is one of the
Constituent Colleges of the
University Of Oxford in the
United Kingdom . It is unusual in being a graduate-only college, and is one of the most modern in the university, in architectural terms.
It is one of the larger colleges of the university. Wolfson College is quietly located in the north of
Oxford along the
River Cherwell . There are over sixty governing body fellows, about thirty research fellows in the college and another forty junior research fellows. The college caters for a wide range of subjects, both in natural and social sciences. It is one of the most egalitarian colleges in Oxford - for instance, there is only one Common Room organization for all the members of the college, students and Fellows alike.
The college has a centre for ''Korean Studies'' and is home to the International Association of Tibetan Studies.
The college motto is ''Humani nil alienum''. This is an extract from the Roman playwright
Terence : ''Homo sum, humani nil alienum a me puto'' which is translated as: I am a human being, and I consider nothing that concerns human beings to be alien from me.
Darwin College of the
University Of Cambridge is Wolfson College's sister college. See also
Wolfson College, Cambridge .
The college began its existence in
1965 , under the name of
Iffley College. It was founded with the aim to expand the opportunities of graduate studies at the University of Oxford. With the aid of a grant from the
Wolfson Foundation and the
Ford Foundation , the college gradually expanded, achieving full collegiate status in
1981 .
Twelve other colleges of the university (
University ,
Merton ,
Queen's ,
New College ,
Lincoln ,
All Souls ,
Brasenose ,
Corpus Christi ,
Christ Church ,
Trinity ,
St John's and
Jesus ) provided grants to make the establishment of Iffley College possible. At the same time
St. Cross College was initiated. In 1965 Iffley College started without a head and no building on its own. A good history of the college is available in
Michael Ignatieff's ''Isaiah Berlin. A Life'' (1998).
In
1966 , the college received support from the Wolfson and the Ford Foundations to establish its own college site. By
1974 , the college completed its own buildings on the current site in north Oxford. Situated on the bank of the
River Cherwell , and owning land on both sides of the river, it is one of the few Oxford colleges with its own
Punting harbour.
