Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of Green College
Green Templeton College celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of Green College on Friday 20 September 2019, with fellows, alumni, friends and staff gathering for a memorable evening reception.
Green College was founded in 1979 to pioneer the work of medical and applied social science postgraduate students. Green Templeton College was established in its current form in 2008 through the merger of Green College and Templeton College.
Photographer: Nuno Pereira
The evening began with a talk by Oxford medical alum Dr Christoffer van Tulleken, who was introduced to the stage by Green Templeton Governing Body Fellow Dr Laurence Leaver.
Chris trained at Oxford and is now an infection doctor at UCLH, specifically the Hospital for Tropical Disease. Over the last decade he has presented some of the BBC’s flagship series about health and medicine, including the BAFTA-winning Operation Ouch on CBBC.
He spoke on the subject of ‘Industry influence, profit incentives and overdiagnosis’ and you can listen to his lecture on Soundcloud.
Guests were also treated to a recital by Musician-in-Residence Maki Sekiya, who performed in the Observatory Common Room. Japanese-born virtuoso Maki has held the position since 2017 and has given termly recitals at college since her appointment.
Green Templeton Emeritus Fellow Sir Muir Gray provided the after-dinner remarks before the college’s Bursar Dr Timothy Clayden introduced the auction and raffle, with all funds raised allocated to the Principal’s Fund, to support students, and the Musician-in-Residence.
The evening drew to a close with a stunning son et lumière display on the iconic Radcliffe Observatory, showcasing a selection of images from the history of the college, and a wonderful performance by a jazz ensemble.
Green Templeton College is grateful to Oxford PharmaGenesis and Bio-Techne for their support ahead of the event.
📷 The Green Templeton College Photography Competition 2026 is now open!
This year’s theme is ‘The student experience’ — and we’re looking for striking, imaginative photographs that explore this and what it means to you!
🟢 Open to: students, alumni, fellows, common room members, associate members and staff
💷 Prize: £200
📅 Deadline: Monday 1 June 2026 at 13:00
Submit up to three photos to: communications@gtc.ox.ac.uk, including when and where they were taken. We can’t wait to see your work!
Return to Green Templeton College during this year’s Meeting Minds weekend 18-20 September.
Join fellow alumni for a late summer BBQ (18) and a formal dinner (19) – two opportunities to reconnect, revisit college, and enjoy Oxford at its best time of year.
For more information and to register visit: https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/alumni/engage/alumni-events/
A tour of the gardens through the eyes of a 15-year-old work experience student.
Maddie Bennett from Bartholomew School in Eynsham spent last week with the communications team at college and found some friendly faces too!
Last week, the college welcomed guests for a special afternoon marking the launch of the Pirie Society.
The event celebrated the college’s new legacy society and recognised those who are considering, or have chosen, to leave a gift in their will to the college.
Their generosity will help shape the future of the college for generations to come.
Come and find out more about the Radcliffe Observatory on the south side today to coincide with Open House at @schwarzmancentre
