Pembroke College commemorates alumna Jo Cox

Refugee studentship to be set up to honor MP.

The flag of Pembroke College was flown at half-mast in commemoration of former student, MP Jo Cox, the day after her death.

Jo Cox was killed outside her constituency office in Birstall, Yorkshire, on Thursday June 16.

Pembroke College has since announced intentions to set up a refugee studentship in her memory. It will be awarded to a refugee student or someone “from a background like Jo’s who might otherwise find it difficult to come to Cambridge.”

Following the announcement of Ms Cox’s death the Master of Pembroke, Lord Smith of Finsbury, said: “This is the most tragic and terrible news. Pembroke College was enormously proud of Jo, who had already achieved so much in her work for Oxfam and the Freedom Fund, and especially in just over a year in Parliament.

“Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and colleagues, and we grieve for someone with so much promise who has been cruelly taken from us all.”

A memorial and book of condolence was set up in the college chapel, while online, tributes inundated social media and messages of condolence were collected on the Labour Party website.

A vigil was held in outside Guildhall on June 22, what would have been Ms Cox’s 42nd birthday.

Jo Cox went to Pembroke from Heckmondwike Grammar School as Jo Leadbeater in 1992. She studied Archaeology and Anthropology, then Social and Political Science.

She graduated in 1995 and was Head of Policy for Oxfam before being elected to Parliament as Labour Member for Batley and Spen in the 2015 General Election.

Witnesses of the incident said that the attacker kicked and stabbed Ms Cox before shooting her several times.

An online vigil received over 20,000 messages, and a fundraising page raised over a million pounds in Jo’s name - a proportion of which is to be donated to The White Helmets, the volunteer search and rescue workers based in Syria.