.30
Food trucks(including vegan options)
Ice cream
Chocolate fountain
Karaoke
Tarot card readings
Body painting
Performers
Drinks (including beer, wine, pre made cocktails, and soft drinks)

The music lineup includes 5 live bands and a DJ! The setlist is:

19.00-20.00: Pegasus Quartet
20.15-21.15: Locked In
21.30-22.30: Quasar- winners of Take it to the Bridge 2024
22.30-23.15: Breakfast(Acoustic set)
23.30-00.30: Hot Content
00.30- 02.00: Lorna Bo(Silent disco DJ set)

Select tickets – Clare Hall May Week Event – Clare Hall Fellows Garden Mark your calendars and prepare to indulge in the magic of a Venetian Carnival where elegance meets joy, with an evening of vib...

Did you spot the double rainbow over Cambridge? 🌈 thank you to PhD student Qiong Ding for capturing this amazing shot from the Scholars’ Garden on Main Site!

Thinking back to our sunny graduation on 17 May ☀️

Our 16 graduating Clare Hallers celebrated their achievements with friends and family on this joyful day. We wish them all the best with their future endeavours and look forward to staying in touch!

Photos by Jinxi Xu

A historic moment for international collaboration! 🌍

On 27 May 2024, Clare Hall and LUT University, an international university of technology in Finland, signed an agreement to establish a Visiting Fellowship programme and joint Global Prize for Solutions to Climate Change Threats. This new, long-term partnership will focus on climate change and sustainability, and is especially timely as it reflects the spirit of a recent joint declaration made between the governments of the UK and Finland on their strategic partnership.

Read more on our website:

Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge and LUT University, Finland, establish joint agreement and annual Global Prize for solutions to climate change threats - Clare Hall On 27 May 2024, Clare Hall and LUT University, an international university of technology …

The Tanner Board has recently published a lecture by Professor Allen Buchanan from the 2022 Tanner Lecture on Human Values at Clare Hall. The publication is particularly notable, as it is the first time the Tanner Board has published a lecture independently from its compilation of annual Tanner lectures across the Ivy League universities.

Professor Buchanan’s lecture explores how to remedy failures around policy responses to COVID-19, and better prepare institutions for responding to future pandemics.

Read more and purchase Professor Buchanan’s book here: https://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk/news/clare-hall-lecture-by-professor-allen-buchanan-published-by-the-tanner-board/

Photo by Ian Olsson

Jade Cuttle is pursuing her PhD in literature at Clare Hall, focusing on British nature poets of colour under the supervision of Robert Macfarlane. Jade has been selected as one of ten of the UK’s most promising arts and humanities early career researchers through the 2024 cohort of New Generation Thinkers, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the BBC. The New Generation Thinkers were selected from hundreds of applications, and will receive the opportunity to share their research on BBC Radio 4, along with resources and support from AHRC and the BBC.

Our warmest congratulations to Jade! Read more about her incredible accomplishments and research on our website:

Clare Hall PhD Student Jade Cuttle selected as a 2024 New Generation Thinker by BBC and AHRC - Clare Hall Jade Cuttle is pursuing her PhD in literature at Clare Hall, focusing on British …

Our students captured some amazing shots of the Northern Lights over Clare Hall last Friday evening! Thank you to Nathan Usher, Qiong Ding, , and Andrew McDonald for sharing 📷🌌

Join us for the final Fitzwilliam String Quartet concert of the season, on 19 May at 7:30pm in the Clare Hall Dining Hall. It promises to be a spectacular performance with a contemporary twist--you won't want to miss it! Patrick Hemmerlé will be joining on the piano. Tickets are available on Eventbrite ⭐ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fitzwilliam-string-quartet-with-patrick-hemmerle-piano-tickets-761077652747

The FSQ will be performing a selection from Shostakovich, Dvorak, and Liz Johnson. In the early days of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet, Shostakovich approved of the manner in which his quartet was interpreted. The Fourth Quartet is one of the first that the FSQ attempted, as Cambridge undergraduates in the summer of 1970. Recently the quartet has been developing a series of piano quintets, of which the Dvořák will be heard in this programme. This is a work which was produced when the composer was at the height of his melodic genius. Music seems to flow with a lack of self-consciousness that reminds one of Schubert. The FSQ has been anxious to include contemporary music in its programme, and Liz Dilnot Johnson's Dragon Moon Quartet, which has just been composed, will be her eighth piece that is in the FSQ's repertoire.

The FSQ shares: "Our dear friend Liz’s music has held a very special place in our repertoire for the whole of the present century (Tide Purl was heard at our most recent concert here, last July); in addition to various solos, duos, trios, this will be the eighth quartet piece of hers we’ll have performed: it’s a special commission to celebrate her 60th birthday in April 2024!"

Our warmest congratulations to the Clare Hallers who graduated on Saturday, 27 April. The day was filled with joyful celebration and reunions of friends and family. We wish the graduates all the best with their future endeavours, and look forward to staying in touch!

Photos by Jean-Luc Benazet Photography

Congratulations to our very own PhD student Susannah Salter, for recently completing the London Marathon while running for Camvet!

"This was my first marathon, in fact I only started running last summer. I am very proud of getting from couch to marathon and that I finished the race in my target time (just under 5 hours)! It was an extraordinary experience in every way!" Susannah said.

Camvet is a small charity dedicated to raising funds for The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital in Cambridge. They fund essential items and facilities for treating the thousands of animals referred for care, anything from small purchases like electric blankets to keep animals comfortable, up to large diagnostic equipment. Camvet also supports the clinical skills facilities for the next generation of vets that train at the hospital. Show your support here: https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/susannah-salter

Congratulations to Clare Hall graduates, Dr Emily Goodacre and Dr Sarah Gough, who have been awarded the Salje Medal for their PhD theses!

Two medals are awarded by the College each year to the most outstanding PhD (1) in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and (2) in the Sciences. Learn more about their research and what they have been up to since graduating:

Tutorial news: Salje Medals awarded to Dr Emily Goodacre and Dr Sarah Gough - Clare Hall Clare Hall graduates, Dr Emily Goodacre and Dr Sarah Gough, have been awarded the …

A warm welcome to the Visiting Fellows who have joined us this month!

Professor Paul Smit (Labour Law and Relations)
Professor Geoffrey Cloud (Medicine)
Professor John Keown (Law)

“When people ask where I am from, I reply ‘I am English’, anticipating the follow up question ‘Where are you really from?” – Jamie Lau

Clare Hall is proud to present an exhibition by British-born Chinese photographer Jamie Lau. The display of photographs was originally commissioned by the British Library, as an event to accompany their exhibition ‘Chinese and British’ from 2022-2023.

Lau was born in London but grew up in a village in Bedfordshire, with no extended Chinese community in the area. Far from feeling culturally isolated, Lau says that he felt no different from those around him: his home has always been intrinsically part of his identity. “Whilst I may never have been Chinese enough, or English enough to some, these questions of identity seem less polarised today. As society grows more used to a multicultural landscape, the need to define identity through ethnic heritage alone has lessened,” Lau says.

The exhibition is titled ‘Eight Stories,’ a reference to the lucky number eight in Chinese culture. Through his personal involvement with photography, Lau has weaved together his eight subjects, their stories and their settings, to tell us about Chinese people who have forged an identity away from metropolitan life. Lau has sought to capture individuals of Chinese heritage who, like himself, identify with being part of more than one culture.

The exhibition is free, and runs from 26 April 2024 to 6 June 2024 in Clare Hall’s Main Building.

Join us for a truly unique concert experience featuring Charlie Draper, an accomplished theremin and ondes Martenot player who has captivated audiences at Wigmore Hall, Glastonbury Festival, and Abbey Road Studios, and has been featured on Netflix, Disney+, BBC, and Classic FM.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ondes-martenot-and-theremin-concert-by-charlie-draper-with-patrick-hemmerle-tickets-761068605687?aff=oddtdtcreator

The theremin is an early monophonic electronic instrument controlled by free motion of the player’s hands around two field-emitting antennae, one of which controls pitch, the other volume. It is the only expressive musical instrument that is controlled entirely without physical contact. The ondes Martenot is another early electronic instrument that has an evocative tone resembling a violin, cello, flute or even a human voice, achieving recognition from the music of science fiction films.

Programme:
Pierre Vellones - Fantasie
George Gershwin - Summertime
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Vocalise
Nikolai Medtner Suite - Vocalise in F Minor
Richard Rodney Bennett - Serenade No. 2
Darius Milhaud - Suite for Ondes Martenot and Piano
Miklos Rozsa (arr. Paul Jackson) -Spellbound Concerto for Theremin and Piano

Ondes Martenot and Theremin concert by Charlie Draper with Patrick Hemmerlé Charlie Draper performs with two rare electronic instruments, the ondes Martenot and the theremin.

We recently bid a fond farewell to the following Visiting Fellows. We wish them safe travels and look forward to staying in touch!

Dr Yoshiyuki Kato from Rikkyo University
Professor David Baum from University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professor Miyako Tatematsu from Kyoritsu Womens University

Steven Lu (pictured second from left), a Clare Hall EMBA student from Hong Kong, will be cycling from London to Cambridge this Thursday, 4 April from 9am. Steven has generously set up an accompanying fundraiser, where the proceeds will go towards supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives at Clare Hall. Track Steven's journey and show your support through his GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-join-Steven-for-Cambridge

Go Steven!

Donate to help promoting Diversity and Inclusivity, organized by Steven Lu Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid o… Steven Lu needs your support for Donate to help promoting Diversity and Inclusivity

Wishing everyone a lovely long weekend! Our gardens are in full bloom at Clare Hall, including our Sakura trees that were planted last year during a visit from the Japanese Ambassador 🌸✨

Our warmest congratulations to the Clare Hallers who graduated on Saturday, 23 March. It was a beautiful spring day filled with joyful celebration and reunions of friends and family. We wish the graduates all the best with their future endeavours, and look forward to staying in touch!

Photos by Jeremy Peters

Students, fellows, friends, and families of Clare Hall came together last Friday in the Richard Eden Suite for a Ramadan Potluck Iftar. It was a wonderful celebration of community, inclusivity, and togetherness across different faiths and backgrounds. We look forward to hosting similar events in the near future!

Thanks to PhD student Mingchun Xu for organising and sharing some lovely photos.

Do you recognise these familiar scenes of Clare Hall? 💡

Professor Kumiko Tanaka-Ishii, a Life Member and Visiting Fellow from 2022-23, has drawn these lovely pieces from her time at Clare Hall. We are delighted to be able to share them with our community!

Picture 1: View of Bin Brook and some of West Court gardens
Picture 3: View of the Robert Honeycombe Building from Paul Mellon Building
Picture 5: View from 4 Gillian Beer House

Dr William McMahon (Clare Hall Research Fellow) and Professor Neil Davies (Churchill College) have discovered the oldest fossilised forest known on Earth in the high sandstone cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast of South West England. The fossil forest dates from approximately 390 million years ago during the Devonian Period, and is comprised of Calamophyton, an early 'prototype' of modern trees.

'It was an exciting discovery as it provides a direct window into a key transition in Earth's history, the interval over which vegetation first expanded across our continents,' Dr McMahon said.

Read more about the fascinating discovery here:

Dr William McMahon discovers the Earth's oldest fossilised forest - Clare Hall Dr William McMahon (Clare Hall Research Fellow) and Professor Neil Davies (Churchill College) have …