 The Cambridge Union Society's badge | |
| Formation | 1815 |
|---|---|
| Type | Student debating union |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, England |
| Location | 9A Bridge Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1UB |
| President | Alessio D'Angelo, Jesus |
| Chair of Trustees | Mohamed A. El-Erian |
| Affiliations | World Universities Debating Council |
| Website | www |
The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the oldest continuously running debating society in the world.[1][2][3] Additionally, the Cambridge Union has served as a model for the foundation of similar societies at several other prominent universities, including the Oxford Union and the Yale Political Union. The Union is a private society with membership open to all students of Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University. The Cambridge Union is a registered charity and is completely separate from the Cambridge University Students' Union.
The Cambridge Union has a long and extensive tradition of hosting prominent figures from all areas of public life in its chamber, both state- and international-based, including the Dalai Lama, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and John Major, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, as well as comedian Stephen Fry.[4] Previous presidents of the Cambridge Union have included economist John Maynard Keynes, Robert Harris (novelist), politician Kenneth Harry Clarke and author Arianna Huffington.
- ^ "Cambridge Union debating society celebrates 200 years". BBC. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Multi-million pound revamp for world's oldest debating society". ITV News. May 2021.
- ^ Parkinson, Stephen (2009). Arena of Ambition. Icon Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1848310612.
- ^ "Speakers at the Union". cus.org.