Cambridge is our Classroom
Abbey College Cambridge is a community energised by the love of learning and the pursuit of academic achievements for all. Our students are studious and ambitious and we believe in challenging them to achieve beyond the traditional curriculum.
All schools have the opportunity to extend learning beyond the classroom, drawing from the rich resources of their surroundings – whether that be the countryside, urban environments, or nearby institutions. For us, our setting in the heart of Cambridge provides a wealth of talks and events organised by the University of Cambridge allowing our ambitious and aspiring students to learn from a diverse range of experts, including artists, politicians, researchers, and other accomplished professionals.
Abbey College Cambridge students enjoy attending weekly events organised by the University of Cambridge. These talks and lectures not only allow them to extend their knowledge in areas that interest them, but the students also benefit from the experience of engaging with the professors. Asking thought provoking questions in busy lecture halls grows their confidence and encourages students to be inquisitive.
Find out more about how we help our students to make the most of living in Cambridge with regular opportunities to interact with the University.
UPCOMING EVENTS
20th November 2025 – ‘Free Public Event on our latest Infants & CYP’s Research‘ – Join three Cambridge researchers who have specialised in research in infants, children and young people to hear how research is changing the way we diagnose and treat health conditions that emerge in the earlyyears, setting the stage for healthier outcomes throughout life. You’ll hear from our researchers Dr Kate Baker, Dr Anna Moore Winter and Chenqu Suo, as they discuss some of their latest research. – Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Frank Lee Centre (Hexagon Room)
24th November 2025 – ‘A Lot of Hot Air: volcanic degassing and its impact on our environment‘ – Prof. Marie Edmonds FRS will describe the nature and importance of magma degassing for our atmosphere and oceans, as a source of both pollutants and nutrients, and in the formation of mineral deposits. She will describe her own research in carrying out measurements of volcanic gases and analysis of erupted lavas, to understand the chemistry and physics of volcanic outgassing and its role in sustaining our planetary environment. – Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre
25th November 2025 – ‘Human Rights‘ – Homerton College is hosting the South Asia Lecture. This year’s speaker is Harish Salve KC, a senior legal advocate who practises at the Supreme Court of India. Salve has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, and his lecture will focus on human rights. – Homerton College
26th November 2025 – ‘St Catharine’s Political Economy Seminar Series‘ – Dr Melissa Sands will give a talk the title is still to be confirmed. The seminar will be held in the Ramsden Room at St Catharine’s College from 6.00-7.30 pm. All are welcome. The seminar series is supported by the Cambridge Journal of Economics and the Economics and Policy Group at the Cambridge Judge Business School. - St Catharine’s College
27th November 2025 – ‘Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomanLifeFreedom Revolt‘ – In September 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died after being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating hijab laws. Her death sparked nationwide protests and the global “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, with women in Iran burning hijabs and others worldwide cutting their hair in solidarity. Author and Jesus College Cambridge alumnus Jonathan Harounoff explores the roots of this movement and its legacy three years later. - Jesus College, Webb Library, West Court
2nd December 2025 – ‘Growing healthier adult bodies: Lessons from rainforest communities‘ – In the West, non-communicable diseases produce roughly 85% of disease burden. Avoiding them requires certain inputs during childhood that our upbringings no longer provide. With lessons from non-Westernised societies, we can fix that. Join healthcare consultant and author Dr Guen Bradbury for a whistle-stop interactive tour of hidden causes and effects that span the 80 years after toddlerdom and see how modern developmental science and traditional childrearing practices go hand in hand. - Jesus College, Frankopan Hall
PAST EVENTS
21st January 2025 – An evening with Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, the Labour candidate who ran against famous British politician Nigel Farage in the 2024 UK election – Homerton College
23rd January 2025 – ‘Varieties of Empire: Famine and the Political Economy of Colonial Rule in India’ with Professor Gurminder Bhambra – Homerton College
29th January 2025 – ‘Zvakazarurwa’ Exhibition & Panel Discussion: an exhibition drawing on southern African culture, iconography and traditions with Portia Zvavahera – Kettle’s Yard Gallery
30th January 2025 – ‘How the World Made the West: A 4000 Year History’ with Professor Josephine Quinn – Cambridge University Library
3rd February 2025 – ‘To Bend or to Break? — new views on the hardening of metals’ with Professor Lindsay Greer – Cambridge University Department of Chemistry
11th February 2025 – ‘AI Basics: Thrills or Chills?’ with Mandi Li and Martin Percy – Jesus College
3rd March 2025 – ‘Protein self assembly – understanding and controlling the machinery of life’ with Professor Tuomas Knowles – Cambridge University Department of Chemistry
5th March 2025 – ‘Innovation for all’ with Professor Neil Lee – St Catherine’s College
17th March 2025 – ‘Challenges in UK Foreign Policy’ with Baroness Catherine Ashton of Upholland – Churchill College
29th April 2025 – Abdurahmon (Year 12) in conversation with Alison Wright, Owner of Fitzbillies, world-famous Cambridge bakery and cafe – Abbey College Cambridge
8th May 2025 – ‘Moving Up? What future for social mobility in an anti-diversity climate?’ with Sarah Atkinson and Lord Simon Woolley – Homerton College
15th May 2025 – An evening with Marshall Ganz to discuss his book ‘People, Power and Change’ – Homerton College
21st May 2025 – ‘Free Speech: Where do we draw the line?’ with Professor Deborah Prentice and a panel of Cambridge influential figures – University of Cambridge
8th September 2025 – ‘Search Inside Yourself: From Google to mindfulness’ – Chade-Meng Tan (Meng), a pioneering member of the Google team, shares how mindfulness has shaped his remarkable career and life philosophy – Jesus College
9th September 2025 – ‘The Final Frontier: Black Holes in the Infant Universe’ – World-renowned scientists will take you on a journey through the cutting edge of discovery, addressing some of the most pressing questions we face about black holes – Ray Dolby Auditorium
18th September 2025 – ‘Calculating without Statistics: The Insurance Industry Confronts Catastrophe’ – What exactly is an insurable risk? How much risk is too much, even for those masters of disasters, the world’s leading reinsurance companies? – Corpus Christi College
13th October 2025 – ‘Our Chiral Universe’ – Professor David Tong will talk about the surprising handedness of the laws of physics — known as chirality — and how this shapes our understanding of the universe, while exploring the mysteries that still remain – Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre
21st October 2025 – ‘Sarah Lunnon: Just Stop Oil‘ – Sarah Lunnon, one of the founders of Just Stop Oil will be interviewed by one of our students about her work as an activist and the limits of civil protest. – Homerton College, Fellow’s Auditorium
21st October 2025 – ‘Governing the Machine: How to navigate the risks of AI and unlock its true potential’ – AI is changing the world – but public trust is low. This talk explores how businesses can build responsible AI systems that are safe, sustainable, and trusted. Learn how smart governance can turn AI into a powerful tool for innovation, not risk – Jesus College
22nd October 2025 – St Catharine’s Political Economy Seminar Series – “The demolition of British Regional Policy” – Professor Steve Fothergill will give a talk on “The demolition of British Regional Policy”. The seminar series is supported by the Cambridge Journal of Economics and the Economics and Policy Group at the Cambridge Judge Business School – St Catharine’s College
23rd October 2025 – ‘Long Juju: A feature documentary’ – Join Professor Mia Bay and a panel of experts – including historians, curators, and descendants – as they explore the enduring impact of slavery through the lens of the documentary Long Juju. This discussion will reflect on how these legacies continue to shape contemporary British identities – Jesus College, Frankopan Hall
28th October 2025 – ‘Remembering the Bristol Bus Boycott’ – Lilleith Morrison, co-author of a biography on Black activist Paul Stephenson, and a panel of educators and activists, the legacy of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott – a significant campaign in British civil rights history, which helped pave the way for the UK’s first Race Relations Act. – Homerton College, Great Hall
4th November 2025 – ‘The Master’s Book Club: Prof. Sharon Peacock in conversation with Prof. Tim Minshall author of ‘Your Life is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters, and How We Can Do It Better’‘ – Prof. Sharon Peacock delves into some of the recent books published by members of the College. Wide-ranging discussions with the authors will shed new light on aspects of our past, present and future that connect with how we live today. – Churchill College
10th November 2025 – ‘Putting the “S” into mechanics – Professor Keith Seffen’ – The structural mechanics of shape-changing structures: from bending armadillos, self-deploying satellites, to roll-up displays. Prof Seffen will describe several structural mechanics principles for making shape-changing structures, out of ordinary materials, complete with physical demonstrations. – Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre
11th November 2025 – ‘Political Journalism, a panel discussion‘ – Isabel Hardman and James Bloodworth will be discussing political journalism with Homerton students. – Homerton College, Fellow’s Auditorium
12th November 2025 – ‘The political economy of regional planning: challenges and opportunities – Adam Yousef‘ – The seminar series is supported by the Cambridge Journal of Economics and the Economics and Policy Group at the Cambridge Judge Business School. – St Catharine’s College
“We take our students to evening lectures every week and encourage them to ask questions during the Q&A sessions. In small groups, we discuss relevant topics on the way to the lecture and afterwards. Students are immensely proud of being able to engage with university lecturers and we always celebrate their engagement, inquisitiveness and courage to speak in large lecture theatres.” – Ellen Hesse, Principal
Hear from one of our students about what they took away from a talk by Diane Abbott, in which she shared her experiences as a long-serving Labour MP.
“It was really interesting to hear from someone like Diane Abbott. Through her experiences and what we learned during the conference, we’re able to apply that knowledge to our politics essays. It makes things much easier, as we can recall the real-life examples she shared and use them directly, rather than simply trying to memorise content from a textbook.” – Hannah, Year 12
