Article kindly written by: Dr Thomas Baranga (Harvard 2003)
On January 30th 2026 Lady Maggie Moore and Sir Richard Moore (1985) and Professor Rana Mitter (1993) navigated the snow drifts deposited by the arctic storm that recently swept Cambridge, MA to convene dinner with a group of former Kennedy Scholars and their partners who have stayed in the area.
Tucked away in Toscano’s cosy back corner, and brought back to room temperature with the assistance of the cocktail waiter, we enjoyed a very convivial evening of conversation and reflection on the extraordinary life-changing turn afforded to us by the opportunity to study in Boston thanks to the KMT.
Sir Richard shared his enthusiasm for his passion project steering the future direction of the Trust as it furthers its mission of deepening Anglo-American relationships and supporting as many outstanding scholars of the future as possible to build their networks of trans-Atlantic cooperation and friendship.
All the former scholars recognized the transformative impact on their life trajectories of their scholarship year, if not for which many doors which we subsequently walked through might not have opened. For this US-based group, not only had it been the trigger for an indefinite emigration, but our studies at Harvard and MIT also provided a platform from which our subsequent professional lives had flourished. As might be expected of a group gathering in Cambridge, academics (Rana Mitter, Esther Whitfield 1995, Thomas Baranga 2003, Anna Stansbury 2013) were well-represented, as were doctors (Christopher Connor 1998, Hugh Pearson 2024), and scholars who have blazed a trail in business and technology (Ann Berry 2006, Jennifer Milne 2010).
Sir Richard spoke eloquently of the challenges and opportunities facing the Trustees as they seek to secure places for a critical mass of scholars in each cohort in perpetuity. Since the Trust was founded, academic fees at US universities have grown inexorably faster than inflation (as parents of children contemplating college here are all too uncomfortably aware!). As the original fund-raising drive of the Trust’s endowment in the 1960s recedes further into the past, ongoing efforts to secure a steady flow of new donations are essential if we are to maintain the founding ambitions of the Trust as a living institution. As one alumna at the dinner with experience in fundraising reflected, in such matters if one doesn’t ask, one should not expect to receive; and we all agreed that as primary beneficiaries of the Trust in the past, former scholars constitute the leading pool of supporters for the future, and would be happy to be asked to support the Trust’s ongoing work.
Another important investment in the future of the Trust is maintaining and building wider public awareness of what it does, both to attract the widest pool of potential talent among applicants and to catch the attention of philanthropists sympathetic to the objectives of sustaining and deepening Anglo-American relations and broadening the horizons of young talent with an interest in public service. Our alumni form an impressive collective of potential ambassadors to raise the public profile of the Trust. A certain characteristic British modesty and reserve may account for why the KMT may be less well-known to the wider public than some scholarship organizations that send students across the Atlantic in the opposite direction; we resolved that our group of former scholars should indulge in more (uncharacteristic?) public boasting that we had enjoyed the honor of once being Kennedy scholars, and to evangelize about this exciting opportunity for a wide pool of young scholars.
The dinner was a lovely occasion for some alumni who already knew each other to catch up, and for others to meet for the first time. The shared experience of living as a Brit in America contributes to the sense of life-long fellowship with our cohorts and also helps connect the alumni community together. Partners also bonded over the shared experience of a prospective move to Boston acting as a trigger for a marriage proposal: the logic of “If I love you enough to move to Boston with you, then I love you enough to marry you” resonated across the generations present in our party. We look forward to more opportunities to gather and enjoy one another’s company in the future, and hope that other alumni visiting Boston will look up those of who have lingered in the area.
Dr Thomas Baranga (Harvard 2003)
