News

COSMOS Arrives in Cambridge

The world's only national cosmology supercomputer has landed in Cambridge. The Silicon Graphics Origin2000 supercomputer, nicknamed COSMOS, will be used by a nation-wide group of cosmologists, the UK Computational Cosmology Consortium (UK-CCC). The supercomputer represents a vital step in maintaining and enhancing the UK's high international standing in this very competitive field. COSMOS will enable UK theorists to model the history of the universe from the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang, right through to the present day, some ten billion years later. The supercomputer may finally prove which of the main rival theories about the formation of galaxies is correct.

Professor Stephen Hawking, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics and principal investigator of the UK-CCC, said of this new arrival: "The COSMOS computer will enable us to calculate what our theories of the early universe predict and test them against the new observational results that are now coming in."

The official launch of COSMOS on 19th May was hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alec Broers, and celebrated with a lecture by Prof. Hawking to an assembled crowd of leading cosmologists from around the UK and representatives from the supercomputer's funding agencies (HEFCE, PPARC and Silicon Graphics).

Rausings Donate £2.5M

The Märit and Hans Rausing Charitable Foundation has given the University £2.5M towards the building of the proposed new Centre for Mathematical Sciences on Clarkson Road. The planned Centre will help those working in the areas of Cosmology and Theoretical Physics, which are of particular interest to Professor Hans Rausing, Patron of the Foundation.

The benefaction was warmly welcomed by Professor David Crighton, Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, "We are immensely grateful to the Märit and Hans Rausing Charitable Foundation for this very generous donation. Cambridge is the world leader in the study of theoretical cosmology, and this tremendous support will help to strengthen our research and open up immensely exciting opportunities in this field that interests them so much."

Birthday Honours

Mrs 'Molly' Maxwell officially received her degree on 13th May, 80 years after leaving the University. As Mary Cullen, she came up to Cambridge in 1914 to study for the Modern Languages Tripos at Newnham College. She completed the Tripos in 1917, but as a woman could not receive her degree at the time. Women were not admitted to degrees until 1948, by which time Mrs Maxwell was busy with her family and her studies at Cambridge were a 30-year-old memory.

However, the staff at the residential home in London where she now lives thought that the degree would make a very special gift on the occasion of Mrs Maxwell's 104th birthday. Dr Gillian Sutherland, Director of Studies in History at Newnham College and an authority on the education of women, delivered a specially prepared degree certificate to Mrs Maxwell at her home in London. This makes her the oldest person to receive a degree from Cambridge University, and possibly the oldest Member of the University. Her unique graduation attracted intense media attention, with the BBC, Sky News, ITN, CNN and the Press Association beating 25 others to a limited number of places for journalists.

A Timely Visit to Hong Kong

The Vice-Chancellor paid a visit to Hong Kong in April, on the eve of the handover of the former colony to the People's Republic of China. Sophie Oliver-Dansie, of the Cambridge University Development Office, prepared this report:

It was a very successful (if frantic) itinerary for the Cambridge party, which included the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs Broers, Dr. Cheng Teik Goh, Mike Smithson, Prof. John Child, Prof. David McMullen and myself. This was a chance to meet a full array of government officials, alumni and old friends, and to make new contacts. The New Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr Chee-hwa Tung, was very interested to hear about Cambridge's future plans. It seems Mr Tung is going to employ a task force to tackle his two main concerns in the Hong Kong and China of tomorrow: education and housing. We hope to work closely with his team to see how Cambridge can assist through the many existing links between departments and individuals within the University.

Dr David Li, who founded The Friends of Cambridge University in Hong Kong, organised a plethora of fascinating events around Hong Kong. The Vice-Chancellor was able to meet Dr Li's close business associates and friends, who were very keen to hear about the University and lend their support.

Mr Colin Cohen, President of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong, organised a marvellous dinner for 130 alumni and their guests. The Vice-Chancellor made a speech and then answered questions from the floor for an hour. The bi-lingual brochure that was specially created for this event was given to all those present, and has since been sent to approximately 500 other alumni in Hong Kong who were not able to attend.

The general feeling in Hong Kong is one of optimism about the handover in June, and we were most fortunate to have been made to feel so welcome. We have had many invitations to return and many of the contacts we made are being followed up in the hope that suitable arrangements can be made for their own visits to Cambridge.

Sophie Oliver-Dansie, Development Office