Downing College, Cambridge

19/06/2026

🦆 The Downing ducks have been spotted again and seem to be growing in number! 🦆

18/06/2026

🎉 Congratulations to two of our brilliant Fellows on their well-deserved promotions this term!

Professor Emma Lees has been promoted to Professor Grade 12. While Dr Stefania Fiorentino has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor Grade 10. ↗

Find out more: www.dow.cam.ac.uk/news/downing-celebrates-academic-promotions

17/06/2026

Come and discover Downing’s facilities and student accommodation during our Open Days (9 and 10 July).

🚶🏻‍♂️🚶🏽‍♀️Guided tours run every 30 minutes from the Welcome Desk (9.30am – 12.00pm and 1.00pm – 4.30pm). Short on time? Collect a map at the Welcome Desk for a quick self-guided tour instead.
🍽 🍔 Don't forget to 'Eat Like a Student' and enjoy a delicious lunch in our Dining Hall at student prices between 12.00pm – 1.30pm.
ℹ❓Plus, our Information Fair is open all day, 9.30am – 4.30pm. Drop by to chat with Downing’s friendly staff about admissions, accommodation, wellbeing support, and student finance.

Register now: www.dow.cam.ac.uk/widening-participation/open-days

17/06/2026

What happens when grief, guilt and resentment collide with a uniquely Irish sense of humour? The answer is ‘Giving Out’, a new play by Downing College student Jude Hughes that has grown from a Festival of New Writing script into a full-length production which will be on the stage at the Corpus Playroom today!

Find out more: https://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/news/festival-script-full-production-jude-hughes-giving-out-brings-irish-humour-and-heart-stage

15/06/2026

🚨Downing photographers! This week is your last chance to submit an entry into the Alumni Association's Annual Photographic Competition. 🚨

The deadline for submissions is Sunday 21 June 2026. 🕐

This year's theme is "Sports, Games and Pastimes".

Further details can be found here: www.dow.cam.ac.uk/people/downing-college-alumni-association/news-and-events

Image: Peripatetic Pedagogy by Andrea Rubbi (Highly Commended, 2025)

13/06/2026

Congratulations to Downing alumnus Professor Malcolm Smith (1975) on his election as a Fellow of The Royal Society.

Read more:

Gonville & Caius College Fellow Professor Malcolm Smith has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, in recognition of his distinguished work as Professor of Control Engineering at the University of Cambridge and wider research. Professor Smith, who became a Fellow of Caius in 1990, is one of....

12/06/2026

Congratulations to alumnus Jonathan Caplan KC (1969) on the publication of his new book, ‘Not For Disclosure: UFOs The World’s Best-Kept Secret’

Drawing on decades of research, the book explores one of the most intriguing and debated subjects of our time, bringing together testimony and insights from across science, government and intelligence communities.

Wishing Jonathan every success with this fascinating new release!

12/06/2026

With seven players and a weekly training session to keep sharp, the Downing women’s badminton team combines commitment with a great team spirit - and this year, it paid off in style with a Cuppers win. 🏸🏆

We caught up with team captain Jackie (Jiaqi) Guo, a PhD student in Engineering, to chat about the season, the team’s journey to victory and why badminton has been such a highlight of her time at Downing: https://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/news/game-set-cuppers-meet-downing-s-winning-badminton-captain

10/06/2026

🎭 From a Cambridge kitchen to the London stage, Custard Tarts is heading to Riverside Studios this August!

Written by recent grad Alice Harris Deans, this award-recognised play blends q***r history, camp spectacle and sharp humour into something truly special. After a brilliant run in Brighton, the show brings its drag numbers, passive aggression and custard fights to Hammersmith 20–23 August.

We caught up with Alice about the play's origins, life after graduation, and what it takes to carve out a career in theatre. 🥧

Find out more: www.dow.cam.ac.uk/news/sweet-success-alice-roberts-2022-custard-tarts-heads-london

10/06/2026

Thinking of applying to university for 2027 entry? 💭
Want to learn more about the Cambridge admissions process and how to strengthen your application, or what studying here is really like or what makes Downing distinctive? 🎓
Why not join us at Downing College’s Undergraduate Open Days on 9 and 10 July (9.30am – 4.30pm).

Throughout the day, there’ll be lots to discover:
- Attend Subject Drop-in Sessions, led by Downing’s academics, from a selection of disciplines.
- Join our Admissions Talk, led by the Director of Admissions, with a welcome from the Master of the College taking place both morning and afternoon each day.
- If you’re curious about Student Life at Downing, chat with current students throughout the day, and they’ll be happy to share their experience. Just look out for the magenta t-shirts!

A full list of academics attending and subject availability will be published on our website during the week of the Open Days: www.dow.cam.ac.uk/widening-participation/open-days