Cambridge University Press and Assessment (Cambridge UP) is the publishing and academic assessment department of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It also serves as education resource, teaching people English and providing skill-based certification worldwide. ^{1 2}

The Press reported £1.025 billion ($1.4 billion) in revenue and claimed its products informed the education of more than 100 million students worldwide in 2024. ³

Beyond publishing and business, Cambridge University Press is also involved in social and political ventures. It champions political causes related to climate change; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and election reform and promotes the use of AI in education. ^{4 5 6}

Background

Cambridge University Press and Assessment is the publishing and academic assessment department of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It also makes itself available as an education resource, teaching people English and providing skill-based certification worldwide. ^{1 2}

Cambridge UP publications are widely available in bookstores throughout the world, and include academic research, reference books, textbooks, Bibles, and other works. ¹

In 2024, Cambridge UP reported £1.025 billion ($1.4 billion) in revenue and claimed its products informed the education of more than 100 million students worldwide. ³

Activities

Beyond publishing and business, Cambridge University Press is also involved in a number of social and political ventures. The Press is a “proud” signatory of the UN Global Impact on sustainability and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on combating climate change. Cambridge UP declares that it aims to cultivate “a generation of learners equipped to tackle climate change” and understand the “climate crisis,” ensure its operations are “more sustainable,” push equity within its organization, and “advance society beyond our products and services.” As an organization, it aims to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2048, ensure the paper it uses is from “increasingly sustainable sources,” and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all of its activities and globally. ⁴

In 2018, Cambridge University Press provided funds to support the Election Science, Reform, and Administration (ESRA) conference held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ESRA is an annual conference that invites academics, tech developers, and think tank staffers to share papers on alleged challenges that local election offices in America face. Speakers tend to focus on center-left topics such as “misinformation” about the election system, how to combat voters’ distrust of election officials, vote-by-mail, racism, gerrymandering, and ranked-choice voting experiments. The 2018 ESRA conference was also funded by left-of-center grantmaking organizations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Democracy Fund. ^{5 7}

Cambridge University Press promotes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving education and research. It advocates for the integration of AI in student assessment, lesson planning, and “generating insights.” It also believes schools should adopt AI-based learning programs. ⁶

Leadership

Cambridge University Press’s daily operations are led by chief executive Peter Phillips, but its publication catalog and other higher-order matters are determined by a governing board known as “the Syndicate,” a term which derives from its 17^th century origins. The Syndicate is made up of numerous committees and advisory boards comprised of academics, regulators, auditors, technologists, and educational consultants. ⁸

1. “About us.” Cambridge. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/about-us.
2. “Legal notices.” Cambridge. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/legal.
3. “Annual Report 2023-24.” Cambridge University Press. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/about-us/annual-report.
4. “Supporting our planet and people.” Cambridge University Press. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/people-and-planet.
5. “About the 2018 Conference.” Election Science, Reform, and Administration Conference. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://esra-conference.org/2018-conference.
6. “AI with humans at the centre.” Cambridge University Press. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/about-us/ai-embracing-innovation.
7. “About.” Election Science, Reform, and Administration Conference. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://esra-conference.org/about
8. “Our governance.” Cambridge University Press. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/governance.