Making the most of our success

Since its founding, Kellogg has embodied immense ambition–a vision to redefine an Oxford education by challenging conventional perspectives. As I reflect on our journey over the past few years, I am proud of the strides we have made as a community. Our commitment to enhancing the collegiate experience of our students has been unwavering – with this being the driving force behind our Strategic Plan (2018-2024). Our aim: to ensure that many more of our students can reside on site, and sustain a whole range of student clubs and societies, enriching College’s academic, cultural, sporting, and social activities.

When setting this goal, there was no guarantee it could be delivered; perhaps, like many other colleges, we too might have to explore alternative accommodation options situated at a distance from our site. However, I am delighted to share that we have successfully achieved agreements with the University to establish a ‘west campus’ on the facing side of Banbury Road, whilst continuing to expand our existing site between the Banbury, Norham, and Bradmore Roads.

Our College’s next Strategic Plan (20242029) will be dedicated to harnessing these opportunities. The Finance Bursar’s feature (page 8) describes this ambitious project, designed to triple the number of students living on site, and offer them a broader range of support and activities.

This year the Middle Common Room (MCR) has been teeming with diverse and inclusive activities. By the end of Hilary term, the MCR Committee had hosted over 80 events (page 6) under the leadership of our student President, Eeshani Bendale, who I am proud to say was selected to join the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Other College members continue to make notable contributions within Oxford and globally. Dr Hilary Wynne is representing the University’s postdoctorate and early career researchers on the University Council; she is tirelessly promoting Kellogg’s Research Member of Common Room and JRF schemes (page 17). Our Fellow King Charles III was the only Head of State to be invited to address COP28. His powerful address underlined the reason he was made a Fellow in 2020 as the then Prince of Wales, and why the Fellowship continues today – namely our shared commitment to environmental sustainability. It is fitting that our latest appointed Bynum Tudor Fellow was the driving force behind the Paris Agreement, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Ban Ki-moon (page 28).

Our work on environmental sustainability continues to be championed by the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation (page 59) and the Centre on Mutual & Co-owned Business, reinforced by both of the University’s Net Zero Fellows – Dr Alice Evatt and Dr Stuart Jenkins – being assigned to Kellogg (page 62). Our new Commission on Sustainability Data will recommend ways in which the environmental performance of companies can be better evaluated. This could be a gamechanger in the world’s battle against climate change (page 59).

Our Artist in Residence Scheme has been strengthened with the addition of Brian Cox (page 18), and our new Writer in Residence Scheme has proved a huge success (page 25). Furthermore, we’re pleased to announce the establishment of a reading room dedicated to Local History, a subject dear to many College members. Thanks go to one of our Founding Fellows Dr Kate Tiller OBE, who has generously pledged a legacy gift to College, as well as her local English history library (page 54).

Kellogg alumni are making an impact around the world. Ottilie Klein (2009, Women’s Studies) is making her mark in the German Bundestag (page 40), Sara Berkai (2020, Education) is using her entrepreneurial instinct to enhance learning for children (page 47), and Ali Tareen (2017, Business) has established the Tareen Oxford Scholarship at Kellogg, enabling others to follow in his footsteps (page 44).

Our alumni continue to promote our college globally, as you can read about with Rudra Chatterjee (2021, History of Design) and Urvi Khaitan (2017, History) in Kolkata (page 42), and Seung Chong (2019, Taxation) in Hong Kong (page 38).

These successes are due to you, the College community: students, staff, alumni, and academics. I am proud to contribute my small part, and to call myself a member of Kellogg College. I hope you enjoy the contents of this magazine, and that you share that same pride in our successes.