This year, we are delighted to welcome Sandi Toksvig OBE to join us at the Department of Sociology to take up the inaugural Qantabrigian Fellowship for 2023-24.
Sandi of course needs no introduction - her contributions to comedy, literature, and political activism are well known, having earned her a myriad of commendations throughout her career. For Michaelmas, Sandi will be pausing her theatre and broadcasting work to develop The Cambridge University Mappa Mundi Project, a digital resource under development with the WOW festivals and Wikipedia to increase access to information about women’s position, activities, struggles and collective actions globally.
The Q+ Fellowship is dedicated to recognising the many extraordinary achievements of Cambridge’s LGBTQ+ alumni over many centuries and across the globe.
- Professor Sarah Franklin, Q+ Founder and Director
Our new Qantabrigian Fellowship is an opportunity for distinguished Cambridge LGBTQ+ alumni to return to the University for a period to work on a research project or develop an idea for the same. This in turn helps us to build stronger connections to our worldwide Cambridge LGBTQ+ alumni family, and to widen participation in the research and teaching activities of the University.
Sandi has also been elected to a Bye-Fellowship at Christ’s College, Cambridge for the 2023-2024 academic year and will convene a series of events, workshops and meetings to develop her initiative in partnership with Cambridge academic staff, students and support services.
Sandi Toksvig says: “I’m delighted to be returning to my old stomping ground of Cambridge to lead such an innovative project. This new Mappa Mundi project will be a three-dimensional, interactive view of the globe from a female perspective, with the goal of changing the world by learning to see it differently. It will be story-led, data driven and allow women from all countries to present their stories, their hardships, and their triumphs.”
Our esteemed Director, Professor Sarah Franklin has celebrated the launch of both the Qantabrigian Fellowship programme and Toksvig’s project as landmark events for the University, describing their importance for LGBTQ+ staff, students and alumni as ‘pivotal’. ‘The Q+ Fellowship is dedicated to recognising the many extraordinary achievements of Cambridge’s LGBTQ+ alumni over many centuries and across the globe. It is also aimed to show that building partnerships through research that engage ever more inclusive audiences is one of the most important ways we can fulfil the university’s core mission of contributing to society through education, learning and world-leading knowledge innovation. I cannot think of a more inspiring individual to launch both these exciting new initiatives than the brilliant Sandi Toksvig.’
This new Mappa Mundi project will be a three-dimensional, interactive view of the globe from a female perspective, with the goal of changing the world by learning to see it differently.
- Sandi Toksvig OBE
Head of the Department of Sociology, Professor Manali Desai confirmed that both the Q+ Fellowship Programme and Toksvig’s Mappa Mundi Project are an ideal match for the Department’s passionate commitment to public-facing research and education projects, adding that the entire department is thrilled to be hosting such a distinguished inaugural Q+ Fellow. ‘We are excited to be entering a new phase of university research and education by hosting innovative projects that widen our engagement with the world, and both the Q+ programme and the Mappa Mundi project are leading the way forward in doing exactly this kind of work’.