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A rare and significant archive of Alan Turing's unpublished Second World War papers has found a permanent home at King's.

Following his ground-breaking work on the Enigma machines at Bletchley Park, in 1943 Turing (KC 1931) turned to building a portable voice encoder for short-distance transmission to be used in military operations. The project was code-named 'Delilah'. With the help of electrical engineer Donald Bayley they built a single prototype to encipher a speech for transmission via a telephone line or VHF radio link with accurate and complete reproduction at the other end.

During the development work at Hanslope Park, now the home of HMGCC (His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre), Turing and Bayley kept a logbook of their experimental results. Bayley also kept handwritten notes of lectures Turing gave to interested Hanslope Park engineers about the mathematics behind the project, along with loose pages of diagrams, calculations, explanations, and other electronic and mathematical theorems and problems.

Unpublished evidence of Alan Turing's work has rarely survived, and the papers were at risk of leaving the country unless a UK institution or individual tried to purchase the items and retain them in the UK for the public to enjoy. The notebooks were saved thanks to a major donation from trading firm XTX Markets, Friends of the Nations' Libraries, and further support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and King's College.

"It’s brilliant news that the Friends of the Nations’ Libraries charity has successfully campaigned to save Alan Turing’s vital notebooks. Turing was not only a pioneering figure in science and mathematics, but also a national hero” said Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Lisa Nandy.

“This is a powerful example of what can be achieved when private and charitable sectors come together. After a government export ban was placed on the notebooks, this collaboration has ensured that these treasures will be preserved for years to come.”

The papers consist of more than 40 pages of unpublished ‘Delilah’ project notes written by Alan Turing and Donald Bayley and are the most important archive of Turing material to come to auction. They will join the largest collection of Turing-related documents at King’s College, Cambridge. Once digitised they will become part of the Turing Papers online archive, freely available to scholars and students around the world.

Alex Gerko, Founder and co-CEO, XTX Markets said, “The 'Delilah’ papers are a unique collection of notes from one of the nation’s greatest mathematicians. It’s important that this archive remains in the UK and is made publicly accessible, so we are thrilled to be part of that effort.”

Alan Turing arrived at King’s as an undergraduate in 1931 and was made a Fellow in 1935, maintaining a lifelong connection with the College. The Turing Archive was founded in 1960 following a donation of his papers by his mother, Sara Turing.

“Alan Turing’s work laid the foundations of computer science, artificial intelligence and much of our modern world. We are honoured to house the ‘Delilah’ papers at King’s and are deeply grateful to our partners in this endeavour, particularly XTX Markets, Alex Gerko, and the Friends of the Nations’ Libraries,” commented King’s College Provost Gillian Tett.

Geordie Greig, Chair of Friends of the Nations' Libraries said: “This extraordinary private donation means that crucial papers written by one of Britain’s geniuses have been saved and can be studied at Cambridge. It is a wonderful act of generosity by XTX Markets and Alex Gerko and we are delighted to have played a part in bringing together this brilliant collaboration between XTX Markets and King’s College, a centre of academic excellence to save our heritage."

Ash Simkins’ review of over 67,000 animal species has found that while the natural world continues to face a biodiversity crisis, targeted conservation efforts can be successful.

The study draws on data from the IUCN Red List, the world’s largest database of species conservation status. The researchers say their results, reported in the journal PLOS Biology, highlight both the successes and the need for urgent action.

The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge with the IUCN, BirdLife International, and Oxford and Durham Universities, used Red List data to assess whether conservation measures had been put in place, and whether those actions had a positive impact on a given species’ conservation status.

“We found that almost all the species that have moved from a more threatened category to a less threatened category have benefitted from some sort of conservation measures,” said lead author Ash Simkins, a PhD candidate in Cambridge’s Department of Zoology. “It’s a strong signal that conservation works.”

While there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, the researchers observed some connections between conservation success stories. Many of these species live in isolated areas, such as islands, where intensive conservation efforts – such as habitat protection, captive breeding and reintroductions – can be fully implemented.

“While biodiversity loss is a genuine crisis, it’s vital that we celebrate the success stories wherever and whenever we can,” says Ash. “It’s so hard for a species to improve its conservation status, but with the right effort, we can turn things around.”

The Iberian lynx, once the world’s most endangered cat, has rebounded from just a few hundred individuals to a few thousand. And the European bison, which was hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, now roams parts of Eastern Europe thanks to sustained conservation efforts over decades.

Ash states that like human healthcare, preventative measures in conservation are preferable and more cost-effective to emergency interventions:

“Humans have gotten pretty good at what could be considered ‘A&E’ conservation – focusing on species at very high risk of extinction. What we’re less good at is preventing species from becoming threatened in the first place. We need to move beyond treating the symptoms of biodiversity loss and start addressing the root causes.”
Ash also emphasises the need for collaborative, locally driven conservation. “It’s vital that we as conservationists are working with stakeholders, rather than dictating to them, whether that’s an Indigenous community in Papua New Guinea or a farmer in Somerset. Conservation doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game – there are compromises that can benefit both the natural world and human society.”

Young people facing disadvantage from Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas will have a significantly enhanced opportunity to attend higher education, thanks to a new children’s education centre in the heart of the town.

The new education facility, which officially opened on 25 March 2025, is jointly funded by education charity IntoUniversity, and King’s College Cambridge, celebrated an opening event at its centre in the Wrkspace on Linthorpe Road. King’s has been committed to student outreach in the North East of England for more than 20 years and works with a number of secondary schools in the region to encourage talented students to pursue further study.

The centre employs four full-time members of staff and will be used to offer after-school academic support, mentoring with local university students and professionals, in-school aspiration-raising workshops and enrichment and work experience opportunities.

Middlesbrough is an IMD (index of multiple deprivation) decile 1 area, meaning it’s among the 10% most deprived places nationally. The local progression rate into higher education is just 20%, compared to 44% of students nationally, making the area a prime location for an IntoUniversity centre.

Attending the event were around 20 students aged 7-18 who are set to benefit from the centre for the next academic year and beyond, with some of them delivering speeches.

Primary school students took part in a variety of activities during the event replicating the type of activities they will be engaging with in the year ahead. Secondary school students posed questions about future study and careers to attending guests.

IntoUniversity has a proven track record of improving attainment into higher education for students facing disadvantage, and currently supports over 56,000 young people each year at their 44 centres nationwide.

58% of students who attend IntoUniversity centres go on to progress to university, compared with 29% of students from similar backgrounds nationally. The Middlesbrough centre builds on work the organisation already does in the North East through its centres in Newcastle and Hull, among others.

“We’re delighted to be collaborating with IntoUniversity to support the foundation of their new Middlesbrough centre,” said King’s College Provost, Dr Gillian Tett. “King’s has long-standing connections to the North East through our schools’ outreach work in the region and see this as a valuable opportunity to further support talented young people and their aspirations.”

Dr Rachel Carr, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, said:

“Middlesbrough is a place very close to my heart, as my parents were from the town and I still have many family and friends here. It therefore gives me great pleasure to be able to open a centre here, and to be partnering with King’s College Cambridge to deliver a programme which will have a lasting impact for young people in Middlesbrough.

“We look forward to working closely with local schools, parents and carers and of course the amazing young people who are the heart and soul of these centres. Young people in Middlesbrough have so much talent, but circumstances can mean their opportunities to reach their full potential are limited.

“We believe that with the right support these young people can thrive in their educational journeys and ultimately reach positive post-school destinations. Thanks to our partner, King’s College Cambridge, and to everyone else who has made this centre possible.”

The final of ‘Take it to the Bridge’, the annual popular music competition, took place on 7 March at the Cambridge Junction.

Second year Music student Kenzie Robertson performed alongside her band members and lead singer Iona Luke delivering a show-stopping set that won over the audience and the panel of judges, chaired by BBC Radio 1 Music Editor Matt Fincham and including Anton Browne (The BRIT School), Rebecca May (Cambridge 105), and Damien Yare (Warner Music Group).

As well as Iona Luke, student bands Garbhán McEnoy, Hot Content, and Postbox had also been selected to participate in the final of 'Take it to the Bridge' after a hot-contested first round in Michaelmas Term. A total of 20 Cambridge students from 16 colleges battling it out in the annual University’s band competition, with hundreds of students and local residents packing the Junction.

The winning act walks away with an artist support package which includes professional studio time, a photoshoot, industry mentorship, and the opportunity to record and release two songs of release quality. Last year’s winner, Quasar (with King’s medic James Wang on keyboard), had the opportunity to perform for an audience of thousands on the main stage of the Cambridge Club Festival.

“We are all absolutely thrilled to have won the ‘Take it to the Bridge’ competition. It was an incredible night, core memories for all of us, sharing huge amounts of joy and pride. The atmosphere was amazing, and all the bands went to the pub together afterwards - it was a special night where music brought all of us and our friends and families together" says Kenzie "We are so excited for the recording sessions coming up, and I personally can’t wait to see where Iona’s song writing takes her - I really believe she is something special.”

Image: Kenzie with her band and Iona Luke photographed by Chris Loades

UK-based students studying at sixth form (or equivalent) level, regardless of subjects studied, are welcome to enter.

 The King’s Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab) is delighted to introduce the third edition of the Entrepreneurial Essay Competition. The purpose of the competition is to encourage UK-based students to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations and understand better how to launch an enterprise. The E-Lab is particularly keen to foster this entrepreneurial spirit among students who might not traditionally consider entering the world of business and hope this competition encourages more young people to apply to Oxbridge and Higher Education.

 E-Lab associate Rhys Williams says “after the success of last year’s competition, where we received hundreds of fantastic essays exploring the entrepreneurial spirit, we are very excited to be launching the competition again! We look forward to reading the amazing essays and to welcoming the prize winners to the College in autumn”.

 Students should choose between one of the three possible essay questions exploring the importance of entrepreneurialism and the challenges that business people face. UK-based students currently in years 11, 12 and 13 in England and Wales; S4, S5 and S6 in Scotland; or years 12, 13 or 14 in Northern Ireland - regardless of subjects studied - are welcome to enter the competition. A winner, and two runners-up, will be invited to King’s College for a prize-giving ceremony in autumn, and the winner will receive a cash prize of £1,500, with each runner-up receiving £750.

The deadline for entries is 25 July 2025. The choice of questions and full details on eligibility and the rules can be found on the E-Lab website here. You can find the essays written by last year’s fantastic winners here.

 Read more about the E-Lab and sign up to their newsletter here.

First Published 21 February 2025

Adrian Novac and Teddy Graham are the joint winners, with the second and third prizes also shared this year.

Works in oil, textiles, watercolour, acrylic, photography, installation and sculpture produced by students and staff are currently on display in the Art Rooms, all entries of this year’s Rylands Art Prize.

Chef Adrian Novac is the artist behind 'Chasing Dreams and other Misfortunes', the oil painting that stood out as exceptional and was awarded first prize. It features a powerful horse with the shadow of a women at its feet, bathed in flowers. Adrian shares first place with Teddy Graham, winner of the Rylands Prize in 2023 and 2024. 'Remains', Teddy’s work this year, explores love and loss, memories and promises, in what at first glance looks like a wedding dress with a box of matches placed next to it, on a small table.

Second prize was also jointly awarded to MPhil student Yu Huang for the skilful ink piece 'Hanging Scroll' and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences finalist Smilte Razanovaite for 'Anatomy of the Soul', a mixed-media study of vulnerability and healing.

In third place were the works of History student Biba Marks and Joanna Patterson-Cross from the Admissions & Outreach team, both exploring remembrance.

The 2025 prize was judged by King’s Fellow Sophie Pickford, who says “King’s is known as a creative college, but the powerful range of works that greet you when you enter the room speak to something deeper; a self-reflexivity and astonishing emotional range that highlight our wonderfully imaginative community.”

You can view all of this year’s entries in the main Art Room (at the top of A staircase) until 28 February.

Grantchester Meadows is one of Cambridge’s most picturesque landscapes. The 50 acres of meadows run alongside the banks of the River Cam between Cambridge and the historic village of Grantchester. Attracting thousands of visitors each year, the meadows have been enjoyed for over a century for walking, picnicking, punting, swimming and nature and the scenery. The meadows were enjoyed by the Bloomsbury Group in the first half of the 20th century and also feature in the poem ’Watercolor of Grantchester Meadows’ by Sylvia Plath and a 1969 song by Pink Floyd.

The meadows are owned by King’s and have historically been leased for grazing cattle. However, a rapidly growing population of residents and tourists over the past 20 years has put the meadows under increasing pressure. The meadows have become treated more like one of the city’s parks and commons and there are competing interests between different uses of the meadows, including the ability to provide environmental benefits.

A new partnership between King's and local charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future has just been agreed, so that Grantchester Meadows can be better maintained and improved for the benefit of nature, the environment and people.

Cambridge Past, Present & Future will be responsible for the management of the meadows on a day-to-day basis. The charity already owns and manages other green spaces including Wandlebury Country Park, Coton Countryside Reserve and Barnwell Meadows. They also recently became the owners of Grantchester Tea Garden, which was gifted to the charity by the former owner after his death.

Read more here.

Nazdar Ayzit and Aaron Huq joined King’s in October, to study for one-year MPhils in Economics and Modern South Asian Studies respectively. Both want to use their time at King’s and their own experiences to help create change and develop a greater understanding of the economic and social realities that drive global inequalities.

Nazdar is a Kurd, and grew up in Turkey. With her MPhil she is studying issues of low social trust among discriminated and marginalised minorities. 

‘When I first heard back about the Quantedge Foundation’s decision to grant me the scholarship, I had to check the email a few – or a few dozen – times to make sure I was not delusional! How could I be so lucky, in a world that has so little compassion for, or even knowledge of, the Kurdish existence. With this opportunity I want to look at what factors determine the observed social distrust of discriminated minorities – and how development policies can drive sustainable growth by winning back that trust.’

Aaron is from Bangladesh originally. Their research focuses on indigenous lives and voices in South Asian history, whose history is often forgotten or forcefully removed from the mainstream narrative. Aaron’s hope is to continue with a PhD, and ultimately an academic career.

The Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarship at King’s is now in its fifth year. It was first awarded in 2020, and is available annually, in support of students who have come from regions of instability or conflict. Applications for the academic year 2025/2026 are now open.

This article was originally published 2 January 2025.

Our warm congratulations to the four King’s Fellows and alumnae who have been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours:

Dr Eleanor Sharpston (KC 1973 and Emerita Fellow) has been made Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to Justice and to the Education of Law in the UK and Europe.

A distinguished Barrister, Dame Eleanor has combined a career in practice at the Bar with academic posts, such as her recent Arthur Goodhart Visiting Professorship in Legal Science at Cambridge.

She was Advocate General of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg from 2006 until 2020 - one of the first women to hold this key position.

In her time as a student at King’s, she was Captain of the Boat Club.

Professor Ashley Moffett (Fellow in Medical Sciences at King’s since 1997) has received a CMG, joining the list of Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George, for services to Women’s Reproductive Health and to Clinical Research and Practice.

An authority on the immunology of human reproduction, Professor Moffett has taught and trained generations of medical students and physicians both in the UK and East Africa.

Following the announcement, she commented:

"I am delighted by this honour that is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of my many colleagues both here in Cambridge and in Uganda who are working together so tirelessly to support women in the field of maternal health."

In March 2024 Professor Moffett received an honorary doctorate at the Karolinska Institutet for a lifetime of research.

Among those recognised in this year's Honours are also two other King's alumnae:

Ruth Cairnie (KC 1974) has been awarded a damehood for services to Industry. Dame Ruth is the Chair of Babcock International Group plc and the Senior Independent Director at BT Group plc. She was the first woman to chair a major UK defence company. 

Dr Jocelyn Cornwell (KC 1972) has been awarded an MBE for Services to Patients’ Experience of Care and to Patient Safety. She founded The Point of Care Foundation to keep patients' experience of care high on the agenda of policy-makers and boards, and to work with managers and frontline staff to improve the experiences of both staff and patients.

The portraits were commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the admission of women as students to the College, and were first displayed in the Chapel during the 50 Years of Women at King’s Festival in 2023.

The subjects reflect a broad cross-section of the King’s community, from the trailblazing women who first arrived in 1972 to some of the newest undergraduates. They include Fellows and students, alumnae from a range of different disciplines, careers and generations, and the staff who work behind the scenes to keep the College ticking.

The collection has now been installed in the Portrait Gallery outside the Hall. They become an important part of the King’s permanent art collection, helping to address the balance of visual representation of women on the College’s walls.

Read more about the 50 portraits collection here.

Zhuanghan Li’s work on battery technology while a Research Fellow at King’s led to starting up Molyon with King’s Entrepreneurship Lab Research Associate Ismail Sami. 

As the world leans into electrification, battery technology is vital. While current generation lithium-ion batteries are showing their limits, next-generation lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries promise better performance at a lower cost, and better supply chain resilience since sulfur is abundant. 

“Current batteries, like the ones in our phones, our laptops, our electric vehicles, they’re just not good enough: they’re expensive, they contain critical rare materials like cobalt, and they’re also just not good enough in terms of performance.” argues Molyon CEO and co-founder Ismail Sami.

Molyon has recently secured $4.6 million in funding from early-stage investors IQ Capital and Plural to start building a pilot production facility in Cambridge where prototype Li-S batteries can be produced. 

Read more about this successful collaboration here.

In mid-July the College’s world-famous choir embarked on their second tour of Australia under the guidance of Director of Music Daniel Hyde. 

The 9-date sold-out tour saw the Choir visit multiple venues and cities across the country, including a performance at the prestigious Sydney Opera House. This year the Choir premiered and released an Australian commission, performed with local instrumentalists, and took part in a specially organised encounter with Australia’s First Nations people.

You can read a full re-cap of the Choir's tour here.