It was fantastic to host our annual Scholar Induction and Welcome Dinner at Broadway House and the Royal Society. Bringing together incoming Martingale Masters and PhD Scholars from across the country, the day was an opportunity for them to get to know their cohort and celebrate the first step in their Scholarship journey together.
For many, this was an opportunity to meet and get to know their cohort. For some, it helped put names to faces seen across a lecture hall in their first weeks of study.
Together, they took part in introductory sessions from the Martingale Programmes Team, highlighting the support on offer to them throughout their Scholarship and the range of events that they will be taking part in as Martingale Scholars, and an interactive money management session from The Money Charity, to equip them with financial skills and knowledge that they can take with them through their studies and beyond.
Speaking about what he was looking forward to in his time as a Scholar, Mathematical Sciences Masters Scholar Mahfuz said, “I like the idea of the development programme because I’m learning. I imagine I’m going to be learning things that I just wouldn’t be learning anyway like how to network, how to communicate with people, that kind of thing.”
With the induction sessions completed, the Scholars walked together through St James’ Park to their Welcome Dinner at the Royal Society. The walk offered an informal opportunity to get more familiar with one another and time to reflect on the information they had just received.
Upon arrival, the Scholars were greeted with a drinks reception. They were joined at the Royal Society by Heads of Department at Martingale’s partner universities, funders and members of Martingale’s advisory boards, giving them a chance to mingle and familiarise themselves with the broader Martingale network.
For the dinner, Scholars were seated with others from their university, including their university representative. This gave the Scholars the opportunity to connect names to the faces and get to know the people they will be closest to throughout their Scholarship, the people whose doors they can knock on should they feel the need.
The collaborative feeling of the day was summed up by keynote speaker Professor Jonathan Dawes from the University of Bath saying, “We need the best people, we need the breadth of perspectives and questions that you will bring, and we, the mathematics community, are delighted that you’re here.”
The day brought together and celebrated the new additions to the Martingale community. The Scholars will go on through their studies safe in the knowledge that they have a network of peers around them and the full support of the Martingale team. This was just the first step in their journey as Martingale Scholars. We hope that they formed connections that will last them far beyond their studies and as Martingale Chief Executive Cassandra Hugill said in her speech to the Scholars “be curious, bold, and open to new ideas. Ask the difficult questions. Support each other. And remember, you were selected from a highly competitive pool because we believe in your potential. Now it’s your turn to explore what drives you – and what you can achieve.”