A Typical Day

The day usually begins with breakfast in the College's beautiful dining room. Participants eat together, often with course convenors and guest speakers who have spent the night. We then move to the seminar room for a 9am start.  The morning consists of two sessions with a break for coffee and biscuits.  We often have guest speakers in the morning, sometimes as part of a panel of academics. We try to get a mix of expertise - from regulators over activists to academics - to ensure a diversity of perspectives.  Each session has assigned readings that are made available to participants.

We allow a long lunch break so that participants can catch up on emails, continue a discussion with the speakers over coffee, or go for a walk in the city.

The Institute then reconvenes, usually for two afternoon sessions with a tea & coffee break in between. On some days participants are invited to present their research and work, on others we may have discussions or projects in smaller groups. Formal sessions usually end around 4.30pm.

We organise a lively yet informal social programme - it is up to you how much you want to participate. 

Each day we offer the opportunity to get together for a walk, a drink or dinner - this is also our chance to show you around Oxford. We may have organised an 'Uncomfortable Oxford' tour of the city or an evening in the pub with drinks and nibbles. At the weekend, participants can choose to go into London or meet up for punting (a type of river boat) on the Thames. At the end of the Summer Institute we usually organise a Closing Dinner. We find that the social programme is a great opportunity to get to know fellow participants, speakers and Oxford faculty.