Season’s greetings from Green Templeton!
Wishing happy holidays to everyone!
Our artist-in-residence Weimin He has produced this beautiful image of our iconic Radcliffe Observatory, entitled ‘The Tower of Hope’, to mark the end of Michaelmas 2020.

‘Tower of Hope’. Weimin He, 2020
It has been an unusual year for everyone and we wish a peaceful, happy holiday to all members of our community and a wonderful New Year.
We appreciate this year may be especially difficult for those unable to visit family and friends. We are also mindful the challenges that COVID-19 brings will not take a break over the holidays, so the college is providing full welfare support across the vacation. Find out more about welfare support at Green Templeton over Christmas.
All the latest updates from Green Templeton on COVID-19 can be found here.
As we wind down to the end of the year, you may be interested to look back on our news archive for 2020 and revisit college highlights such as our Giving Day, the Photography Competition 2020, and the launch of our #DIFFERENTEQUAL campaign to promote inclusivity and raise awareness about racism.
The college also welcomed a new Principal earlier this year. Sir Michael Dixon, former Director of the Natural History Museum, joined the college in September. Read our first interview with Sir Michael on his early thoughts on joining Green Templeton.
Of course, much of this year has been dominated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our college community has contributed to the coronavirus challenge in a variety of ways. More about Green Templeton Fellows’ work around COVID-19 is available here, while our Alumni CoVoices pages detail how alumni have been aiding with the pandemic and how their lives have changed.
Finally, if you have some free time over the holidays why not try out a recipe from the Green Templeton kitchen? Our Head Chef Chris Lyford has recommended some delicious and simple recipes to whip up at home!
We look forward to seeing you all in Hilary!
Update 23 December
From Saturday 26 December at 00:01 Oxfordshire will be in Tier 4 (Stay at Home) of the UK Government local restrictions. All indoor facilities will be closed at from that point until further notice.
Just one week to go until Community & Giving Week 2026.
From 20–26 June, we`ll be celebrating the people, generosity, support and sense of community that help students thrive during their time at Green Templeton.
Throughout the week, we`ll be sharing opportunities to join in the celebration along with challenges and highlights from across college on our stories.
Whether you`re a student, alum, fellow, staff member or friend of Green Templeton, there are plenty of ways to take part.
Follow along next week as we celebrate our global community and the difference it makes to student life.
#supportstudents
#Oxford
#OxfordUniversity
#GivingWeek
The college hosted some very exciting guests last week! @gtc_gcr invited some Alpacas (and a Llama!) to come in for a student wellness event. They were indeed a welcome distraction for all!
A huge congratulations to everyone from @greentempletonboatclub who took part in Summer Eights 2026.
The club fielded an impressive five crews across four days of racing on the Isis, demonstrating commitment, teamwork and determination in one of Oxford`s most iconic rowing events.
📸 Gareth Ardron Photography
Congratulations to everyone who`s graduated on Saturday 23 May.
Echoing what alumna Catherine Heffernan (DPhil Sociology, 1998) said in her speech, we hope you enjoyed every second of your graduation.
👏You have earned your degree - a major milestone in your life.👏
#Graduation
#OxfordUniversity
#GreenTempleton
