OXFORD’S 39th COLLEGE OPENED

On Saturday 15 June, Reuben College welcomed the Chancellor of the University, the current and previous Vice-Chancellors, Simon Reuben and David Reuben, the Trustees of the Reuben Foundation, and their guests, to the Grand Opening of the refurbished Reuben College buildings. Reuben Fellows, GCR Executive students, Heads of Houses from across the University, and other senior University members also came to celebrate the early days of Oxford’s 39th College. 

Guests were greeted with a drinks reception in the stunning Abbot’s Kitchen function room, followed by a splendid meal in the beautifully restored Dining Hall. Speeches were delivered by the Chancellor, Lord Patten; Reuben Foundation trustee, Lisa Reuben; and Reuben President, Professor Lord (Lionel) Tarassenko. Each speaker gave their own views on the founding of Reuben College, the refurbishment building project and what it meant for the University, the Reuben Foundation and the College.

Using the large screens in the Dining Hall, Lord Tarassenko walked guests through the development of the College since its foundation in May 2019, the challenges of converting 19th and early 20th-century buildings to a 21st-century College, and the growth of the student body in the last three years.

Reuben College was founded to help meet the University of Oxford's need to accommodate a growing demand for more graduate students, who are the engines behind Oxford's research success. The College is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary exchange between the humanities and sciences, within an inclusive, innovative, and impact-oriented community. It intends to provide a scholarly home where students will thrive in an environment driven by entrepreneurial thinking, collaborative working and intellectual discovery.

Lord Tarassenko says of the evening, ‘It was a wonderful occasion on which to welcome our benefactors, the Reuben family, and senior colleagues from the University. I was delighted to have an opportunity to thank all those who have helped to establish Reuben as a thriving college within the University.  Students and Fellows mixed happily with guests on each table, and it was fitting that the Chancellor gave the opening speech two weeks before his retirement.’