A message from Darwin College
Welcome to the Darwin College
E-Bulletin for March
Dear ,

Welcome to the March e-bulletin for Darwin alumni and friends, bringing together news from across the College community, as well as details of upcoming events. 

As usual, we welcome your feedback, suggestions, and news so drop us an email at alumni@darwin.cam.ac.uk.

With best wishes, 
Hannah Milne 
Alumni Relations Associate
Upcoming Events:
Thursday 3 April 
Drinks Reception in New York City 
Alumni and friends based in New York and the surrounding areas are welcome to join Darwin Fellow Dr Edwin Rose for a drinks reception with fellow Darwinians. Partners and guests are welcome.

The gathering will take place at: Cambridge in America Offices, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, 7th Floor New York, NY 10036 on Thursday 3 April, 6-7:30pm.
Book here!
Tuesday 6 May 
Alumni Gathering in Tokyo
Alumni and friends based in Tokyo are warmly invited to join fellow Darwinians for a relaxed get-together and catch-up. Partners and guests are welcome.

The gathering will take place at: The Royal Scotsman: 3 Chome-6-28 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0825, Japan from 6pm on Tuesday 6 May. 

If you would like to attend, please email alumni@darwin.cam.ac.uk. 
Friday 23 May 
Alumni and Fellows Formal Hall 
Save the date! Booking form to open soon
Darwin College May Ball 2025

“✨🎭 Step into the opulence of 18th century Venice, as you put on a mask to join the Masquerade! 🎭✨

In this year’s May Ball, taking place on 21st June 2025, Darwin presents you with the ✨ Carnival of Venice! ✨

#DarwinMayBall2025 will transport you to a world of masked intrigue, lavish feasts, and enchanting performances. Feast on all-inclusive vegan and vegetarian food and drink, amazing musicians and magical entertainment. Dress on theme or come in your finest black tie and spend the night immersed in the legendary Venetian Carnival. 

🎟️ Tickets are LIVE on our website

🚨 Reminder! Darwin May Ball Launch Party ticket holders get an exclusive £10 discount on full ticket prices!

The Darwin May Ball Committee looks forward to seeing you for an unforgettable evening.
Book here
News:
Career Network Event 2025 
Thank You! 
A huge thank you to all those who took part in the Darwin College Careers Network Event last week! 
Darwin Entrepreneurship Society hosts competition for student business plans

Twelve hopeful Darwinian entrepreneurs pitched their ideas last week, in the second annual Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Darwin College Entrepreneurship Society.

Organised by Darwin PhD student in Economics Fergus McCormack, the event provides students with the opportunity to bid for funding from a panel of business leaders.

The competition is funded through the generosity of Dr Ewan Kirk, tech entrepreneur and founder of Cantab Capital Partners. Ewan was joined on the panel by biotech business consultant Miranda Weston-Smith; Darwin alumnus and founder of technology development company Elucidare Dr David Nugent; co-founder of Salonica Omar Majid; and alumnus and CEO of Cambridge Innovation Solutions Dr Alex Smeets.
 Read more

Darwin student’s publishing debut explores diverse approaches to environmental action

Congratulations to Darwin PhD student Joycelyn Longdon on the forthcoming publication of her first book, Natural Connection: What indigenous wisdom & marginalised people teach us about environmental action.

Published by Penguin on 17th April, the book is an invitation to approach environmental action as a shared goal, bringing together global perspectives, practices and teachings. 

Joycelyn is in the final year of a PhD in Computer Science, in which her research has focused on creating justice-led conservation technologies, conserving ecosystems through engagement with communities often excluded from conservation and technology research. 
Read more

Kalyani Rhodes joins Development team as Head of Philanthropy
Welcome to Kalyani Rhodes, who this week joins the Darwin staff as Head of Philanthropy.

For the past four years Kalyani has been working in global education,  leading the development programme for an international school in India, where she particularly supported initiatives to embed environmental education into the curriculum. She has a longstanding interest in sustainable living, and is currently a Trustee at the Centre for Alternative Technology, based in Powys, Wales.
Read more

Darwin alumnus explores the rivalry inherent in humanity

Congratulations to Darwin alumnus Dr Jonathan Goodman on the forthcoming publication of his book, Invisible Rivals: How We Evolved to Compete In A Cooperative World, by Yale University Press.

The book, which will be published globally on 17th June, takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the blend of competition and cooperation at the heart of our humanity.

“Recent works in the human sciences have focused disproportionately on whether we are a cooperative or competitive – or even a good or bad – species,” says Jonathan. “Yet to me there isn’t a fundamental morality common to all people: we have the capacity, not instinct, to be moral – all that matters is how we use it.”

Jonathan completed his PhD at the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in 2023, and is now a Research Associate at Cambridge Public Health.
Connecting with alumni in China

The Master and Director of Development travelled to China at the beginning of the month to meet alumni and explore potential partnerships with key universities and organisations.

Very enjoyable gatherings were held in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, attracting over 75 alumni and friends. The College has nearly 300 alumni in China, and the alumni relations team will continue to work with volunteers in the region to help  them to stay connected with each other and the College.

The Master also gave a talk to medical students at Tsinghua University Medical School.

Thank you to all who joined us!
Darwin Alumni Survey 
Winner Announced

Congratulations to Darwin alum Samer Shehata (MPhil in Social and Political Theory, 1990) on winning the drawing for a £100 Amazon e-Gift Card! Thank you to Samer and all others who completed the Darwin Alumni Survey for 2025. Your responses help us improve the Alumni experience through services, events, and more. 
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