Words by Smiley Team
As a send-off gift upon reaching retirement from Cambridge University, academic and broadcaster Mary Beard is giving £80,000 in scholarships to two classics students from under-represented groups.
To diversify the university department, which Dame Beard described as “very white”, she will fund the living costs of two minority ethnic students from low-income backgrounds for a four-year degree.
Classics “isn’t just for posh people who’ve done Latin for ages. I am very conscious of what I've gained from classics, no-one from my family had a university degree," she said, adding: “Classics is a subject that has changed, is changing, but needs to change more.”
She explained that although two scholarships alone won’t change the department overall, it signals that the department is serious about promoting equal opportunities.
“If it makes the difference in someone choosing to study here that might otherwise not, if it makes inroads into the anxiety they might understandably have about financing their course, then it’s worth it,” she explained.
“I particularly hope that this might prompt others to consider supporting Classics at Cambridge, to enable students of all backgrounds to enjoy the intellectual challenges that the Classical world offers. There has never been a better, or more urgent, time to study the subject.”
The scholarships of £40,000 each will open for applications from the start of the next academic year, and will be called the Joyce Reynolds award, in tribute to the leading ancient historian who taught Beard.
“As a teacher she was tough, sometimes a little scary, but always right behind you,” she recalled. “Many people who have gone on to shape the field of ancient history owe their academic start in life to her.”
Last year, only one in four students who joined Cambridge University’s three-year classics course came from state schools and 14 per cent came from BAME backgrounds. On the four-year course 83 per cent were state educated and 22 per cent were from BAME backgrounds.
Find information on how you can support the classics department at Cambridge University here.
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