Cambridge University is one of the oldest and most prestigeous Universities in the world. Since 1209, it has made significant contributions to the development of science,technology and human society. Today, it still boasts one of the highest-standard intellectual community. While Cambridge is a vibant place, 800 years of continuous enrichment of its culture has brought about a unique style. In a sense, it is a live museum for the history of education. Then, what is the essence of Cambridge? The answer to this question will not only enable us to have a better understanding of the human culture of the University, it will also provide important insights for both research and practice.

The Association of Cambridge Studies was founded in 2005. It aims to promote better understanding of the culture, history, teaching, research and management systems of the university. We hope to encourage our memebers to search for the essence of cambridge. In the mean time, ACS identifies academic excellence as one of the most important elements of Cambridge. Thus we have committed to providing free exchange of ideas between scholars. The society journal (Journal of Cambridge Studies) has enjoyed increased publicity over the last three years and strong support from both within and outside the university. 2009 marks the 800th Anniversary of Cambridge University and it is also a crucial year for ACS's developement. We plan to produce a special issue to highlight the strengthening of ties between CU and China over the last few decades. ACS is an academic/culture society, we very much appreciate your participation in our society activities.