Developing Darwin College

Darwin College has grown since it's inception and with increased size comes increased aspirations to provide more and better resources and facilities for it's students and Visiting Fellows. The first major addition was opened in 1994 and provided a modern Study Centre built into the Old Granary which plays a central part in college life now.

Thanks to a bequest from the estate of Professor Ian Stevenson, a Visiting Associate at Darwin in 1987-88 the College purchased and refurbished 2 cottages in Newnham Walk by 2008. Professor Stevenson was very impressed with the friendliness and diversity of College life, but sad to find the state of the accommodation on offer for Visiting Fellows very limited. His entirely unexpected bequest therefore provided for the purchase of a building or remodelling of an existing building to provide living accommodation for one or more Visiting Scholars of the College, perhaps with their family members, ... to be available to persons not resident in the UK.

In 2010, the College was able to purchase and renovate 4 Newnham Terrace, the former Rectory, which completed the line of buildings for student accommodation. Now the gardens along the river up to the Mill Pond are being redesigned to provide extended grounds which will give the College a beautiful vista along the whole of the water front and already provides students with a fabulous place in which to relax.

The alumni have provided finance for much of this work and the College thanks you all for your overwhelming support and generous gifts. The College believes that it should provide it's students with facilities that they value highly but, at present, only about half of Darwin students can be accommodated in College rooms. The College's aspiration is to raise this to around three-quarters. Opportunities to expand the College into nearby buildings arise from time to time, but these can only be considered as funds become available.

"Giving to Darwin College"

A previous message from a much loved and admired previous Master, Professor William Brown who died suddenly in 2019

Cambridge is one of the world's leading universities. Its position as an international centre of excellence in graduate education attracts outstanding graduates from all over the world.The majority stay on for doctoral training, thereby becoming an integral part of the University's research endeavour.

Darwin College has a vital role in advancing Cambridge's scholarship and research. As a College solely committed to graduates, we have over 500 students from more than 60 countries and cover the full range of academic disciplines.Our main purpose is to provide this lively, talented, and culturally varied community of young people with a supportive base for their studies. The pressures of advanced work at a high standard are best managed in a friendly, informal atmosphere where students have access to a wide range of social, sporting and cultural activities, as well as to pastoral support where this is needed.

For many years, Darwin College has steadily expanded around it's uniquely beautiful setting on the River Cam. We have attracted funds to support a modest number of research fellowships and student bursaries. Physically, we strive to acquire and build more student rooms close to the dining and social areas which are the College's heart.But we are always conscious that our students deserve, and would benefit from, more support. And for this we depend above all on the generosity of our friends.