Nearly 100 philanthropists and their guests discovered how academics are advancing the frontiers of knowledge at the University on Thursday 14 September. The University’s most generous donors chose from a variety of tours and lectures at the 27th annual meeting of the Chancellors Court of Benefactors.
The day began with the induction of 20 new members to the Court at Convocation House in Oxford. The H B Allen Charitable Trust, represented by Peter Shone (Keble, 1969), was also recognised as a new fellow of the Court at the ceremony. Major donors visited the Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB) at the John Radcliffe Hospital to see the human brain in action using advanced neuroimaging, or viewed the University’s unique scientific collection of dried plant specimens at the Herbaria.
Hosted by the Chancellor, The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes, CH, the afternoon programme was held at the Blavatnik School of Government. Members of the Court and their guests heard about the challenges associated with Brexit, the realities of politics in the age of President Trump, the latest discoveries about deep-sea ecosystems, and the importance of women’s history nearly 100 years after women in the UK first won the right to vote.
There was also a private tour of the Big Data Institute – one of the first centres in the world dedicated to big data, bringing major improvements to human health and healthcare. A reception was held at the Divinity School and the day’s festivities concluded with a gala dinner at Exeter College.
