The Oxford & Cambridge Garden Party
at the British Ambassador’s Residence
Thursday, 4th June 2026 at 6.30 pm (sharp)
The British Ambassador, Sir Thomas Drew, has agreed to welcome us at his Residence for our Garden Party, which is making a welcome return after a two year gap. In addition to the Oxford and Cambridge Societies, we will be joined by alumni from Science Po.
Sir Robin Niblett
Former Director of Chatham House and Warden-Elect, New College, Oxford
will speak on the subject
‘The Importance of Learning in a Period of Uncertainty’
This is traditionally an enjoyable evening and a prestigious event in our season.
Please make sure you book as soon as possible. Details below.
Howard Norman
President
Oxford University Society of Paris
Sir Robin Niblett, KCMG
Robin Niblett is a Distinguished Fellow with Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London) and its former Director and Chief Executive (2007 – 2022). In September 2026, he will become the Warden of New College, University of Oxford, where he studied for his DPhil in International Relations.
Robin is also Distinguished Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Senior Adviser to the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington DC, serving previously as its Executive Vice President and Director of the Europe Program. He regularly advises private institutions on geopolitical trends and risk management and is a member of the International Advisory Board of Brown Advisory, the US investment firm. He was Senior Adviser for geopolitics and international affairs with Hakluyt, the London-based strategic advisory firm, from 2022 through 2024.
A leading expert on the relations between Europe, the US, and Asia, he is the author of The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the US and China Will Shape Our Century (Atlantic Books, 2024), as well as numerous articles and Chatham House and CSIS reports.
Robin was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2022.
EVENT DETAILS
Venue:
The British Ambassador’s Residence, 39, rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, 75008 Paris
Access:
Metro: Concorde / Champs-Elysées Clémenceau / Madeleine
Parking : Concorde / 3 avenue Matignon
Timing :
The Embassy gate will be opened to members and guests at 6.30 pm sharp. The Speaker’s talk will begin at 6.50 pm so we strongly recommend that you arrive promptly at 6.30 pm.
Carriages at 9.00 pm.
Dress code:
Lounge suits or cocktail attire.
Cost and booking procedure:
- Standard members tickets at €80 each, for members of either the Oxford University Society of Paris or the Cambridge Societies of Paris/Belgium/Luxembourg and one guest.
- Under 30 members tickets at €60 each, for members who are under 30 years of age. One guest ticket can also be booked at the U30 rate, although that guest does not need to be also under 30.
- Additional guest tickets at €100 each, for those members who wish to invite a second or more guests.
- Non-members tickets at €100 each, for alumni of either University who are not members of OUSP or CamSoc and their guests.
Tickets are available through the Oxford Society Website , using this link which sends you to the Garden Party event page. Non-members tickets can be booked by any Oxford or Cambridge alumni without being a member of the Paris Societies of each University tor Belgium or Luxembourg for Cambridge alumni). To book non-member tickets you should use the access code GARDEN.
If you are a member of the Cambridge Societies of Paris, Belgium and Luxembourg, the codes to access the discounted priced tickets will have been sent to you separately.
If you require assistance with the booking process, or if you are a member of the Cambridge Society and have not received the access codes for the discounted tickets, please contact Tony Banton on treasurer@camsocparis.org.
Once your payment has been received, you will be sent a confirmation of your registration.
Access to the Residence and Security:
For security reasons, the Embassy requires a list of names in advance. Please provide your own name in full, together with those of your guests, as they are shown on your photographic ID (passport or ID card) which must be presented at the gate to gain access.
Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. In order that the full list of names can be provided to the Embassy in accordance with their request, bookings will close on Wednesday, 27th May. In addition, cancellations will only be accepted and refunded if received by that date.