Cambridge University Press is the
university press of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. Granted
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, t ...
by
King Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
in 1534, it is the oldest
university press in the world. It is also the
King's Printer
The King's Printer (known as the Queen's Printer during the reign of a female monarch) is typically a bureau of the national, state, or provincial government responsible for producing official documents issued by the King-in-Council, Ministers o ...
.
Cambridge University Press is a department of the University of Cambridge and is both an academic and educational publisher. It became part of
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. It was formed in August 2021, when the University of Cambridge merged its global academic research and education publisher Cambridge University Pr ...
, following a merger with Cambridge Assessment in 2021. With a global sales presence, publishing hubs, and offices in more than 40
countries
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while t ...
, it publishes over 50,000 titles by authors from over 100 countries. Its publishing includes more than 380
academic journal
An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...
s,
monographs,
reference work
A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to ...
s, school and university textbooks, and English language teaching and learning publications. It also publishes Bibles, runs a bookshop in Cambridge, sells through Amazon, and has a conference venues business in Cambridge at the Pitt Building and the Sir Geoffrey Cass Sports and Social Centre.
Being part of the University of Cambridge gives Cambridge University Press a non-profit status. It transfers a minimum of 30% of any annual surplus back to the University of Cambridge.
History
Cambridge University Press is the oldest university press in the world. It originated from
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, t ...
granted to the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
in 1534. Cambridge is one of the two
privileged presses
In the United Kingdom, the privileged presses are Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. They are called this because, under letters patent issued by the Crown defining their charters, only they have the right to print and publish ...
(the other being
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
). Authors published by Cambridge have included
John Milton
John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and polit ...
,
William Harvey
William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, the systemic circulation and prope ...
,
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
,
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, ar ...
, and
Stephen Hawking.
University printing began in Cambridge when the first practising University Printer, Thomas Thomas, set up a printing house in 1584.
The first publication was a book, "Two Treatises of the Lord His Holie Supper".
In 1591 the first Cambridge Bible was printed by John Legate and in 1629 Cambridge folio edition of the King James Bible is printed by Thomas and John Buck.
In July 1697, the
Duke of Somerset
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
made a loan of £200 to the university "towards the printing house and press" and
James Halman
James Halman (c. 1639 – 23 December 1702) was an academic of the University of Cambridge. He held the office of Registrary of the university from 1683 to 1701 and was also the twenty-third Master of Gonville and Caius College.
His surname ...
,
Registrary The Registrary is the senior administrative officer of the University of Cambridge. The term is unique to Cambridge, and uses an archaic spelling. Most universities in the United Kingdom and in North America have administrative offices entitled " r ...
of the university, lent £100 for the same purpose.
A new home for the press, The Pitt Building, on Trumpington Street in the centre of Cambridge was completed in 1833, which was designed by
Edward Blore
Edward Blore (13 September 1787 – 4 September 1879) was a 19th-century English landscape and architectural artist, architect and antiquary.
Early career
He was born in Derby, the son of the antiquarian writer Thomas Blore.
Blore's bac ...
. It became a
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
in 1950.
In the early 1800s, the press pioneers the development of
stereotype printing, allowing successive printings from one setting.
The press began using steam-powered machine presses by the 1850s. It was in this period that the press turned down what later became the
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
– a proposal for which was brought to Cambridge by
James Murray before he turned to Oxford.
The press journals publishing programme began in 1893 with the
Journal of Physiology and then The Journal of Hygiene and Biometrika. By 1910 the press had become a well-established journal publisher with a successful list which includes its first humanities title,
Modern Language Review. 1956 sees the first issue of the
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
The ''Journal of Fluid Mechanics'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of fluid mechanics. It publishes original work on theoretical, computational, and experimental aspects of the subject.
The journal is published by Cambridge Uni ...
.
In 1895, the first title by a
Nobel Laureate
The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make ...
is published. It has published 170+
Nobel Prize winners.
In 1913, the
Monotype system of hot-metal mechanised typesetting is introduced at the press.
In 1949, the press opens its first international branch in New York.
The press moved to its current site in Cambridge in 1963. The
mid-century modern building, University Printing House, was constructed 1961–3. The building was designed by Beard, Bennett, Wilkins and Partners.
In 1975, the press launched its English language teaching publishing business.
In 1981, the press moved to a new site on Shaftsbury Road. The Edinburgh Building was purpose-built with an adjoining warehouse to accommodate the press's expansion. It was built 1979-80 by International Design and Construction.
This site was sold to
Cambridge Assessment
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provi ...
in 2015 for the construction of The Triangle Building.
In 1986, the press acquired the long-established Bible and prayer-book publisher
Eyre & Spottiswoode
Eyre & Spottiswoode was the London-based printing firm that was the King's Printer, and subsequently, a publisher prior to being incorporated; it once went by the name of Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & co. ltd. In April 1929, it was incorporated as ...
, which gave the press the ancient and unique title of 'The Queen's Printer'.
In 1992, the press opened a bookshop at 1,
Trinity Street, Cambridge which is the oldest-known bookshop site in Britain as books had been sold there since 1581. In 2008 the shop expanded into 27 Market Hill where its specialist Education and English Language Teaching shop opened the following year. The press bookshop sells Press books as well as Cambridge souvenirs such as mugs, diaries, bags, postcards, maps.
In 1993, the Cass Centre was opened to provide sports and social facilities for employees and their families.
In 1999, Cambridge Dictionaries Online is launched.
In 2012, the press sold its printing operation to MPG Books Group and now uses third parties around the world to provide its print publications.
In 2019, the press released a new concept in scholarly publishing through Cambridge Elements where authors whose works are either too short to be printed as a book or too long to qualify as a journal article could have these published within 12 weeks.
In 2021, Cambridge University Press merged with
Cambridge Assessment
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provi ...
. The new organisation is called
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. It was formed in August 2021, when the University of Cambridge merged its global academic research and education publisher Cambridge University Pr ...
.
Print and typographic heritage
People
*
John Siberch, in 1521 the first printer in Cambridge
*
John Baskerville
John Baskerville (baptised 28 January 1707 – 8 January 1775) was an English businessman, in areas including japanning and papier-mâché, but he is best remembered as a printer and type designer. He was also responsible for inventing "wov ...
(1707 – 1775), was the official printer and his Cambridge edition of the
King James Bible (1763) is considered his masterpiece
*
Bruce Rogers (1870 – 1957) appointed ‘printing expert’ at the press for two years in 1917
*
Stanley Morison (1889 – 1967) was typographical advisor both to the press and to the Monotype Corporation from 1925 to 1954 and, from 1929, also to The Times newspaper.
*
John Dreyfus (1918 – 2002) joined the press in 1939 and became Assistant Printer in 1949.
*
David Kindersley (1915 – 1995), designed a special alphabet, ''Meliorissimo'', for the press's buildings, stationery, signs and vans
Publications
* 1584, the press's first publication was a book, ''Two Treatises of the Lord His Holie Supper''.
* 1591, the first Cambridge Bible was printed by John Legate
* 1629, Cambridge folio edition of the
King James Bible
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...
is printed by Thomas and John Buck.
* 1633, The Temple by
George Herbert (1593 – 1633) includes ‘Easter Wings’. The poem's words and lines are arranged on the page to create a visual image of its subject.
* 1713, the second edition of
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a " natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the g ...
's ''
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
( English: ''Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy'') often referred to as simply the (), is a book by Isaac Newton that expounds Newton's laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. The ''Principia'' is written in Latin an ...
'' is published by the press.
* 1763,
John Baskerville's folio Bible, considered a masterpiece, uses his innovations with type, paper, ink, and the printing process.
* 1895, the first title by a
Nobel Laureate
The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make ...
is published:
J.J. Thomson's ''Elements of the Mathematical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism''.
Current publications
Open access
Cambridge University Press has stated its support for a sustainable transition to
open access
Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre o ...
. It offers a range of open access publishing options under the heading of Cambridge Open, allowing authors to comply with the
Gold Open Access
Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre o ...
and
Green Open Access requirements of major research funders. It publishes Gold Open Access journals and books and works with publishing partners such as learned societies to develop Open Access for different communities. It supports Green Open Access (also called Green archiving) across its journals and monographs, allowing authors to deposit content in institutional and subject-specific repositories. It also supports sharing on commercial sharing sites through its Cambridge Core Share service.
In recent years it has entered into several Read & Publish Open Access agreements with university libraries and consortia in several countries, including a landmark agreement with the University of California. In its 2019 Annual Report, Cambridge University Press stated that it saw such agreements "as an important stepping stone in the transition to Open Access."
In 2019, the press joined with the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
's research and teaching departments to give a unified response to
Plan S, which calls for all publications resulting from publicly funded research to be published in compliant open access journals or platforms from 2020. The response emphasized Cambridge's commitment to an open access goal which works effectively for all academic disciplines, is financially sustainable for institutions and high-quality peer review, and which leads to an orderly transition.
The press is a member of the
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association
The Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) is a non-profit trade association of open access journal and book publishers. Having started with an exclusive focus on open access journals, it has since expanded its activities to include ...
and the International Association of STM Publishers.
Nobel prize winners published by Cambridge University Press
*
JJ Thomson (Physics – 1906)
*
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, (30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937) was a New Zealand physicist who came to be known as the father of nuclear physics.
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' considers him to be the greatest ...
(Chemistry – 1908)
*
Niels Henrik David Bohr (Physics 1922)
*
Werner Karl Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg () (5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976) was a German theoretical physicist and one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics. He published his work in 1925 in a breakthrough paper. In the subsequent series ...
(Physics – 1932)
*Sir
Charles Scott Sherrington
Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (27 November 1857 – 4 March 1952) was an eminent English neurophysiologist. His experimental research established many aspects of contemporary neuroscience, including the concept of the spinal reflex as a system ...
(Medicine – 1932)
*
Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger (, ; ; 12 August 1887 – 4 January 1961), sometimes written as or , was a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist with Irish citizenship who developed a number of fundamental results in quantum theo ...
(Physics – 1935)
*
James Chadwick
Sir James Chadwick, (20 October 1891 – 24 July 1974) was an English physicist who was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the neutron in 1932. In 1941, he wrote the final draft of the MAUD Report, which insp ...
(Physics – 1935)
*
Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett (Physics – 1948)
*
Sir John Douglas Cockcroft (Physics – 1951)
*
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
(Literature – 1954)
*
Lord Alexander J Todd (Chemistry – 1957)
*
Max Ferdinand Perutz (Chemistry –1962)
*
Eugene Paul Wigner (Physics – 1963)
*
Max Born
Max Born (; 11 December 1882 – 5 January 1970) was a German physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He also made contributions to solid-state physics and optics and supervised the work of a ...
(Physics – 1964)
*
Nicolay Gennadiyevich Basov
Nikolay Gennadiyevich Basov (russian: Никола́й Генна́диевич Ба́сов; 14 December 1922 – 1 July 2001) was a Soviet physicist and educator. For his fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics that led to the devel ...
(Physics – 1964)
*
Richard P Feynman (Physics – 1965)
*
Derek HR Barton (Chemistry 1969)
*
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic ex ...
(Literature – 1969)
*
Simon Kuznets (Economics – 1971)
*
Dennis Gabor
Dennis Gabor ( ; hu, Gábor Dénes, ; 5 June 1900 – 9 February 1979) was a Hungarian-British electrical engineer and physicist, most notable for inventing holography, for which he later received the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics. He obtained ...
(Physics – 1971)
*
Kenneth J Arrow (Economics – 1972)
*
Burton Richter (Physics – 1976)
*
James E Meade (Economics – 1977)
*
Sir Nevill Francis Mott (Physics – 1977)
*
Herbert A Simon (Economics – 1978)
*
Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg (; May 3, 1933 – July 23, 2021) was an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic inter ...
(Physics – 1979)
*
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Punjabi Pakistani theoretical physicist and a N ...
(Physics – 1979)
*James ChaSubramanyan Chandrasekhar (Physics – 1983)
*
Gerard Debreu (Economics – 1983)
*
Richard Stone (Economics – 1984)
*
Franco Modigliani (Economics – 1985)
*
James M Buchanan Jr (Economics – 1986)
*
Wole Soyinka
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...
(Literature – 1986)
*
Robert M Solow (Economics – 1987)
*
Pierre–Gilles de Gennes (Physics – 1991)
*
Robert W Fogel (Economics – 1993)
*
Douglass C North (Economics – 1993)
*
Sir Harold W Kroto (Chemistry – 1996)
*
William Vickrey (Economics – 1996)
*
Claude Cohen–Tannoudji (Physics – 1997)
*William Phillips (Physics – 1997)
*
Amartya Sen
Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher, who since 1972 has taught and worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, economi ...
(Economics – 1998)
*
Gerardus ‘t Hooft (Physics – 1999)
*
Martinus JG Veltman (Physics – 1999)
*
James J Heckman (Economics – 2000)
*
George A Akerlof (Economics – 2001)
*
Joseph E Stiglitz (Economics – 2001)
*
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman (; he, דניאל כהנמן; born March 5, 1934) is an Israeli-American psychologist and economist notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, as well as behavioral economics, for which he was awarde ...
(Economics – 2002)
*
Vernon L Smith (Economics – 2002)
*
Clive WJ Granger (Economics – 2003)
*
Anthony J Leggett (Physics – 2003)
*
Edmund S Phelps (Economics – 2006)
*
Leonid Hurwicz
Leonid Hurwicz (; August 21, 1917 – June 24, 2008) was a Polish-American economist and mathematician, known for his work in game theory and mechanism design. He originated the concept of incentive compatibility, and showed how desired outcome ...
(Economics – 2007)
*
IPCC (Peace Prize – 2007)
*
Elinor Ostrom
Elinor Claire "Lin" Ostrom (née Awan; August 7, 1933 – June 12, 2012) was an American political scientist and political economist whose work was associated with New Institutional Economics and the resurgence of political economy. In 2009, she ...
(Economics – 2009)
*
Thomas A Steitz (Chemistry – 2009)
*
Christopher A Pissarides (Economics – 2010)
*
Peter A Diamond (Economics – 2010)
*
Christopher A Sims (Economics – 2011)
*
Alvin E Roth (Economics – 2012)
*
Angus Deaton
Sir Angus Stewart Deaton (born 19 October 1945) is a British economist and academic. Deaton is currently a Senior Scholar and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at the Princeton School of Public ...
(Economics – 2015)
*
Kip S. Thorne
Kip Stephen Thorne (born June 1, 1940) is an American theoretical physics, theoretical physicist known for his contributions in gravitation, gravitational physics and astrophysics. A longtime friend and colleague of Stephen Hawking and Carl ...
(Physics – 2017)
*
Joachim Frank (Chemistry – 2017)
*
William Nordhaus (Economics - 2018)
Organisational governance and operational structure
Relationship with the University of Cambridge
Cambridge University Press is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. The press has, since 1698, been governed by the press 'Syndics' (originally known as the 'Curators'),
18 senior members of the University of Cambridge who, along with other non-executive directors, bring a range of subject and business expertise.
The Chair of the Syndicate is currently Professor
Stephen Toope (Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
). The Syndicate has delegated its powers to a Press & Assessment Board; and to an Academic Publishing Committee and an English Language Teaching & Education Publishing Committee.
The Press & Assessment Board is responsible for setting overarching strategic direction.
The Publishing Committees provide quality assurance and formal approval of the publishing strategy.
The operational responsibility of the press is delegated by the Syndics to the Secretary of the Syndicate and Chief Executive.
In 2020 the university announced its decision to merge Cambridge University Press with
Cambridge Assessment
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provi ...
.
Operational structure
Until August 2021, Cambridge University Press had three publishing groups:
* Academic Publishing: publishes research books and journals in science, technology, medicine, humanities, and the social sciences.
It also publishes advanced learning materials and reference content as well as 380 journals, of which 43 are ‘Gold’ Open Access. Open Access articles now account for 15 per cent of articles. The group also publishes Bibles, and the press is one of only two publishers entitled to publish the
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...
and the
King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...
of the Bible in England.
* English Language Teaching: publishes English language teaching courses and resources for learners of all ages around the world.
It offers a suite of integrated learning and assessment tools underpinned by the Cambridge Curriculum, a systematic approach to learning and evaluating proficiency in English. It works closely with
Cambridge Assessment
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provi ...
through the joint initiative Cambridge Exams Publishing.
* Education: delivers educational products, services and software for primary, secondary and international schools. It collaborates with
Cambridge Assessment
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provi ...
and the
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education to help countries such as Kazakhstan and Oman to improve their education systems. It also works with Cambridge Assessment to reach more schools and develop new products and services that improve teaching and learning. This area is merging with the schools team at Cambridge Assessment
From 1 August 2021 onwards, Cambridge University Press became solely the academic and bible publishing division of
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. It was formed in August 2021, when the University of Cambridge merged its global academic research and education publisher Cambridge University Pr ...
. With the English and education arms of the organisation forming new, merged divisions with the equalivalent departments of Cambridge Assessment.
Cambridge University Press partnerships and acquisitions
* 2011, formed a partnership with Cambridge Assessment to publish official Cambridge preparation materials for Cambridge English and IELTS examinations.
* 2015, formed a strategic content and technology partnership with Edmodo, the world's most extensive e-learning platform for primary and secondary teachers and pupils, to bring premier educational content and technology to schools in the United Kingdom.
* 2017, the University of Cambridge announced that Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment would work more closely in future under governance by the Press & Assessment Board.
* 2019, with Cambridge Assessment English acquired the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring from Durham. CEM provides assessments to measure learner progress and potential, as well as 11 Plus exams for many UK independent and grammar schools.
* 2020, partnered with EDUCATE Ventures, the University College London edtech accelerator, to better understand the challenges and successes of home education during the lockdown.
* 2020, partnered with online library
Perlego to offer students access to digital textbooks.
* 2020, the University Cambridge announced it would create a 'new unified organization' by merging Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment, to launch 1 August 2021.
* 2021, Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press formally became one organisation under the name
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. It was formed in August 2021, when the University of Cambridge merged its global academic research and education publisher Cambridge University Pr ...
.
Digital developments
In 2011, Cambridge University Press adopted
SAP
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
. Cambridge University Press works closely with IT services firm Tech Mahindra on SAP, and with Cognizant and Wipro on other systems.
In 2016, Cambridge Books Online and Cambridge Journals Online were replaced b
Cambridge Core- a single platform to access its publishing. It provided significantly enhanced interfaces and upgraded navigation capabilities, as well as article-level and chapter-level content selection. A year after Cambridge Core went live, the press launched Cambridge Core Share, functionality to allow users to generate and share links with free access to selected journal articles, an early sign of the press's commitment to open research.
In 2020, partnered with online library
Perlego to offer students access to digital textbooks.
In 2021, the press acquired CogBooks. The technology adapts and responds to users, "recommending course material needed to optimise learning".
In 2021 the press began migrating its website onto
Drupal.
Controversies
Tax Exemption Controversy
In May 1940 CUP applied to the Inland Revenue for the exemption of its printing and publishing profits from taxation, equivalent to charitable status. After a November 1940 Inland Revenue hearing, CUP's application was refused "on the ground that, since the Press was printing and publishing for the outside world and not simply for the internal use of the University, the Press's trade went beyond the purpose and objects of the University and (in terms of the Act) was not exercised in the course of the actual carrying out of a primary purpose of the University". In November 1975, with CUP facing financial collapse, CUP's chief executive Geoffrey Cass wrote a 60-page "preliminary letter" to the Inland Revenue again seeking tax-exemption. A year later Cass's application was granted in a letter from the Inland Revenue, though the decision was not made public. After consulting CUP, Cambridge's 'sister' press, the giant
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
presented their own submission and received similar exemption. In 2003 OUP's tax-exemption was publicly attacked by Joel Rickett of
The Bookseller
''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest ...
in
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
. In 2007, with the new 'public benefit' requirement of the revised Charities Act, the issue was re-examined with particular reference to the OUP. In 2008 CUP's and OUP's privilege was attacked by rival publishers. In 2009
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
invited author
Andrew Malcolm to write an article on the subject.
Alms for Jihad
In 2007, controversy arose over the press's decision to destroy all remaining copies of its 2006 book ''
Alms for Jihad: Charity and Terrorism in the Islamic World'', by Burr and Collins, as part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by Saudi billionaire
Khalid bin Mahfouz
Khalid bin Mahfouz ( ar, خالد بن محفوظ; December 26, 1949 – August 16, 2009) was a Saudi Arabian billionaire, banker, businessman, investor and former chairman of the National Commercial Bank (NCB). Khalid is the son of Salem Bin M ...
. Within hours, ''Alms for Jihad'' became one of the 100 most sought after titles on
Amazon.com and
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
in the United States. The press sent a letter to libraries asking them to remove copies from circulation. The press subsequently sent out copies of an "errata" sheet for the book.
The
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
issued a recommendation to libraries still holding ''Alms for Jihad'': "Given the intense interest in the book, and the desire of readers to learn about the controversy first hand, we recommend that U.S. libraries keep the book available for their users." The publisher's decision did not have the support of the book's authors and was criticized by some who claimed it was incompatible with freedom of speech and with freedom of the press and that it indicated that English libel laws were excessively strict. In a ''
New York Times Book Review
''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read ...
'' (7 October 2007),
United States Congressman
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...
Frank R. Wolf
Frank Rudolph Wolf (born January 30, 1939) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1981 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he announced in December 2013 that he would not run for reelection in 2014. Wolf ...
described Cambridge's settlement as "basically a book burning". The press pointed out that, at that time, it had already sold most of its copies of the book.
The press defended its actions, saying it had acted responsibly and that it is a global publisher with a duty to observe the laws of many different countries.
''Cambridge University Press v. Patton''
In this case, originally filed in 2008, CUP et al. accused
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...
of infringement of copyright. The case closed on 29 September 2020, with GSU as the prevailing party.
''The China Quarterly''
On 18 August 2017, following an "instruction" from a Chinese import agency, Cambridge University Press used the functionality that had been built into Cambridge Core to temporarily delete politically sensitive articles from ''
The China Quarterly
''The China Quarterly'' (CQ) is a British double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1960 on contemporary China and Taiwan.
It is considered the most important research journal about China in the world and is published by the Ca ...
'' on its Chinese website. The articles focused on topics China regards as taboo, including the 1989
Tiananmen massacre,
Chairman Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also Romanization of Chinese, romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the List of national founde ...
's
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...
, Hong Kong's
fight for democracy and ethnic tensions in
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
and
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
. On 21 August 2017, in the face of growing international protests, Cambridge University Press announced it would immediately repost the articles to uphold the principle of academic freedom on which the university's work is founded.
''The Cambridge Handbook of Privatization''
In February 2021, the forthcoming ''Cambridge Handbook of Privatization'' was found to have included a chapter by
John Mark Ramseyer in which he described Koreans murdered in the
Kantō Massacre
The Kantō Massacre was a mass murder which the Japanese military, police and vigilantes committed against the Korean residents of the Kantō region, as well as socialists, communists, anarchists, and other dissidents, in the immediate afterma ...
as "gangs" that "torched buildings, planted bombs,
ndpoisoned water supplies." Editors Avihay Dorfman and
Alon Harel
Alon Harel ( he, אלון הראל, born 1957) is a law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he holds the Phillip P. Mizock & Estelle Mizock Chair in Administrative and Criminal Law. He was educated at the Hebrew University of ...
acknowledged the historical distortions of the chapter, but gave Ramseyer a chance to revise. Harel described the inclusion of the original chapter as an "innocent and very regrettable" mistake on the part of the editors.
Corporate social responsibility
Community
The press undertakes community engagement in Cambridge and around the world where there are Press employees. Annually, the press selects a UK Charity of the Year, which has included local charities Centre 33 (2016 and 2017), Rowan Humberstone (2018) and Castle School (2019). In 2016, some of the press's community works included its continued support to
Westchester Community College in New York, the installation of hygienic facilities in an Indonesian rural school, raising funds to rehabilitate earthquake-stricken schools in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
and guiding students from
Coleridge Community College,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...
in a CV workshop. On
World Book Day 2016, the press held a digital
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
publishing workshop for students and their teachers. Similarly, their Indian office conducted a workshop for teachers and students in 17 schools in Delhi to learn the whole process of book publishing. The press donated more than 75,000 books in 2016.
An apprenticeship program for people interested in careers in publishing was established in 2016 by 2022 it had 200 active apprenices in the UK in a wide range of roles.
Environment
The press monitors its emissions annually, has converted to energy-saving equipment, minimizes plastic use and ensures that their paper is sourced ethically.
In 2019, the
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
awarded its highest score to the press of Three Trees, based on the press's timber purchasing policy, performance statement and its responsible sourcing of timber. The press works hard to minimise the number of books that are sent for pulping each year.
The press won the
Independent Publishers Guild Independent Publishing Awards for sustainability in 2020 and in 2021. Its public commitments to sustainability include being a signatory of the
UN Global Compact and to the goals of the
Cambridge Zero
Cambridge Zero is Cambridge University's response to climate change. Led by Dr Emily Shuckburgh OBE, a climate scientist, mathematician and science communicator, it is an interdisciplinary and collaborative initiative created "to harness the full ...
initiative run by the University of Cambridge - to being carbon zero on all energy-related emissions by 2048.
References
Citations
Sources
* Anonymous; ''The Student's Guide to the University of Cambridge. Third Edition, Revised and Partly Re-written''; Deighton Bell, 1874 (reissued by Cambridge University Press, 2009; )
* Anonymous; ''War Record of the Cambridge University Press 1914–1919''; Cambridge University Press, 1920; (reissued by Cambridge University Press, 2009; )
* ''A History of Cambridge University Press, Volume 1: Printing and the Book Trade in Cambridge, 1534–1698''; McKitterick, David; 1992;
* ''A History of Cambridge University Press, Volume 2: Scholarship and Commerce, 1698–1872''; McKitterick, David; 1998;
* ''A History of Cambridge University Press, Volume 3: New Worlds for Learning, 1873–1972''; McKitterick, David; 1998;
* ''A Short History of Cambridge University Press''; Black, Michael; 2000;
* ''Cambridge University Press 1584–1984''; Black, Michael, foreword by Gordon Johnson; 2000; , Hardback
External links
A Brief History of Cambridge University Press
{{Authority control
1534 establishments in England
Press
Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom
University presses of the United Kingdom
Companies based in Cambridge
Shops in Cambridge
Organizations established in the 1530s
Publishing companies established in the 16th century