Summit creates new platform for students to get involved in life of wider city

The Cambridge Student Summit was created to offer a new kind of forum for students to engage directly with the Cambridge community and local issues, build deeper connections beyond their institution, and challenge the idea that students are just temporary residents, rather than active contributors and future citizens of Cambridge. 

At the event, students from the University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), and local sixth form colleges, along with student union representatives, worked directly with local leaders and community representatives to explore how their priorities and concerns align.

The day featured talks, training workshops, panel discussions, and student‑led conversations, and included a number of high profile contributors, including two MPs – Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, and Pippa Heylings, MP for South Cambridgeshire – both university vice-chancellors – Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge, and Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice-Chancellor, ARU – and local authority and voluntary sector figures.

Students had the opportunity to debate, imagine, and make youth voices central to the conversations, decisions, and priorities that influence Cambridge.

Among a busy schedule of sessions, a ‘Views from the City’ panel discussion looked at the unprecedented period of transformation taking place in Cambridge, what it means for residents – including young people – and how the city can grow in inclusive, sustainable, and community-focused ways.

And during ‘Students shaping Cambridge’ workshops, they explored the issues that mattered most to them with the city leaders who help make local decisions.

Other sessions saw students engage with policy leaders on transport – how it affects students’ daily lives and how it could be developed to support greater access and mobility – and on the environment, and particularly how young people can help shape a greener, more climate-resilient future for the city. 

ARU student Yash Bhardwaj, 22, who is studying for a BSc Hons in Artificial Intelligence, said: “It’s been a fantastic and privileged day. The conversations I had here changed my whole perspective — I didn’t expect that. I walked in as a student, I’m leaving as someone who sees people differently.”

Erica Nicora, 17, who is taking Further Maths, Maths, Physics and Design Technology at Long Road Sixth Form College, said: “It was an amazing experience and great to see that students are being involved in the city and discussions that impact them.”

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, said: “Students are a very important part of Cambridge’s community. I congratulate those who convened the summit, and it was encouraging to see students from different institutions coming together to discuss the issues that matter to them. If Cambridge is to grow in a way that is inclusive, sustainable and successful, young people must have a genuine voice in shaping the decisions that affect their lives."

Jo McPhee, the University of Cambridge’s Civic Engagement Manager, said: “What’s been most exciting about the summit is seeing students engage directly with the people shaping Cambridge and contribute to those conversations. This has been a genuinely collaborative effort, bringing together universities, students’ unions, colleges and city partners to work through shared priorities. It’s about building connections and creating the relationships and opportunities that enable students to make a lasting contribution to a more inclusive and sustainable Cambridge."

Fiona Bodle, ARU’s Civic Engagement lead, said: “The Cambridge Student Summit builds on our successful ‘Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange’ project, which bought together students from ARU and the University of Cambridge to work on solutions to address the transport challenges faced by students in the city. Initiatives like this Student Summit highlight the shared commitment of both universities to collaborate with partners to help improve quality of life, connect and empower communities, and drive inclusive, sustainable growth in Cambridge.”

The Cambridge Student Summit was delivered in partnership with the University of Cambridge, ARU, Cambridge SU, Union ARU, and Long Road Sixth Form College, with additional attendees from Hills Road Sixth Form College.