ANNUAL REPORT: THINKING // CLIENT STORIES // ROBINSON COLLEGE
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University of Cambridge:
A Place Built for Thinking
As one of the premier educational institutions in the world, the University of Cambridge is a special place —— not least because of its college system. The colleges are where students come to live, learn to think, make friends, play sports and build communities. The newest of these colleges, Robinson College, founded in 1977, provides a special living and learning environment for its students —— a place purpose-built for thinking.
As Sir Richard Heaton, Warden of Robinson College, says: “We’re distinct among Cambridge colleges in being determinedly egalitarian from the start. At Robinson, students can enjoy our friendly and relaxed culture while partaking in the traditions of Cambridge and getting a world-class degree.”
Robinson’s beautiful park-like environment is also intentional; it’s meant to provide spaces for students to gather, learn, recreate and simply be outside in an environment designed for thinking.
Sir Richard emphasizes: “We encourage our students to learn how not to work as well as to work. You’ve got to learn how to do sport or play music or debate and how to associate with others.”
Robinson developed Pegasus Scholars to ensure that students from a variety of backgrounds can be successful at Cambridge and beyond. Funded by donations, the Pegasus program pairs new students with mentors to navigate the academic and social aspects of college life. “While our endowment doesn’t come close to that of St. John’s or Trinity Colleges (yet!),” observes Fiona Brockbank, the College’s Bursar, “we try to be very efficient with our funds so that we can support programs such as Pegasus.” Part of the College’s endowment is invested in Brown Advisory’s Global Focus fund, managed by Bertie Thomson —— the result of an introduction by Brown Advisory’s Andrew Blair, a Robinson College alumnus.
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Life is about learning how to think; it’s about being resilient and flexible and adaptable in a difficult, changing world. If we can give students those tools, they’re likely to be more successful adults.
SIR RICHARD HEATON
Warden, Robinson College, University of Cambridge
As with all educational institutions, the leaders at Robinson College consider how AI will impact their work and their students. Sir Richard says: “First of all, the reality is that we don’t know. There’s no easy answer. Just like every other new technology, we will adapt and probably enter a more interesting, creative space where we learn how to deploy AI to assist our work. I can say with certainty that AI does not replace thinking. It’s a tool, but not a substitute, for thinking.”
For students, Sir Richard underscores that one of the benefits of the College is its community. “While it wasn’t designed as an antidote to the digital world, here we have a real-life, analog community where students can spend time thinking and being together by a real river and real gardens. The environment tends to generate a very strong community feeling among students —— and I think that will continue to be essential.”
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