Robinson College is a

constituent college A collegiate university is a university where functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the Col ...

of the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. Founded in 1977, it is one of the newest

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...

colleges and is unique in having been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of both sexes. The College was founded through a significant donation from the businessman and philanthropist, Sir David Robinson. In 1981 Robinson College was formally opened by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

with both undergraduate and graduate students in attendance.

History

The College was founded after David Robinson offered the University £17 million to establish a new college in Cambridge. Robinson later gave his College another £1 million on the occasion of its official opening. The first graduate students and

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

s joined the College in 1977.

Undergraduates Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

(20 of them) were first admitted in 1979, but significant numbers only began arriving the following year. Robinson was formally opened by

in May 1981. While Robinson embraces many Cambridge traditions, such as Formal Hall, a chapel and

porters' lodge A porters' lodge or porter's lodge (colloquially, wikt:plodge, plodge) is a place near the entrance of a building where one or more Porter (college), porters can be found to respond to student enquiries as well as enquires from the public and d ...

, it avoids others: for example, it allows its students to walk on the grass in the College gardens. In general, the College has a reputation for being slightly less formal and traditional than other Cambridge Colleges.

Buildings and grounds

Designed by the Scottish architectural firm Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, Robinson's main buildings are distinctive for the use of handmade red bricks in their construction. In November 2022,

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

announced that the College had been awarded Grade II* listed status. In November 2008, the college was included in the "50 most inspiring buildings in Britain" by ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

''. Of particular note is the chapel, which contains stained-glass windows designed by John Piper and houses a renowned

Frobenius Frobenius is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Ferdinand Georg Frobenius (1849–1917), mathematician ** Frobenius algebra ** Frobenius endomorphism ** Frobenius inner product ** Frobenius norm ** Frobenius method ** Frobenius g ...

organ. The oak-panelled dining hall seats 300 for formal dining and the library is remarkable for its use of woodwork, for which it was awarded the Carpenter’s Award for 1981. The College is located a ten-minute walk west of the city centre, behind the

University Library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...

, near the science buildings in West Cambridge and the arts faculties on the university's

Sidgwick Site The Sidgwick Site is one of the largest sites within the University of Cambridge, England. Overview and history The Sidgwick Site is located on the western side of Cambridge city centre, near the Backs. The site is north of Sidgwick Avenue an ...

. It stands on a wooded site of historical and horticultural interest. The College Gardens are a fusion of ten pre-existing gardens which date back to late Victorian and early Edwardian times and are crossed by the Bin Brook stream, which once supplied water to the Medieval Hospital of St John (now St John's College). Within its grounds are Thorneycreek House and Cottage (built in 1895), the Crausaz Wordsworth Building and the Maria Björnson outdoor theatre. Robinson owns a number of houses on Adams Road and Sylvester Road adjoining the main college site, which it uses for student accommodation. The main entrance to the college is via a

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

-like ramp which is accessible to wheelchair users, and there are also some special facilities for those with physical or visual disabilities. The Needham Research Institute is also located within the College grounds.

Conferences

As one of Cambridge's most important

conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

centres, Robinson hosts conferences when undergraduate students are absent.

Student life

Students of the college are represented by the Robinson College Students' Association, or RCSA, headed by a President, with members of the college elected to the RCSA committee every year. Politically, Robinson is generally seen as liberal. Robinson has supplied a large number of Green Officers to the Cambridge University Students' Union in recent years and in 2008 was judged the most environmentally friendly college in Cambridge. Like other colleges, Robinson provides its students with recreational facilities such as a JCR, MCR, TV room, art room, café and bar. As a result of its other role as a conference centre, the college is equipped with two auditoria that are available for student use during term; the smaller one being frequently used by the college's film society and the larger by the "Brickhouse Theatre Company" (dramatic society). There is also a purpose-built party room that hosts college "bops" and other entertainment. Musical talents are catered for by a music room, CD library and chapel. There are also several sports teams, covering most major sports: everything from water polo and cricket to rowing and rugby union. Robinson has become successful in hockey, winning the Cambridge colleges league and colleges Varsity match against

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...

, in 2009–2010, in addition to becoming mixed

cuppers Cuppers are intercollegiate sporting competitions at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The term comes from the word " cup" and is an example of the Oxford "-er". Each sport holds only one Cuppers competition each year, which is open to al ...

champions by beating

Churchill College, Cambridge Churchill College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but retains a strong interest in the arts ...

College arms

The arms of the College are described as follows: ''Azure in base two Bars wavy Argent over all a Pegasus rampant Or gorged with a Crown rayonny Gules''.

College grace

The Latin grace is read before the start of formal hall.
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''Lord, bless us and your gifts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.''

Gallery

File:Robinson College, Cambridge.jpg, Robinson College Entrance File:Thorneycreek House, Robinson College.jpg, Thorneycreek House File:Stained-glass window in Robinson College Chapel, Cambridge.jpg, A section of the chapel stained-glass windows by John Piper File:Robinson College, Cambridge UK 2008.jpg, Robinson College gardens File:Cold cast bronze in Robinson College, Cambridge.jpg, 'Finback' sculpture by Ben Barrell File:2 Adams Road, Robinson College.jpg, 2 Adams Road (Robinson College student accommodation) viewed from across the college gardens. File:David Robinson memorial stone at Robinson College, Cambridge.jpg, Memorial stone for David Robinson (philanthropist), David Robinson File:Robinson College, Bin Brook bridge.jpg, A section of the elevated walkway over Bin Brook stream

Notable people

Alumni

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Robert Webb Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor and writer. He rose to prominence alongside David Mitchell as part of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb. Mitchell and Webb starred in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Peep Show' ...

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Nick Clegg Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. H ...

File:Konniehuq.jpg,

Konnie Huq Konnie Huq (born Kanak Asha Huq ; on 17 July 1975) is a British television and radio presenter, screenwriter and children's author. She became the longest-serving female presenter of the British children's television programme '' Blue Peter'', ...

File:Justine Thornton-Miliband.jpg,

Justine Thornton Dame Justine Thornton (born 16 September 1970), styled The Hon Mrs Justice Thornton, is a British barrister and High Court judge (England and Wales), judge of the High Court of England and Wales. Thornton was appointed to the High Court of Eng ...

File:MARC holiday.jpg,

Marc Quinn Marc Quinn (born 8 January 1964) is a British contemporary visual artist whose work includes sculpture, installation, and painting. Quinn explores "what it is to be human in the world today" through subjects including the body, genetics, ident ...

* Joe Ansbro, Scottish international rugby union player * Morwenna Banks, actress * Joey Batey, actor * Matt Brittin, Vice-president at Google *

, former

Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom is an honorific title given to a minister of the Crown and a member of the British Cabinet, normally to signify a very senior minister, the deputy leader of the governing party, or a key political ...

and former Leader of the Liberal Democrats *

Adrian Davies Adrian Davies (born 9 February 1969 in Bridgend) is a former Wales national rugby union team, Wales international rugby union player. A fly-half, he played for Wales in the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cup finals. He played club rugby for Neath RF ...

, Welsh international rugby union player * Matt Dickinson, Journalist * Mauro Galetti, Brazilian ecologist * Malcolm Gaskill, historian * Ben Habib, politician, former

Brexit Party Reform UK is a right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Nigel Farage has been Leader of Reform UK and Richard Tice deputy leader since 2024. It has five members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons and one membe ...

Member of the European Parliament * Greg Hands, politician, former

Chief Secretary to the Treasury The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a senior ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom and is the second most senior ministerial office in HM Treasury, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The office holder is always a full ...

* Charles Hart, songwriter and musician * Marko Attila Hoare, historian *

, television presenter * Rebecca John, television presenter and journalist * Tim Lenton, climate scientist * Anthony Peter Lowe, chief executive officer at Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia * Tim Luckhurst, journalist and former editor of ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'', Principal of South College, Durham * Sarah MacDonald, former Organ Scholar and first female Director of Music in an Oxbridge College ( Selwyn College) * Toby Marlow, co-writer of the West End musical ''Six'', about Henry VIII's wives. * Saul Metzstein, film director, and son of Robinson College architect Isi Metzstein * Neil Mullarkey, comedian, writer * Marie Phillips, author * Kate Pickett, epidemiologist * John Pritchard, Olympic and World rowing medallist *

, artist * Anita Sethi, journalist and writer * Rory Smith, journalist *

, High Court Judge and wife of the former Leader of the Opposition

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero since July 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for D ...

* Sam Wallace, journalist *

, comedian, writer * Andy White, musician and poet

Fellows

* G. E. Berrios, neuropsychiatry and epistemology of psychiatry *

Myles Burnyeat Myles Fredric Burnyeat (; 1 January 1939 – 20 September 2019) was an English scholar of ancient philosophy. Early life and education Myles Burnyeat was born on 1 January 1939 to Peter James Anthony Burnyeat and Cynthia Cherry Warburg. He re ...

, ancient philosopher (honorary fellow) * Dame Athene Donald, Deputy Head of the

Cavendish Laboratory The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the School of Physical Sciences. The laboratory was opened in 1874 on the New Museums Site as a laboratory for experimental physics and is named ...

* Albrecht Fröhlich FRS, mathematician *

Morna Hooker Morna Dorothy Hooker (born 19 May 1931) is a British theologian and New Testament scholar. Early life and education Morna Hooker was born in Beddington on 19 May 1931. She went to Bristol University where she graduated with first class honours ...

, Emerita Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity and first female holder of the Cambridge DD *

Peter Kornicki Peter Francis Kornicki (born 1 May 1950) Fellow of the British Academy, FBA is an English Japanologist. He is Emeritus Professor of Japanese at Cambridge University and Emeritus Fellow of Robinson College, Cambridge. He is particularly known for h ...

FBA, East Asian Studies * Alan Mycroft, computer scientist, co-author of the ARM chip's Norcroft C compiler and trustee of the

Raspberry Pi Foundation The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK-based educational charity founded in 2008 to promote the study of computer science and related subjects globally, particularly among young people. It is best known for initiating the Raspberry Pi series of sing ...

* Julie Smith, Baroness Smith of Newnham, Politics and International Studies, member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

* Jeremy Thurlow, composer In addition, the writer Valerie Grosvenor Myer, although not formally a Fellow, supervised English students at Robinson in the 1980s.

List of Wardens

* Jack Lewis, Baron Lewis of Newnham (1977 to 2001) *

David Yates David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English filmmaker, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' series ...

(2001 to 2021) * Richard Heaton (from 1 October 2021)

References

External links

Robinson College official websiteRobinson College Students' AssociationRobinson College MCR (Graduate Society)
{{authority control Colleges of the University of Cambridge Educational institutions established in 1977 1977 establishments in England Grade II* listed buildings in Cambridge