The University of Cambridge has announced plans to establish the Rokos School of Government, made possible by a commitment of £190 million from investor Chris Rokos.
This is believed to be the biggest individual donation made to a British university in modern times.
The Rokos School of Government aims to prepare future leaders to be able to navigate the ever-more-challenging demands of both domestic and international politics in a new and complex world of great structural change.
Mr Rokos has agreed to make an initial gift of £130 million, plus further gifts of up to £60 million, the subsequent amounts to be matched by Cambridge University. The University will also be contributing the undeveloped land in the Cambridge West Innovation District on which the School will be built.
Chris Rokos said: “I was fortunate to be given the opportunity of an education which transformed my life, and I would like to give something back to Britain. My hope is that, in time, the influence of the Rokos School of Government across the world becomes an important element of that soft power which has been a great asset to the UK.”
Fundamental to the School’s operation will be its direct access to Cambridge’s renowned expertise in technology and the sciences, together with disciplines more usually associated with the social sciences, arts and humanities.
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge said: “Tackling the enormous challenges facing our world requires radical new ways of thinking and approaches to leadership. Cambridge, with its strengths across all disciplines and its convening power, is uniquely positioned to drive this innovation.
“Thanks to Chris’ generous support, the Rokos School of Government will become a place where leaders and governments – both current and future – together with experts from across our institution generate the insights and solutions needed to respond to our rapidly changing world.”
In recent years there has been a marked shift in the political landscape across the world, often accompanied by a polarisation of political opinion and challenges from both left and right to free speech and existing institutional structures.
At the same time, the ebb and flow of business cycles has been disrupted by long-term structural transformations within the economy. These structural changes transcend short term business and political cycles and often reflect fundamental shifts in dynamics, led by technology or demographics.
Chris added: “The discussions which led to the creation of the Rokos School of Government began some years ago. It was becoming clear that the world was changing in new and different ways, and that the processes of government needed to adapt accordingly. New challenges and opportunities require new responses.
“For me, there can be no better home for the Rokos School of Government than Cambridge University, with its long tradition of scientific innovation and synergistic culture. It will provide the School with a unique forum for radical and remarkable thinking, capturing the inspiration of the brightest minds from around the world and harnessing new technologies in order to meet the needs of modern government.”
Rooted in the belief that building a better future requires creativity of thought and new forms of governance, the School’s guiding principle will be to generate practical, lasting solutions to 21st Century problems, serving society whilst upholding fundamental human rights and freedoms.
The Rokos School of Government will be housed in a dedicated new building in the heart of the University’s Cambridge West Innovation District. This will become one of Europe’s strategic locations for science, technology and policy, and the School’s presence there will signal a focus on the relationship between technology and the sciences, and the social sciences, arts and humanities.
The School will begin its operations in autumn 2026. It will host a growing cohort of PhD and Masters students both in the School and as joint appointments with departments across the University.
To support this teaching and research, the Rokos School of Government will grow a faculty from established academic disciplines – political scientists, economists, historians, scientists, engineers and statisticians, among others – in parallel with which it will recruit experts from government and from senior positions in business, finance or public service.
International recruitment will begin shortly for a Dean to lead the School.
