Churchill College, University of Cambridge

Churchill College, which received its Royal Charter in 1960, is the national and Commonwealth memorial to Sir Winston Churchill. It is the embodiment of his vision of how higher education can benefit society in the modern age. Like the thirty other colleges in Cambridge University, it is committed to outstanding academic achievement; more than twenty of its members have won the Nobel Prize. While it focuses especially on science, engineering and technology, its teaching and research also reflect the intense interest in the arts and humanities of Sir Winston himself, whose own Nobel Prize was for literature. And it builds bridges from academe to business and the professions.

Open, friendly, progressive and outward-looking, Churchill also builds bridges to the wider community. It pioneered the entry of women to all-male colleges. It seeks and welcomes able students who might not otherwise aspire to come to Cambridge. It gives bursaries to those in need. And it draws a rich variety of scholars from abroad, some through Overseas Fellowships and others through schemes such as the Winston Churchill Scholarships, which enable outstanding graduate students from the USA to study in Cambridge. In short, Churchill College provides a most attractive and inspiring environment, as its founder wished, for new generations keen to learn and to meet the challenges of the future.

Churchill occupies one of the largest sites of any Cambridge college, over forty acres close to the University's expanding science, engineering and mathematics departments. Playing fields adjoin the spacious lawns and quiet courts of the College, whose buildings, faithful to the traditional collegiate pattern, were the first major work of modern architecture in the University — deemed by Pevsner "the best of the new". Churchill has generous facilities for social, cultural and recreational life — a vital part of the educational experience. Among these are a splendid theatre, a superb music centre, elegant halls and galleries, a fitness suite, and tennis and squash courts. Other amenities include the Sheppard and Wolfson Flats for family accommodation and the Møller Centre, which provides first-class residential and conference facilities for academic and business leaders from around the globe.

The Churchill Archives Centre houses the papers of Sir Winston, Baroness Thatcher and over 600 of their contemporaries — politicians, diplomats, civil servants, military figures, scientists and engineers. It is one of the most important repositories in the world for research into recent history and a unique resource for studying the art of leadership in diverse spheres. As well as acting as a magnet to scholars, the Centre is developing an extensive outreach programme based on digital technology.

Churchill College has some 450 undergraduates, 280 postgraduates, 150 Fellows and 140 staff, and it is sustained by links with over 7000 alumni throughout the world. Members of the College have achieved distinction in many fields, advancing knowledge and transforming understanding. They are united by a dedication to excellence and an authentic sense of community.