CrossLinks
CrossLinks
St Cross is characterised by diversity. Our students come from many different countries and study on almost every course offered at the University of Oxford. For example, in the current academic year, our 689 students are reading 208 different degrees across the natural sciences, medicine, humanities and social sciences. Our community of Fellows also spans a wide variety of backgrounds and subjects, covering all four of Oxford’s academic divisions.
The College is a place where brilliant minds come together. Our academic lectures, common spaces and dining facilities provide a forum for people to connect and engage across disciplines. We are a cauldron of ideas – and crucially – all our Common Rooms are shared, creating an environment where students and academics can converse as equals.
CrossLinks aims to convert the ideas exchanged in this very special environment into impactful projects. It will provide dedicated funding for St Cross students and early career researchers to undertake exciting interdisciplinary research, which will push the boundaries of academic endeavour and serve the common good.
Interdisciplinary approaches are pivotal for addressing global challenges and have been behind some of humanity’s greatest advancements. An iconic example is the collaboration between Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Francis Crick, who used X-rays (a physics technique) to unlock the structure of DNA, thereby revolutionising our understanding of human biology.
The CrossLinks project was conceived by St Cross Research Fellow and neuroscientist Dr Ricardo Marquez Gomez and his friend and colleague Dr Oktay Cetinkaya, a Lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s School of Engineering. They say:
Dr Oktay Cetinkaya
CrossLinks is part of the College’s aim to bring students and academics together and transform the research conversations that happen in informal settings (Hall, Common Rooms) into tangible outcomes. The CrossLinks idea was born exactly in this spirit, from an informal conversation with the Master during a St Cross dinner. We decided to put words into action and create a project which will have a positive impact on the research of the College community and the wider University.
Dr Ricardo Marquez Gomez
We are grateful to Ricardo and Oktay for this inspiring idea, and we are delighted to kick-off fundraising for CrossLinks as part of the 60th Anniversary Campaign, through which your support will be worth twice (or thrice) as much!
If you would like to support CrossLinks, please contact development@stx.ox.ac.uk.
