annual report 2020–2021 Vice-Chancellor’s welcome

There have not been many constants in Last spring we felt very fortunate to have the two years since we last met in person. the long Easter break to plan for Trinity It has been a time of ever changing rules, term, never imagining that we would still restrictions, adaptations and guidance. be adapting to the pandemic in Michaelmas, But there have been some constants: your Hilary and another Trinity term. Each unwavering support for our University term has been different. Last Trinity term and the gratitude of my colleagues and I we moved all teaching and assessment for your generosity. online and sent almost all students home. In Michaelmas term we welcomed our Philanthropy has played a pivotal role in largest student cohort ever and taught them the evolution of Oxford over the centuries, both online and in person. Hilary term was as the names on so many of our colleges, different again, with many students here but our programmes, and our buildings very little face to face teaching permitted attest. This has continued throughout the and, as I write, we await guidance on how pandemic. Last spring we announced an many of our students will be permitted extraordinarily generous gift of £80 million to return for Trinity term. Throughout, from the Reuben Foundation which will the colleges and the University have worked One of the many lessons of enable us to create the first new college together like never before, ensuring the in 30 years. Reuben College will be the pandemic is the imperative safety of our students and staff and for graduate students and will help us to the protection of our mission of teaching not to ignore high consequence address the soaring demand for graduate and research. but predictable events. places and the need of our academics for researchers on their teams, without We have also found time to celebrate. — Professor Louise Richardson overcrowding our existing colleges. This year we have celebrated the centenary Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford The work of the college will be organised of the – belated – admission of women around broad themes critical to the future: to full membership of the University with climate change, cellular life and machine events and academic appointments. learning and AI. The highlight was the appointment of Professor Brenda Stevenson as the inaugural One of the many lessons of the holder of the newly endowed Hillary pandemic is the imperative not to ignore Rodham Clinton Chair in Women’s History. Contents high consequence but predictable events. The risk of pandemics is one example, In the pages that follow we provide more another is the growing risk of anti-microbial insight into our activities, most of which Vice-Chancellor’s welcome 1 resistance (AMR). Due largely to the are only possible because of the generous overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, we support of our alumni and friends. Championing the humanities 2 are becoming increasingly resistant to Thank you. antibiotics. Left unchecked this could herald Inspiring the next generation 3 a return to the days before penicillin was first discovered here in Oxford, when The positive impact of video games 4 minor medical treatments regularly led to infections and loss of life. Thanks to the Capturing history in the making 5 remarkable gift of £100 million from Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this year, the INEOS The threat of ‘Disease X’ 6 Oxford Institute will be at the vanguard Professor Louise Richardson of global research into AMR. Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford Recognising your support 8 Membership 10

Images © University of Oxford/John Cairns Photography, except the following: Cover © Paopano/Vadim Sadovski/Shutterstock.com. Elements of this image furnished by NASA, composite by Nadja Guggi/Messrs Dash & Dare; p. 2 © The Metropolitan Museum of Art; p. 4 © adriaticfoto/Shutterstock.com; p. 5 © Luke Jerram

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 1 Being in this environment is an awe-inspiring and holistic experience that goes beyond academic benefits. Studying at Oxford, where I can conduct the most cutting-edge research in my field, means I can pursue my dreams. The scholarship made this possible for me. — Kristýna Rendlová Baillie Gifford-AHRC Scholar

(Left) “The Great Abu Sa’ud Teaching Law”, Folio from a Divan of Mahmud ‘Abd-al Baqi, mid-16th century Inspiring the next The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 25.83.9

(Right) A chemistry graduate carrying out research using a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer generation

Professor Dame Carol Robinson is Professor Robinson, which works to discover numbered among such pioneers. After novel medicines using mass spectrometry. leaving school at 16, she took an unusual Professor Robinson remains at the forefront route to graduation. While working full of gas phase structural biology, a field she time as a technician, she participated in established and continues to dominate the Royal Society of Chemistry’s graduation worldwide. Her work has attracted scheme and completed her undergraduate numerous awards and prizes, including the studies. It is worthy of note that she Royal Society’s Gold Medal (A) and the subsequently was the President of the Royal Othmer Gold Medal. Professor Robinson I am extremely grateful to Society of Chemistry from 2018 to 2020. is Oxford’s first female professor of have received such generous In a record two years, Professor Robinson chemistry and currently holds the chair support. Holding an endowed completed her PhD at Cambridge University. of the Dr Lee’s Professor of Chemistry. Thereafter she took an eight-year career Recently, the endowment of her chair was Championing the humanities chair enables me to focus break to raise her three children before generously supported by a member of the on my scientific work, while undertaking a postdoctoral position Vice-Chancellor’s Circle and graduate of at Oxford under the late Professor Oxford’s Department of Chemistry. Graduate students in the humanities our research, which is often overlooked Professor Karen O’Brien, Head of the also dedicating important Sir Christopher Dobson – her mentor Inspired by their tutors while a student are pursuing their dreams thanks to but has massive social, political and Humanities Division, says: ‘Talented throughout her career and lifelong friend. time to mentoring female at Oxford, the donor wished to support the generosity of new VCC member cultural impact.’ graduate students are the lifeblood of Professor Robinson now applies the same female academics and encourage the next Baillie Gifford, an investment management a vibrant academic community, and are scientists as part of my goal mentorship principles of encouragement Kristýna Rendlová, also a scholar in generation of pioneering female chemists. firm. Nine DPhil (PhD) scholars are the professors, policy-makers and business and confidence building to her own the first cohort, is studying the pictorial to make science a more The donor gave a generous gift which, already benefiting from the donation, leaders of tomorrow. These scholarships researchers, particularly female academics representation of architecture in 15th combined with match funding from the which has been matched by the Arts and support our students at a critical period accessible career choice. working at all levels in science. and 16th-century Ottoman illustrated Endowment Challenge Fund, made the Humanities Research Council to provide in their academic development.’ manuscripts as part of her scholarship. — Professor Dame Carol Robinson Today, Professor Robinson’s research chair’s endowment possible. fully-funded scholarships to 12 scholars Kristýna explores the range of images As well as funding scholarships, is dedicated to the study of protein by 2023–2024. Dr Lee’s Professor of Chemistry The University is privileged to work with of Persianate, Byzantine, European, Baillie Gifford’s support has also established structure, function and interactions using donors who are passionate about supporting Joana Perrone is one of the first cohort Hijazi and Iraqi origin that co-existed – the Baillie Gifford Writing Partnerships mass spectrometry. In her early experiments In 2020 the University began to celebrate women in science. Their foresight and of Baillie Gifford-AHRC Scholars. She is and occasionally interacted – within Programme, which has paired more than she exploited the capability of electrospray the centenary of women’s right to generosity continue the legacy of Oxford researching femicide – the killing of women Ottoman book painting during its 250 graduate students and postdoctoral mass spectrometry to study individual matriculate and to graduate from Oxford. female pioneers and allow scientists, such because of their gender – in Brazil. She said: formative phase. Kristýna’s research researchers in the humanities with a partner proteins. Studying protein structures is This milestone has been an opportunity to as Professor Robinson, to inspire the next ‘I have developed a dataset that contains sheds new light on the processes of for regular writing meet-ups. The programme key to understanding many diseases and recognise the multiple ways in which women generation of female scientists. all femicide cases reported to the Brazilian artistic exchange and the understanding has become even more popular during to the development of treatments. In 2018, have contributed to the University and the media since January 2019, and I am of images as they were framed by diverse lockdown as researchers seek guidance and the group discovered a lipid which regulates world, as well as to commemorate those who drawing very interesting data from the cultural-historical, ideological and peer support to overcome the challenges the coupling of G-protein coupled provided the impetus for this change. These reports. I want to thank Baillie Gifford creative forces within the early modern of isolation and anxiety caused by the receptors, the target of more than 40% of pioneering figures are a source of inspiration for supporting humanities scholars and Ottoman Empire. coronavirus pandemic. marketable drugs. This led to the creation today, a reminder of past, and future, of OMass Therapeutics, founded by www.chem.ox.ac.uk achievements. www.humanities.ox.ac.uk

2 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 3 The positive impact of video games

It is often claimed that the overall mental The study suggests that experiences The next stage for the programme, which well-being of young people is undergoing of competence and social connection will continue until 2022, is to broaden the a pronounced period of decline, with with others through play may contribute amount of data available for academics. some implying that digital technologies to people’s well-being. Indeed, those who This will allow them to conduct independent might be driving this trend. Over the past derived enjoyment from playing were research on gaming and young people, and three years, the Programme on Adolescent more likely to report experiencing positive to use the findings to empower parents and Well-Being in the Digital Age at the well-being. These experiences during play policy makers to make informed decisions Oxford Internet Institute (OII) has been may be even more important than the based on facts rather than scaremongering investigating both of these assumptions actual amount of time a player invests headlines. with empirical data drawn from more in games and they could play a major role The OII is a multidisciplinary research and than two dozen countries. in the well-being of players. teaching department dedicated to the social The programme, led by Professor Andrew Professor Andrew Przybylski says of the science of the internet. Since its founding Przybylski, and funded through the study, ‘Our findings show video games in 2001, OII’s research has had global support of VCC member the Huo Family aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there impact on policy debate, formulation and Foundation, is the first of its kind in are other psychological factors which have implementation, as well as a secondary Glass sculptures of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine capturing the ‘whole picture’ on how a significant effect on a person’s well-being. impact on people’s well-being, safety and (right) and the coronavirus, by artist Luke Jerram. technology can impact a child’s mental In fact, play can be an activity that relates understanding. The OII tackles society’s big The Oxford vaccine sculpture has recently been health. Rather than asking players how positively to people’s mental health – and questions with the aim of positively shaping acquired by the HSM, and will be on display in much they play, it uses industry data on regulating video games could withhold the development of the digital world for the the museum’s Entrance Gallery from May 2021 actual play time for popular video games, those benefits from players.’ public good. such as Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. www.oii.ox.ac.uk Capturing history in the making

Over the past year, academics from personal stories and material heritage across the University have been engaged of Oxford’s COVID-19 response, from test in an urgent response to the coronavirus kits to prototype ventilators and, of course, pandemic. The world has looked to Oxford vaccine-related items. for treatments and a vaccine to protect Ahead of its centenary in 2024, the communities globally. As a result, the HSM is embarking on an ambitious impact and potential of science have never strategy to redisplay and reinterpret its been so relevant, nor has the University’s world-class collection, providing a platform research been so closely followed. A dedicated Curator for engagement with science in Oxford. For nearly 100 years, the History of The museum is creating the dedicated role of Modern Science is central Science Museum (HSM) has been collecting of Curator of Modern Science to help achieve to the ambitious plans for and sharing the stories of Oxford’s ground- these ambitions and to lead a strategy for its breaking scientific discoveries. Co-curated contemporary collections. The curator will transforming the History exhibitions such as the award-winning work closely with colleagues across the wider of Science Museum into the Alice in Typhoidland, which explores the University to gather and share the stories biology, history and current context of and objects which represent the research prime place within our typhoid using the story of one of Oxford’s and achievements of its scholars: not just the University where the stories most famous characters, Alice Liddell celebrated discoveries, but also lesser known (Alice in Wonderland), help to bring breakthroughs from an array of material and of Oxford science can be told scientific achievements and the stories stories across departments. These stories will for the wider public and of researchers to the public. The global be made accessible to all through exhibitions pandemic is history in the making and at the museum, within the departments where academics alike, onsite, offsite the HSM is playing a critical role in the research took place, and online. capturing and preserving it. and online. The coronavirus pandemic has brought into Since the beginning of the pandemic, focus the relevance of science to society. The — Dr Silke Ackermann FSA Dr Silke Ackermann, the Director of the HSM illustrates the impact of contemporary Director, History of Science Museum, museum, in partnership with the Bodleian science on everyday lives and Oxford’s University of Oxford Libraries, has been collaborating with contribution to the world. colleagues across the University on a rapid- response project, Collecting COVID. This project aims to preserve and share the www.hsm.ox.ac.uk

4 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 5 Before 2020, it was unimaginable that life many diseases including influenza and Creating and testing a vaccine is expensive, could change so radically in just a few short tuberculosis, fitted the bill. This vector was as is running large-scale drug trials, but The threat of ‘Disease X’ months. Over a year has passed since the used to create Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, thanks to the pivotal support of generous new strain of coronavirus and the highly ChAdOx1 n-Cov-19, and it was in human donors, the team was able to deliver results contagious, and sometimes fatal, disease that trials by April. quickly. The University is indebted to all it causes – COVID-19 – was first discovered. 2,000 individuals, trusts and companies Working with a production and deployment Last year we moved at unprecedented who gave their support. COVID-19 is not the first disease to be a partner was vital to ensure that the pace in unprecedented circumstances. global threat: globalisation and population vaccine was accessible. Oxford found that Particular thanks go to VCC member We identified unexpected needs for growth have increased risks of rapid partner in AstraZeneca, which began Lakshmi Mittal and his family, whose transmission of pathogens. Decades of manufacturing large amounts of the vaccine support has secured the future of a critical funding as we worked, but thanks to world-leading research have given Oxford’s ‘at risk’ – before the vaccine was proven to professorship in vaccinology at the University. the overwhelming support of donors researchers a keen awareness of the risk be effective – to accelerate the timeline. The The post will be known as the Lakshmi Mittal posed by ‘Disease X’. This awareness has partnership agreement includes guarantees and Family Professorship of Vaccinology and from across the globe, Oxford’s vaccine been embedded into high-threat infection that distribution would be equitable and is currently held by Professor Adrian Hill. research programmes in Oxford and across affordable, and that neither Oxford nor development did not suffer delays Professor Hill is the Director of the Oxford the world through its partnerships in AstraZeneca would make a profit from Jenner Institute. In 2014 he led the first clinical and proceeded at a rapid pace. Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. the vaccine during the pandemic. trial of a vaccine aimed at controlling the The University’s team uniquely had the — Professor Sarah Gilbert In addition to its vaccine, Oxford also Ebola outbreak in West Africa, thus kick- foresight, the innovative technology and produced the first evidence of an effective starting an initiative at the Jenner Institute Saïd Professor of Vaccinology and lead researcher the experience to understand and respond treatment through its ongoing drug trial, to develop vaccines for outbreak pathogens. on the vaccine programme immediately to the risk that the new RECOVERY. In February 2021 the Professor Hill’s own vaccine research coronavirus presented. anti-inflammatory treatment, tocilizumab, programme has developed one of the most Requirements for a vaccine capable of used in conjunction with the low-cost promising potential vaccines for malaria, controlling a pandemic include the ability steroid dexamethasone, was found to which is currently in large-scale trials in to ship, store and produce it at low cost. reduce death risk by about a third for sub-Saharan Africa. By January 2020, Oxford’s team already patients on oxygen and to halve it for knew that the viral vector, ChAdOx1, those on a ventilator. www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus- which had been tested in clinical trials for research

Pandemic preparedness Throughout the pandemic, the University has proven its exceptional scientific capacity to make life-saving discoveries. Oxford is an innovator, and the team has already started to assess the future and the need for a sustainable infrastructure to enable humanity to respond to the next global pandemic. Oxford’s vision is to develop a ‘Pandemic Science Institute’ to accelerate and expand its capacity to develop vaccines, therapies and technologies for existing and emerging diseases. This initiative will integrate disciplines from across the University, encompassing international partnerships, buildings, research programmes and scholarships to produce a globally-focused pandemic response platform. 2020 is a catalyst for change, and, by investing in innovative and sound science, we can ensure resilience, economic stability and global health security now and for future generations. (Main) Professor Sarah Gilbert Together we have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our global society. (Right) Scientist prepares a ‘Flow Cytometer’ for use. This machine can be used to study different immune cell populations following vaccination.

6 VICE-VICE-CHANCELLOR’SCHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 7 Recognising your support Over the past year, it has been a real pleasure to bring members of the Circle together online About the Circle Exclusive member events Staying in touch for a range of stimulating and engaging events. Throughout the centuries, the support Over the past year, VCC members The University regularly communicates of philanthropists has contributed have been invited to attend a number with members of the Vice-Chancellor’s — Professor Louise Richardson significantly to the life and work of the of special webinars, providing them with Circle to ensure that they are at the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford University of Oxford. The outstanding an exclusive insight into Oxford’s forefront of the latest developments. generosity of supporters continues to ground-breaking research into COVID-19. On a regular basis, Circle members are transform lives and societies around The Vice-Chancellor has hosted these events, sent the email newsletter Oxford the world today. which have featured eminent academics Perspectives, which includes news, events including Professor Richard Cornall, and research from across the University. The Vice-Chancellor’s Circle, launched Head of the Nuffield Department of If you are not receiving Oxford Perspectives in 2009 to recognise benefactors to Medicine, and the lead architects of the and would like to, or have any comments the University and its colleges, is one Oxford vaccine: Professors Sarah Gilbert, or suggestions on your membership of of the University of Oxford’s recognition Adrian Hill and Andrew Pollard. Pioneering the Circle, please contact: societies. Philanthropic support given by research like this could not happen without members of the Vice-Chancellor’s Circle, Mr Oliver Greig the generosity and commitment of the and by members of the Chancellor’s Court Head of Donor Relations, Events University’s donors. of Benefactors (led by the Chancellor, and Legacies The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes, CH), In May, members of the Circle were helps to ensure that the University remains brought together online for the E: [email protected] a world-class institution at the forefront Vice-Chancellor’s Annual Meeting for University of Oxford Development Office of outstanding teaching and benefits the first time. This event, hosted by the University Offices society on a national and global scale. Vice-Chancellor, was designed to mark Wellington Square the centenary of the admission of women Membership of the Vice-Chancellor’s Oxford OX1 2JD to Oxford. Professor Richardson led Circle enables donors to hear first-hand United Kingdom a panel discussion, which included from the Vice-Chancellor about the www.development.ox.ac.uk Professors Patricia Clavin, Alison Noble, strategic direction of the University. Irene Tracey and Ngaire Woods, and Through regular communications and invited them to reflect on their research events, members gain a greater and careers, and on gender equality understanding of the work across the in academia. University, and are given unique insights into the impact of their support on research and scholarship at Oxford.

(Main) Oxford’s iconic spires

(Right) Annual Meeting of the Vice-Chancellor’s Circle, 2019

8 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 VICE-CHANCELLOR’S CIRCLE 2020–21 9 For further information, or for any queries, please contact: Mr Oliver Greig, Head of Donor Relations, Events and Legacies University of Oxford Development Office University Offices Wellington Square Oxford OX1 2JD United Kingdom E: [email protected] www.development.ox.ac.uk