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ISSUE 20 MICHAELMAS 2020 GONVILLE & CAIUS COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE Pandemics past and present Affordable ventilators for Africa The Caian behind Private Eye ’s Nooks and Corners Fellows win Wolfson History Prize and the Copley Medal A g n e t From the Director of Development t a L a z a r u s I was excited and delighted to join Caius in January this year, and immediately set about meeting Caians. Many of the 2 019/20 events and reunions had been cancelled because of the kitchen refurbishment, so I particularly looked forward to our US visit, the May Week Party and the September Annual Gathering. All those occasions would have given me chances to meet and thank you, our loyal supporters. Your generosity has been vital for the College and will continue to be so in the challenging years that lie ahead. As I write this, 6 months into the pandemic, I feel sad that the computer screen has been my closest friend for too long now. Like you, I am itching to see life return to normal, to plan for the future and celebrate all that is so special about you Caians and this College. The new kitchens should be ready for action by early 20 21 and in a feat of optimism we are publishing the events calendar on the back cover. It is correct as we go to press but may change, so please check the website. You will notice a few changes in the team when you get in touch and when you next visit Caius. Eva Dangerfield, Sam Cooper, Felipe Fazenda and Tristan Selden ( 2015) are still here, joined this summer by Guy Lawrenson as the Deputy Director, Catherine Quinn as the Senior Development Officer and Callia Kirkham as the Alumni Assistant. They will all be pleased to hear from you at any time. This twentieth issue of Once a Caian… is our promise to you, Caians in the UK and all over the world, that we are as determined as ever to stay in close contact with you, whatever pandemics and other challenges may get in our way. Membership of the Caius family is for life: this is your College and you will always be welcome here. You are valued members of this very special academic community and I cannot wait to get to know you all. Dr Maša Amatt (2 019) Director of Development and Fellow “Your gift to Caius also counts towards the Dear Worl d... Yours, Cambridge Campaign” ...Always a Caian 1 Conten ts M a l c o l m C S m i t h ( 1 9 4 9 6 12 0 ) A M g a n l c e o t t l m a L C a z S a m r u i s t h ( 1 9 14 9 18 34 0 ) 2 Giving Back – introducing the College’s new Director of Development, Dr Maša Amatt (2 019) What is the next line of numbers? 4 Caius Locked Down – by the Senior Tutor, Dr Andrew Spencer (2 019) This baffled one of the 6 Forged in the Fire – an interview with the Senior Bursar, Robert Gardiner (2 018) world’s most brilliant mathematicians (see 8 Clean Capitalism – a profile of Miguel Nogales (199 3), Co-CIO, Generation Investment Management Polymath p .12) when he first came across 10 Sharing our Blessings – Elizabeth Virgo (2 017) on her attachment to Caius House it, but no special 12 Polymath – a memoir of Professor John Horton Conway (195 6) mathematical knowledge or skills 14 Rapid Response – low-cost ventilators – Professor Rob Miller (198 3) and Professor Axel Zeitler (2005) are required, just common sense. 16 Making History – interview with Churchill’s biographer, Andrew Roberts (198 3) Try to solve it 18 Planet Ocean – new books by Professor David Abulafia (197 4) and Professor Sujit Sivasundaram (2002) before turning to p.35 for 20 Nooks & Corners – Private Eye’s Piloti, Gavin Stamp (196 8) remembered by Dr John Casey (196 4) the solution. 22 Not Afraid of The Dark – adventures in the Canadian Arctic – Joanne Rowe (198 7) 24 Weathering the Storm – the importance of benefaction, past, present and future 26 Thanks to our Benefactors 34 CaiNotes 36 Grim Visitations – Previous pandemics at Caius – researched by Michael Prichard (195 0) Cover photos by Malcolm C Smith (199 0), Siobhan Roberts, Judith Croasdell and Dan White 2 Once a Caian... enerosity is infectious. Giving Cambridge for the past fourteen years. She is ‘Something useful’ turned out to be is said to be better than delighted to have taken the reins at what working as an interpreter (Brownie point for receiving, and it’s natural, modesty will not prevent us calling the Maša’s parents!), first for the UN Human after receiving a gift, to want leading Oxbridge college in fundraising. Rights Commission, and then for the War to make a gift, in turn, to Maša and her sister Iva were born and Crimes Tribunal. As well as translating Gsomeone else. In that way, good deeds go brought up in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. interviews with victims of war crimes, she right around the world. She enrolled at Zagreb University to study used her archaeological skills in the Caian benefactors often tell us how Archaeology and German – Archaeology gruesome task of exhuming bodies from a happy they are, when their gifts are matched because it was her passion, German because mass grave. by others, or when their donations inspire her parents, both linguists, felt a second The Croatian War of Independence friends to even greater generosity. For all of language would help her to earn a living: (1991-1995) and its aftermath meant that it the past 672 years, this College has owed its ‘After the first year I was reaffirmed in my was almost eight years before Maša could go very existence to its benefactors – and that thinking, that spending four years learning back to finish her degree. After graduation, a is unlikely to change, any time soon. For our various exceptions to German grammar friend with tenure at Cambridge invited her current students, Caius covers nearly half of wasn't going to be time well spent. So I to help him on an archaeological project and the costs of their education, meals and quickly dropped German and carried on with then suggested she should do a Master’s accommodation, out of its Endowment. Archaeology on its own. While I was degree here. Our new Director of Development, Dr studying, the political situation in the ‘By the time I got my act together, the Maša Amatt, completed both of her country started unravelling itself, and in my application deadlines were coming thick and Cambridge degrees, a Master’s and a PhD in second year, the war broke out. That put a fast. There were very few sources of funding Archaeology, thanks to the kindness of stop to anything remotely academic I was I could apply for, and as an overseas student, strangers. Remembering how an overseas doing at the time. You know, the lectures I would be paying astronomical fees. I could studentship and a timely research grant pretty much stopped, the country stopped never have paid for myself. So, when I was opened new opportunities for her, Maša has functioning, and I felt I wanted to get trying to work out which college to put on been immersed in educational fundraising in involved and do something useful.’ my list, I actually put only one, Peterhouse, Maša with much-missed Maggie Maša at her PhD graduation with her parents, Dunja and Oliver Mlakar, and her husband, Chris Amatt because it was the only one that was offering financial support. And it was specifically a studentship for overseas students coming to do one-year Master’s courses. Perfect. I applied for it and I got it. ‘I arrived in Cambridge on a very wet early October day in 1998. I hated it, the first term. Just everything was wrong. I really didn’t want to stay. Then I went home for Christmas; I couldn’t wait to get home. And Giving then I just couldn’t wait to get back to Cambridge. Whilst I was at home with nothing to do, I was looking around at a country that was totally ravaged by the war. There was very little to do, the prospects were really poor, the country was embroiled in this nationalistic narrative, and politics was in everything. Back ‘I just thought, no, no, no, I don’t think I ...Always a Caian 3 Maša and her sister Iva enjoying Cambridge Maša and Chris Maša with her favourite Peterhouse crew, competing in the 2001 Fairbairns Cup can cope with this. I’d like to go back and an archaeological unit really dive into that archaeology I always attached to your loved doing – and rowing. So I came back – local council, which is and I loved the rest of my time here. As the very interesting work. Easter Term approached, I thought I’d like a You are really at the little bit more of this so I applied to do a coalface all the time. PhD. I didn’t get funding straight away and The other stream is had to take a year out. I went back home academia – with Mouse and Pebbles and worked, to save some money and then very little in wondering why Maša’s I came back in 2000 to do the PhD. And I’m between. And, for an working late again still here.’ academic job, you have Left: Loxley looking cute Maša’s PhD was on animal bone as a raw to be prepared to travel material, in Paleolithic and Mesolithic the world.
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