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Equality and diversity

A progressive College which values its international and diverse community

We have made a commitment to promote equality, value diversity and maintain an environment for study, work and living in which the rights and dignity of all our members are respected. We acknowledge that the responsibility lies with each of us to robustly challenge discrimination and we stand together with anyone in our community who is adversely affected by discrimination, and will provide comprehensive support.

We are a community that is inclusive, promotes innovation, and has impact on the world outside Cambridge. These values inform everything we do, and how we do it, and underpin the delivery of our mission. Inclusivity is central to our work:

  • Celebrating diversity among our students, fellowship and staff
  • Strengthening our widening participation efforts
  • Fostering inclusivity and respect in our culture
  • Aspiring for accessibility and sustainability in our estates.

You can read more about Our Purpose on our website.

Our people come from all around the world, at different stages of their life, via different paths to education, and all have a different and inspiring story to tell.

Celebrating diversity

Students, staff and Senior Members come from a wide range of backgrounds and we are proudly multinational, with students and Senior Members from more than 80 countries. Everyone at Hughes has arrived by a different route and brings different experiences, strengths and stories to their studies. That’s what makes life here so varied and fulfilling.

Hughes Hall is proud to celebrate Black History Month, Transgender Awareness Week, and LGBT+ History Month every year. We work with student equality officers to hold a themed Formal Hall for each, amongst other community events, as well as for other dates such as Lunar New Year, Diwali, International Women’s Day, Thanksgiving, Burns Night and Christmas.

Disability and access

You can find out more about arrangements for those with disabilities at Hughes, including specific learning difficulties, in the Access section. Students and potential applicants can also check the student Disability page for useful links. You are welcome to contact the Senior Tutor, Dr Tori McKee, or the Tutorial Office to discuss your needs in more detail.

Hughes Hall provides comprehensive access guides to our site; for everyone in our community and for every visitor to our buildings and grounds. Please see the AccessAble Access Guide to Hughes Hall.

LGBTQ+ at Cambridge

Cambridge has a long history of LGBTQ+ students, staff and alumni. Student and staff networks offer social events and support throughout the year, and researchers share their work in queer, trans and sexuality studies.

Hughes Hall MCR Committee includes an Equality and LGBTQ+ Officer to help support and promote inclusion and equality for the College’s LGBTQ+ community and our students run an LGBTQ+ student society. We also have an LGBTQ+ Champion in our Senior Membership should students have specific concerns, issues or difficulties to discuss, or have ideas for tailored support.

For more information on LGBTQ+ at Cambridge and at Hughes Hall including support, societies, research and city-wide networks, see our inclusion and support page.

We are very proud of our diversity – the 116 marigolds on our College gates represent all the different countries that our students have come from.

Race equality at Cambridge

The University and its Colleges aim to improve racial equality through cultural and organisational change while creating an environment conducive to openly discussing race-related issues and challenging racism.

We have a Race Equality Champion amongst our Fellowship and a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Equality Officer is elected to our student body – the MCR Committee – each year to support our students of Black, Asian and minority ethnicities, and to help represent the interests of these individuals across the College.

For broader information on race equality at Cambridge, see the University’s Race equality pages and Black Advisory Hub. For more information on race equality at Cambridge and at Hughes Hall, including support and societies, research and networks, see inclusion and support page.

Outreach and scholarship

To find out more about how the University and colleges are committed to widening participation to higher education including a range of outreach projects, see the University widening participation pages.

There are a range of scholarships available from Hughes Hall, and from the central University. Cambridge University has several schemes for postgraduate students, and for undergraduates students. Some scholarships may be to support students with specific socio-economic circumstances, nationalities or subject choices. In terms of scholarships specifically targeted at Black students, you can read details of the Stormzy scholarship here. For other outreach and widening participation scholarships, see the University outreach pages.

The Cambridge Trust also offers a range of full and partial scholarships and the Cambridge Bursary Scheme for UK undergraduates is jointly funded by the University and its colleges.

Further information

Our website contains details of inclusion and support at Hughes Hall and the University, and our welfare pages provide further details of how we support our students community, and our welfare provision.