School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge

School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge
Name	School of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Parent	University of Cambridge
Established	2001
Type	Faculty grouping
City	Cambridge
Country	United Kingdom

School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge is the central administrative grouping that coordinates teaching and research across a broad range of humanities and social science faculties at the University of Cambridge. It provides strategic oversight for departments that include history, law, politics, sociology, modern languages, philosophy, and area studies, interfacing with collegiate structures such as King's College, Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge, and St John's College, Cambridge. The School supports research links with national bodies like the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and international partners including the Max Planck Society and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

History

The School was created in the early 21st century amid reforms following reports by the Tomlinson Review and consultation with the Russell Group, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and Cambridge faculties such as Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge and the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge. Its formation built on predecessor arrangements influenced by figures associated with Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, the legacy of scholars from King's College, Cambridge and administrative models seen at University of Oxford and London School of Economics. Early initiatives linked to projects funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the Wellcome Trust, and collaborations with the Cambridge University Press.

Organisation and governance

Governance of the School follows oversight by the University Council (University of Cambridge), with executive leadership liaising with heads of department including chairs from the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, University of Cambridge, the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, and the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge. The School reports to bodies such as the General Board of the Faculties and coordinates with collegiate offices like the Registrary of the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge University Students' Union. Committees include representatives from research centres such as the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities and partnerships with institutions such as the British Library and the Tate Modern.

Academic departments and programmes

The School encompasses departments including the Faculty of English, University of Cambridge, the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, the Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge, the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, and the Institute of Continuing Education. Programmes offered link to named courses like the Cambridge MPhil in Politics, the Cambridge MPhil in International Relations, the MSt in History of Art and vocational training associated with the Bar Standards Board and professional pathways related to the Civil Service Fast Stream. Joint degrees and exchange agreements exist with partners such as Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, Peking University, and the Sciences Po network.

Research centres and institutes

Research activity is channelled through institutes including the Centre of Latin American Studies, University of Cambridge, the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, the Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies, the Wolfson College Centre for Modern Thought, and the Centre for African Studies, University of Cambridge. These collaborate with external organisations such as the European Research Council, the Smithsonian Institution, UNESCO, the World Bank, and the Brookings Institution. Major interdisciplinary projects have examined topics linked to archives like the Bodleian Library, artefact collections at the British Museum, and manuscripts in the Vatican Library.

Student body and activities

Students within the School are drawn from Cambridge colleges including Queens' College, Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College, Pembroke College, Cambridge, and Clare College, Cambridge, and participate in societies such as the Cambridge Union Society, the Cambridge University Conservative Association, the Cambridge University Labour Club, and the Cambridge University Amnesty International. Student research is showcased at events connected with the Hay Festival, the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and the British Academy Summer Showcase. Career preparation engages employers including The Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, McKinsey & Company, UNICEF, Amnesty International, and law firms associated with the Bar Council.

Facilities and buildings

Facilities serving the School include libraries such as the Fisher Library, the Squire Law Library, and the Seeley Historical Library, lecture theatres in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies building, seminar rooms at the Sidgwick Site, and research suites in the Humanities Research Centre. The School makes use of museums and collections like the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, and the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, and works alongside city infrastructure including Cambridge Biomedical Campus collaborations and city archives held by the Cambridgeshire County Council.

Category:University of Cambridge