Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

'Stormzy effect': record number of black Britons studying at Cambridge

'Stormzy effect': record number of black Britons studying at Cambridge

Rise follows rapper’s high-profile backing of scholarships for black students at university
The “Stormzy effect” has helped inspire record numbers of black British students to study at the University of Cambridge, following the musician’s high-profile backing of scholarships for black students at the institution.

Cambridge said 91 black British students had been admitted as first-year undergraduates at the start of the academic year, an increase of nearly 50% compared with last year’s 61 students. It takes the total number of black undergraduates studying at Cambridge above 200 for the first time.

Last year Stormzy, a grime music star and the first black British solo artist to headline at Glastonbury, announced that he was setting up two scholarships to support black British students at the university, and followed up with an announcement in August that he would fund the tuition fees and living expenses of a further two students.

Cambridge said that after Stormzy made his offer in 2018, the university “has seen an increase in the number of black students engage in its outreach activities and enquire about its courses”, leading to increasing numbers of applications.

Courtney Daniella, a Cambridge graduate and YouTube influencer, was also credited with helping encourage more applications, after she appeared in videos designed to challenge misconceptions around studying at the university.

Cambridge announced a new record in the numberof black, Asian and minority ethnic students admitted this year, with the group now making up nearly 27% of admissions.

“The university has worked hard to get the message out that it is a welcoming place for students regardless of their ethnicity. This record rise in the number of black students is a credit to their hard work and ability: we have not lowered entry standards,” said Graham Virgo, the senior pro-vice-chancellor for education.

“It is also a credit to the hard work put in by admissions staff across the university and colleges in running various outreach activities, and the positive campaigns run by our student societies and external partners.”

The university said student societies had also been actively involved in access work, promoting the university to groups of young people who might not have thought of applying to Cambridge, or ever have been encouraged to apply.

Wanipa Ndhlovu, the president of the university’s African-Caribbean Society, said: “It should send out a signal to other black students that they can find their place at Cambridge and succeed. I hope this will be seen as encouraging to any black student who may have been told Cambridge isn’t the place for them.”

David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, has been a frequent critic of the failure of Oxbridge colleges to admit students from diverse backgrounds.

“It is a shame it has taken so long but it’s obviously very good news that the number of black students getting into Cambridge has seen such progress this year,” he said. “There is still much more work to do to sustain this, especially given the reality that under-21s are considerably more ethnically diverse than the general population. Radical reforms are still required if Britain’s top universities are to get the best talent, regardless of background, school, geographical location and class.”

Last month Cambridge announced that pupils from state schools had gained more undergraduate places than in any year previously, taking up 68% of places on courses in the 2019-20 academic year.

It has also increased its admissions from the UK’s most educationally deprived areas, with pupils from these areas making up 14% of this year’s cohort, compared with 12% last year.

Last year nearly 12,000 UK-based students applied for undergraduate places at Cambridge, of which 3,378 were given offers and 2,574 accepted. Almost all of those who accepted had gained at least an A* and two As in their best three A-levels.

Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Omari, grew up in Croydon in south London and attended a state school. On Wednesday he was named by Time magazine as one of its “next generation leaders” for 2019, alongside Greta Thunberg.

“The thought of being a ‘role model’ or ‘leader’ or whatever it is feels way way way too heavy and too overwhelming,” Stormzy told the magazine’s interviewer, the author Reni Eddo-Lodge.

“I am deeply flawed and still learning how to be a man and still figuring out how to grow into the person I need to be but within all of that confusion and all the juggling of being a human and trying to be a superhuman, I have purpose. And my purpose has led me here.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
×