We are delighted to announce that 4 Mill Lane is officially open and being put to good use by the students of Pembroke’s Cambridge Summer Programme.

The Programme accepts university students from around the world and provides them with a taste of a Cambridge education. For the first time since the pandemic began, Pembroke is welcoming back these students in person. In previous years, it was necessary for Pembroke to partner with other colleges to aid in teaching and accommodating students. 2022 will be the first year that Pembroke is able to undertake this independently.

“The Pembroke Cambridge Summer Programme is now in full swing and we are delighted to have our first group of students enjoying the teaching room facilities at 4 Mill Lane. It’s the first summer where all students are living in Pembroke accommodation and all teaching is delivered on-site, so our students can enjoy a fully authentic Pembroke experience during their time here” said Pembroke’s Director of International Programmes, Dr Daniela Passolt. “Having our own teaching space so close to the main College site and International Programmes Office has helped us to run our programme much more efficiently. We are so excited to be in 4 Mill Lane and are looking forward to hosting our programmes here over the coming years.”

Pembroke is hosting over 200 international students for its first solo summer programme, an impressive number during a pandemic, with factors such as an increase in cancellations due to Covid cases, and much uncertainty about quarantining and steep flight prices. Rosie Lawrence, Director of the Pembroke Cambridge Summer Programme, was thrilled to be surmounting these obstacles: “There has been a lot of change in the International Programmes Department since the pandemic and we have really missed having students with us in Pembroke. It’s been absolutely wonderful returning to normality and welcoming students to Cambridge again and we are looking forward to welcoming even more in the future.”

4 Mill Lane may already be familiar to some as the former home of the University’s Board of Graduate Studies, where postgraduates would drop off their PhDs for assessment in the letterbox by the (in)famous red door. Repurposing this University building has given Pembroke the best of both worlds. It pays homage to historic architecture by restoring original timber and tiled floors, but also boasts flexible new teaching spaces with multifunctional rooms and modern finishes, such as acoustic plaster finishes to the ceiling and flush-mounted magnetic whiteboards and digital screens, to deliver an excellent learning environment. 4 Mill Lane also enjoys a Recital Room for performances (currently used for teaching), which has been funded by one of our generous donors. The room will be kitted out with a premium Steinway to enable recitals from world-class performers and skilled students and Fellows alike.

Going forward, 4 Mill Lane will be the “Learning and Wellbeing Centre” and will welcome its first cohort of Pembroke scholars in Michaelmas 2022.