Our British Culture & Excursions Programmes
It will not all be work and study! We have a lot of fun activities and trips planned for our students. We want to share the magic of Britain, in particular of the City and the University of Oxford, with students from around the world, who either plan to study at Oxford or in the UK, or want the opportunity to experience an academic excursion here.
In addition to an academic focus, all our programmes include ample opportunities to explore Britain’s rich cultural and architectural history, in and outside Oxford, as these form an important part of the students’ learning and making their stay enjoyable. Oxford has a particular appeal, being home to the University of Oxford – one of the world’s oldest educational and most prestigious establishments – colleges, museums and a large array of old architectural wonders, some dating back to the 10th Century AD. Furthermore, Oxford is surrounded by beautiful countryside and Cotswold villages, further adding to its magnetism and charm.
Alongside several exciting half- and full-day trips, also included in the programmes are opportunities to learn and experience some of the key British cultural values, historic customs and traditions (such as fish & chips on Fridays, afternoon tea, etc.), major celebrations, and social etiquette (such as meeting & greeting, visiting someone’s home, communicating and addressing others, dressing up on formal and casual occasions, and most importantly the culture of queuing!).
Our excursions will start in Oxford, which offers excellent shopping and leisure facilities via its vibrant town centre with shops, cinemas, theatres, cafés, coffee houses and Westgate Shopping Centre, and is only a short distance from Bicester Shopping Village, one of Europe’s largest designer outlets. We will then visit places outside Oxford, which will be selected from a large cohort of historical cities and places for each programme. Some of these places are listed below:
In and around Oxford
Blenheim Palace (Sir Winston Churchill’s birthplace), Oxford Museums (including Ashmolean, Natural History, Pitt Rivers, History of Science Museum), Oxford Churches (some dating back to 10th century AD), Oxford Colleges, Botanic Gardens, Covered Market, Westgate Shopping Centre, Bicester Shopping Village, Cotswold Villages, etc.
Outside Oxford
Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace), Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, London Bridge, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Natural History Museum of London, etc.