The Oxford & Cambridge Society of the Netherlands is the official point of contact for alumni of both Universities who reside in The Netherlands. It organises a variety of social and cultural events, including a traditional black-tie dinner each year and also regular informal gatherings in pubs. It also supports and encourages applications to Oxbridge from students within the Dutch school system.

The Society is an autonomous group operating independently of the Universities. Responsibility for this website and any and all activities associated with it are the full responsibility of the group and its organising committee. This website is not maintained, monitored, or in any way under the control of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.

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The Committee

The committee at the 2025 Annual Dinner (left to right): Vidit, Nick (outgoing president) , Ruth, Clym, Stephen

The Committee is the core of the society serving the many alumni. While new alumni have joined and others have retired from the committee (in many cases) after having volunteered their time and efforts for years – we remain a diverse group where new ideas are welcome. If you are keen to join the committee and contribute your ideas and time, feel free to get in touch. We are also happy to have many former committee members remaining as regular society members who are happy to advise the committee, helping us grow while remaining true to the society history. Our actions are driven by the shared vision to create a welcoming, vibrant alumni community here in the Netherlands.

The committee at the 2024 AGM/ Boat Race, 2024 Annual Society Dinner & 2023 AGM.

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Committee Members (2026)

After graduating, she worked at the European Commission supporting Member States’ health system reforms. Alongside her professional work in health and policy, she has been an active member of the alumni committee since 2023. Having served as Events Secretary and Vice‑President, she became President in 2025 with the aim of continuing to build an inclusive and engaging network for all alumni.

A language enthusiast, she is trilingual with French next on her list. In her free time, she enjoys producing or directing theatre plays, taking up new sports such as touch rugby or badminton, and organising hikes. She recently took up coxing and helped steer the second Belgian alumni boat to victory in the 2025 alumni charity regatta.

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An engineer by training, he has worked in scientific instrumentation for 14 years, and currently works remotely as a product manager for Refeyn, a company based in Oxford.

In his spare time, Stephen is learning but also enjoys walking and recently completed the ‘Nijmegen 4Daagse’. As part of the committee, he will be taking over from Grace as the Secretary.

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Outside of work, Clym spends much of his time playing the cello in various classical music groups. He’s also an occasional sailor, scuba diver and badminton player.

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He moved to the Netherlands in 2020, living in Groningen and working at the Emmen manufacturing site of Envalior B.V. as Improve Plant Engineer (previously DSM Engineering Materials) where he is responsible for scoping and executing projects improving safety, quality and productivity on site.

Also worked previously in India and a 6 month assignment in the US. He enjoys cooking, eating out, travelling and sports (mainly tennis and football).

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We are thankful to the many former committee members over the years:

• Nick Bowers – President (Pembroke College Oxford)
• Xuan Wang – Treasurer (Wolfson College, Oxford, 2012; Exeter College, Oxford 2015; Magdalen College, Oxford 2017-2019), who was a keen organiser of Candlemes, food and cultural events, most notably Chinese New Year. He left the committee unexpectedly (see note below in his memory).
• Grace – Former Secretary (Exeter College, Oxford, 2021)
• Anibal – Former Membership Secretary who remains a loyal organizer of rowing events and the annual regatta (Girton College, Cambridge, 2014)
• Ipsa – Former Secretary (Green Templeton College, Oxford, 2013)
• Julian – Former Committee Member (Queens’, Cambridge, 1974)
• Ping – Former committee member who remains a loyal organizer of many walking trips throughout the year (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, 2013)
• Victoria – former president and continuous event co-organiser for Candlemas
• Matthias – former treasurer
• Johannes – former secretary

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Announcement to Society Community, September 2025

In Memoriam
Xuan Wang

26/4/1989 – 27/8/2025
Friend & Society Treasurer

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Xuan Wang, our long-standing committee member, treasurer, and friend. While the news of his passing still feels inconceivable, our thoughts at this time are first and foremost with his family, friends, and those closest to him.

Xuan served as the Society’s treasurer since 2022. It seems like only yesterday that we decided to join the committee. In addition to serving with him on the committee, I had the fortune of calling him one of my best friends. Our friendship began over a decade ago in the Exeter College MCR, with a conversation — the first of many over the years.

Xuan was incredibly articulate and intelligent but also possessed a rare gift for finding the right words in difficult situations. What I really appreciated about him was his openness toward others and his continuous curiosity to understand different perspectives. In any social setting, I could count on him to strike up conversations and later share something interesting and kind about the people he had met. He had a way to command the room with his presence. Yet, he also had a unique way of finding contentment — in the things in his life, opportunities he had been given, and in the people around him.

After reading for a D.Phil. in Financial Economics and an M.Phil. in Economics at Oxford, Xuan moved to Amsterdam, where he began his academic career as an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Vrije Universiteit and the Tinbergen Institute. It was in Amsterdam where he had truly found a second home – he loved his neighbourhood by Westerpark and was always eager to share his appreciation for Amsterdam and the surrounding nature with others. Some of you may remember the cycle tour in Amsterdam he organised or the meditative walk through the Amsterdamse Bos during the Joint Alumni Weekend.

Xuan also truly appreciated art and music, learning to play the cello and sharing his love for poetry with many of us at the annual Candlemas celebration, which he helped organise in recent years. As a committee colleague, he could always be counted on to organise an event – and he loved getting to know so many of you over the years. This is just one example of the many ways he helped shape our society, working diligently to support our committee over the years. His contributions and openness to connect with so many will leave a lasting legacy. His captivating laughter and engaging conversations will remain in our memories.

Xuan will be deeply missed at our events, in our committee circle and in the many lives of people so dear to him. He will be remembered as a brilliant academic, a loving friend, and a kind soul who loved being amongst people and found joy in life’s simple things. I know he would probably even in this situation, find the right words and encourage us to look forward – to remaining connected to one another and celebrate the moments we can spend together.

Ruth Eichinger (VP and friend) on behalf of the committee
September 2025

A memorial service is scheduled to be held in September in Amsterdam and details will be circulated to society members in due course. As a Society, we will ensure that Xuan is properly remembered and inform members about opportunities to contribute.

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