OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE CLUB GENEVA

75 years of Oxford & Cambridge Club of Geneva  

Founded in 1949 and originally functioning as an informal dining group by post war expatriates, the Oxford & Cambridge Club of Geneva (OCCG) has since evolved into a multi-cultural membership providing a social community for the over 200 alumni who work for a wide range of local organisations covering finance, medicine, United Nations, CERN & NGOs and representing more than 30 nationalities, as well as a large group of retirees.

The modern day Club is focused less on dining and offers over 20 events per year ranging from walks, museum visits, theatre, social drinks and of course speaker dinners.  All this has only been made possible with the introduction of a modern day club management system which makes the organisation of the membership database and events practical for the busy Committee.  The Club will celebrate its’ 75th anniversary on the 19th September with a High Tea gathering at the British Ambassador’s Residence spectacularly overlooking Lake Geneva, where we will be honoured by the presence of the British Ambassadors to Switzerland and to the UN delegation.

Alumni who are in Geneva at that time will be welcome to join the event and should register on the Club's website.

50 years of Oxford University Society Madrid 

There is an old Spanish military saying, “if you ask whose turn it is to clean the stables, it will be yours.” When John Rix (Queen’s, 1959) moved to Spain in the late 1960s, he was disappointed to learn that there was no Oxford Society branch in the country. It wasn’t until 19 October 1974, and several changes of city, that he managed to gather together a group of Oxford alumni for the first of what would become a regular lunch at the traditional Casa Salvador restaurant in Madrid. It was attended, among others, by Mervyn Samuel (St Peter’s, 1963) who is still an active member of OUS Madrid today and the only member of the original group still living in the city.

In 1978 the group organised the first Boat Race Dinner which, by seeking out people to represent the light blues, led indirectly to the establishment of the Cambridge Alumni Madrid (CAM), with whom the group still organise joint annual summer and Christmas dinners. Over the years, members have included distinguished academics, journalists, diplomats, and professionals of all kinds – and even royalty!

The group still meets fairly regularly for lunches in the Casa Salvador (on whose walls some of the bullfighting photos of another former OUS Madrid President, Andrew Moore (Trinity, 1968) can be seen). In addition, they now also organise dinners with speakers, book presentations, curry nights, wine tastings, and historical and cultural excursions – catering to the full range of interests and tastes of alumni of all ages – as well as welcome dinners for the new freshers from Spain before they go up to Oxford.

The group will be marking their 50th anniversary with a black-tie dinner in Madrid on Saturday, 19th October 2024. If you would like to find out more about the group, please email OUS Madrid

10 years of Oxford and Cambridge Society of Ghana

On Wednesday 28 August, Oxbridge Ghana celebrated a decade of impactful presence and influence at its 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner. This significant milestone, under the theme 'A Decade of Foundational Excellence: Building the Future Together' reflects their commitment to fostering educational excellence, cultural exchange, and professional networking among alumni of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge residing in Ghana.

The guest of honour, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (New College, 1962) addressed the gathering and explained that ‘the task of developing a country could not rest on the shoulders of government alone but would require the contributions of corporate entities, individuals and alumnus groups like the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Ghana to ensure the collective development sought’.

President Akufo-Addo specifically urged all Ghanaians who schooled in Oxford and Cambridge universities in the United Kingdom who had returned home to use the experience and heritage they had gained in education to help solve challenges facing the country.  Stressing the importance of building confidence in the younger generation and assuring them that they could achieve their goals, the President said ‘mentorship went beyond just offering advice; it involved igniting a passion in young people to dream big, take risks and strive for excellence’.  Listen to the full speech on YouTube