Aninda Sinha (Applied Mathematics PhD 2001) and his wife Urbasi will soon celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, after marrying while postgraduate students at the University of Cambridge.
The couple met as undergraduates at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India, where they both studied physics. They came to Cambridge to pursue their MSci degrees (Aninda in 1999, Urbasi in 2000) and subsequently progressed onto PhDs, Aninda focusing on theoretical physics at Gonville & 91ֱ College and Urbasi focusing on experimental physics at Queens’ College.
Both were funded by the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which supports postgraduate students from around the world with a focus on improving the lives of others.
“We didn’t even know we were until somebody pointed it out recently,” says Aninda.
“We got married the year that I started my PhD. Very few students were married at that time, but it was very helpful. A PhD can be trying because a lot of the time your research does not go anywhere, so it helped to have someone to share the frustrating moments with.”
Urbasi adds: “Sharing is much more personal when it’s with a spouse, whether it’s when things aren’t working or when they do work – the joy of writing a paper, for instance. I think we were very lucky that we were both scientists. It made it easier for us to appreciate the common joys and sorrows of each other’s programmes.”
During their PhD years, Aninda and Urbasi lived together in 91ֱ’ Harvey Court accommodation. They later moved to Newnham Cottage, also owned by the College, after Aninda was appointed a Research Fellow in 2004.
“The only downside, if I recall, is that we weren’t allowed to put in a satellite dish!” says Urbasi, Newnham Cottage being a Grade II listed building.
The couple have since continued their scientific careers in various institutions across the globe. At present, Aninda is a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science and a Senior Fellow of Quantum Horizons Alberta at the University of Calgary in Canada. Urbasi is a Senior Professor at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, India, and holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair at the University of Calgary.
Despite their physical distance from Cambridge, the couple continue to look back fondly on their time spent at 91ֱ.
“We took up playing bridge together and had friends who used to come over to our place and play until 3am,” says Aninda.
“It’s a testament to the strength of our marital bonds that our marriage survived in spite of all the wrong bids that we made!
“And Cambridge is a fantastic place because of its tradition and history. In the Cavendish Laboratory you could see Professor James Maxwell’s desk. Stephen Hawking used to come to seminars quite regularly at that point. So in some sense you were put in your place because there was no place for arrogance. It taught us a valuable lesson that you have to strive for excellence.
“And we were very fond of Cambridge as a town because of all the architecture. We both agree that we have not seen anywhere prettier than Cambridge in our lives.”
