Message from the President
Corin Robertson CMG
HM Ambassador to Japan
It is a great pleasure to serve as President of the Cambridge & Oxford Society of Japan.
My own journey began at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where I studied French and Spanish. A lot of water has flowed under the Mathematical Bridge since then, though I still vividly remember arriving in 1990 to my new room alongside the Cam and feeling a connection with all those who had come before me.
The great strength of an Oxbridge education lies not only in what we learn there, but in the connections that endure long afterwards. My closest personal friends stem from my time at Queens’. And it’s wonderful to see the strong connections between Japan and both universities, both through the thriving alumni network and also through the dynamism of the academic and research collaboration between both countries tackling the great challenges of today and tomorrow.
Across countries, professions and generations, alumni networks create opportunities for friendship, collaboration and mutual support. In an increasingly connected world, societies such as ours help ensure that those personal links continue to flourish. The efforts that both universities have made to ensure greater diversity of their student and academic population — including the first woman, and a friend, as the new President of Queens’ — is also a great reflection of universities both with one eye on their great histories, and one eye on their great futures.
Of course, graduation is not the end of education but the beginning of a lifelong process of learning and discovery. One of the pleasures of the Cambridge & Oxford Society is the opportunity to continue that journey through conversation, friendship and the exchange of ideas. Whether you are a long-standing member or new to the Society, I hope you will find opportunities to meet interesting people, exchange ideas and enjoy the friendship and sense of community that make this organisation so special.
I look forward to supporting the Society as it continues to strengthen the ties between our two countries and between generations of Cambridge and Oxford alumni.
Corin Robertson CMG
President