Oxford Prospects Programmesfor University Students

Summer Term, August 2015

Oxford Prospects programmes

Oxford Prospects summer and winter pro-grammes are designed for academically giftedoverseas university students. Our talks, activitiesand trips introduce students to life in the UK aswell as the opportunities available for postgradu-ate study and careers in Oxford and elsewhere.

The programmes are held in Oxford colleges andrun by Oxford International Youth Academy, agroup of academics whose lives have beengreatly enriched by their time studying andworking at Oxford University. We are accreditedas an independent course provider by the BritishAccreditation Council.

During your time here you will experience a tasteof life in the UK, including:

� being taught at a high level by Oxford Univer-sity lecturers and other outstanding speakers

� living, eating and studying in the beautifulsurroundings of Oxford colleges

� visiting London and other cultural sites

� practising your English and your presentationskills

� interacting with other university students fromyour home country and the UK.

Course aims

Oxford Prospects programmes will:

� select excellent students and provide a highstandard of teaching by Oxford academics andothers

� increase your confidence in speaking English,and expect you to give a presentation inEnglish at the end of the programme

� take you to visit some of the UK’s principaltourist sites and high-profile employers

� give you opportunities to socialise with Oxford-based students and teachers, and encourageyou to make friends from among your fellowstudents.

Course objectives

After attending an Oxford Prospects programme,you will be able to:

� use English with greater confidence and flu-ency, including in public speaking

� speak knowledgeably in English about anaspect of life in the UK

� compare and contrast the history, culture,politics and educational methods of the UKwith those at home, using examples to supportyour arguments.

Our programme and activities

Oxford Prospects programmes are designed toprovide an unrivalled educational, cultural andsocial experience. Our Academic Director hasextensive experience working as a tutor, lecturerand educational advisor at Oxford University.

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Activities are selected for each course and will notbe exactly the same on every programme. As aguide, our summer and winter programmes typi-cally include:

� lectures in economics, finance, politics, culture,art, etc. from senior academics

� English classes oriented specifically to theneeds of high-achieving university students:IELTS, business communication, presentationskills, etc. Every student gives a presentationat the end of the programme

� a panel where students can discuss life in theUK with invited local government officialsrepresenting various political parties

� workshops on opportunities for postgraduatestudy in the UK and careers in the UK’sfinancial sector

� guided visits to Oxford’s historical and indus-trial centres including University buildings, theAshmolean Museum and the Mini factory

� a visit to London’s cultural highlights, includingBuckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliamentand Trafalgar Square.

� visits to leading employers such as the Bankof England, the BBC and ACCA

� a day trip to a cultural centre outside Londonsuch as Blenheim Palace, Bath, Stonehengeor Cambridge

� fun and social activities such as a film work-shop, a party with UK students, a film evening,a concert, communal restaurant dinners, etc.

Sample timetable (from summer 2014)

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Oxford Prospects takes the academic standard ofits programmes very seriously. Our courses aretaught by Oxford University academics and otheroutstanding lecturers.

Speakers are specially selected for each course,and will not be exactly the same for every pro-gramme. As an example, the speakers on ourSummer 2014 programmes included amongothers:

� Dr Lawrence Goldman, MA, PhD, FRHistS.University Lecturer in History and Vice Masterof St Peter’s College, Oxford University. Since2004 he has been editor of the Oxford Diction-ary of National Biography, published by Oxford

University Press. In April 2014 Dr Goldmanwas appointed as Director of the Institute ofHistorical Research in London.

� Professor Peter Oppenheimer. Economistat Christ Church, Oxford University, and formerdirector of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew andJewish Studies. During his time at ChristChurch, he was given leave for two years tobecome Chief Economist of Shell.

� Professor George Bitsakakis. Fellow ofPembroke College and member of the Depart-ment of Economics, Oxford University. He wasformerly a Fellow of Brasenose College,Oxford University, and before that he taught atthe LSE. He has broad research interests inboth economics and philosophy.

� Dr Matthew Williams. Lecturer in Politics atWadham College, Oxford University. He hasalso taught at St Hilda’s, University, Worcesterand Pembroke Colleges. His research focuseson the relationship between judges and politi-cians, where the rule of law meets the powerof politics.

� Dr Yan Huang. Senior Lecturer in Finance inthe Department of Accounting, Finance andEconomics, Oxford Brookes University. She is

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an expert on abnormal or suspicious perform-ance in the stock market.

� Dr David Tolley. Lecturer and tutor in EnglishLiterature at Hertford College, member of theEnglish Faculty and tutor at the Ruskin Schoolof Art, Oxford University. He is a specialist indrama and the interplay between art, literatureand film.

� Dr Justin Coombes. Artist, photographer andlecturer and tutor in art and art history. He isbased at the Ruskin School of Art, OxfordUniversity.

� Ian Barker. Head of English. Director ofStudies at Homelingua, with over 20 years’experience of teaching English as a foreignlanguage. He has taught children, undergrad-uates and adults at all levels, as well astraining other language teachers.

� Emma Kuhles. Deputy Head of English. Sheholds an MA in English Language Teaching,and has worked for many years as a teacherof English as a foreign language and a devel-oper of teaching materials, including at OxfordUniversity Language Centre and Oxford Uni-versity Press.

� Councillor Bob Price. Leader of Oxford CityCouncil and Leader of the Labour Group.Educated at the Universities of Cambridge andWarwick. He has recently retired from his postas Human Resources Director at OxfordBrookes University. His special interests includefinance, governance and cultural services.

� Councillor Jean Fooks. Leader of the OxfordCity Council Liberal Democrat Group. She isan Oxford University physics graduate whohas worked in space research, teaching,computing and health service research. Shehas been a City Councillor since 1992 and aCounty Councillor since 2001.

� Councillor Yvonne Constance, OBE, JP.Oxfordshire County Councillor and Vale of theWhite Horse District Councillor, for the Conserv-ative Party. She recently retired from theboards of Network Rail and RWE npower. Abarrister by profession, she is the longest-serving magistrate in central London.

� Councillor Van Coulter. Oxford City Council-lor, for the Labour Party. He is a trade unionistand co-operative member, and was educatedas a political economist at Ruskin College,Oxford. He has a particular interest in econom-ics, politics and international relations, as wellas public history and the arts.

� Councillor John Howson, JP. OxfordshireCounty Councillor, for the Liberal Democrats.He was a teacher for many years, and thenworked at Oxford Brookes University for 12years. He has worked as a civil servant, andset up his own company in 1997.

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Accommodation and food

Our students stay in the same college accommo-dation used by Oxford University students. Therooms are all of a high standard. They vary a lotdepending on the age and history of the college –some are hundreds of years old while others aremodern. The colleges are in central Oxford orwithin walking distance. Rooms are typicallysingle or twin, usually with their own bathroom.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the pro-gramme is that you will make many new friendsfrom different universities. To help with this, wedisperse students from each home university intomore than one Oxford college, and ensure that

each college houses students who do not all knoweach other. College allocation is random and wecannot guarantee that you will be in a particularcollege.

Students have breakfast in their own college.Teaching takes place in the students’ own collegeor in a nearby college or University department.Lunch is generally taken in a traditional collegedining hall.

For dinner, students are usually free to make theirown arrangements, so they can sample the manydifferent styles of food available in Oxford. Onspecial occasions, all the students come togetherfor a communal dinner in a college or restaurant.

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Completion ceremony and final dinner

One of the highlights of our student experience isthe final dinner and completion ceremony. Wehold these ceremonies in some of the mostbeautiful college dining halls in Oxford, wherestudents will be served a formal dinner at candlelit

tables. Following the dinner, we present comple-tion certificates to students who have attendedtheir lectures and other activities.

Selection criteria

Candidates for Oxford Prospects programmes must:

� be aged 18 or over on the first day of theprogramme

� demonstrate an adequate level of spokenEnglish

� have high academic standards

� have good social and teamwork skills.

Application process and fees

Applications are handled directly by our overseaspartner universities. Please contact your univer-sity for all details. The course fee includes:

� travel to and from the airport in the UK

� accommodation

� lectures and other teaching activities

� tours, trips and other activities in and outsideOxford, including any travel and entry fees

� breakfast and one main meal every day, pluscommunal meals such as formal dinners.

Director’s welcome

Oxford’s history is long and distinguished. TheUniversity is the oldest in the English-speakingworld, while the city has been home to kings andparliaments since the Middle Ages.

We invite you to join us in this unique city for anunforgettable educational, cultural and socialexperience. Make new friends, share experienceswith Oxford students and faculty, and discover awealth of opportunities for further study andcareers.

We look forward to seeing you in Oxford!

Dr Anthony WangDirector, Oxford Prospects programmes

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© 2014 Oxford International Youth Academy

Postal address: Wolfson College, Linton Road,Oxford, OX2 6UD

Website: www.oxford-youth.org

Email: admin@oxford-youth.co.uk