Newnham College welcomes Alison Rose as our new Principal, the thirteenth in a series of distinguished women to lead the College.
Alison says, “I see Newnham as a strong community of inspiring women making a recognised contribution to academia, society and the world.”
Alison will be formally instated as Principal in October, when she makes her Solemn Promise alongside the new Fellows of the College. She will take on the task of securing ‘the good governance of the College as a place of education, learning and research’. It’s a task she welcomes: “My own experience as a student here and my subsequent career as a civil servant and diplomat means I sign up to that role with enthusiasm.”
Alison is certainly one of those women contributing to society and the world. She joins us from a career in the Civil and Diplomatic Services: her previous role was as Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. Alison is herself a Newnham alumna (NC 1980), having studied History at Cambridge. It’s therefore no surprise that, soon after her return to college, she bought a bike and headed out towards Grantchester, to visit the grave of our first Principal, Anne Jemima Clough.
She was quick to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of more recent Principals, too, “Thanks to Dame Carol Black’s leadership,” said Alison, “The College now has the amazing new Dorothy Garrod building which is the envy of Cambridge. I want to continue her emphasis on equipping women students for the world beyond Cambridge, and encouraging all Newnhamites to fulfill their full potential.”
Newnham at this point in time has a clear focus on the future. Alison Rose will lead the College as we approach our 150th anniversary year, in 2021. She says, “I want to celebrate our achievements and see how Newnham can prepare and inspire current and future generations through the rest of the twenty-first century.” We look forward to her leadership over the next seven years.
Alison is sharing her return to Newnham (and her enthusiasm for history) on her Twitter account, @alisonroseNC