About Congress Oxford Summer Schools
Congress Oxford Education is a division of LibPubMedia Ltd, offering academic and cultural spring/summer courses to UK and international students aged 15 and over. LibPubMedia is an Oxford-based company, established by University of Oxford academics and alumni, which has been providing excellence in education and communication via state-of-the-art conferences, symposia, training courses, workshops, publications and editorial services since 2005.
Academic Team
Academic and Managing Director
Dr M Sohail – a University of Oxford academic since 1991 and CEO of LibPubMedia Ltd – is the Academic and Managing Director of the Schools and will be responsible for overall administration of the programmes. Dr Sohail is a biomedical scientist by training, conducting cutting-edge research at the University of Oxford. He has published around 40 research and review articles in international journals and books, many of which he co-authored with Whitley Professor Sir Edwin Southern FRS (Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, 2005) and Dr Tim Hunt FRS (Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology, 2001). He also edited a book entitled Gene Silencing by RNA Interference in 2004.
Dr Sohail has been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Oxford since 1995. As well as acting on numerous academic committees at the University of Oxford, he was also a member of the Oxford Congregation, and a lead examiner for several undergraduate courses, including Bachelor of Medicine, and Physiology. In 2005, he founded an Oxford-based open-access publishing company, Library Publishing Media, and then an communications company, LibPubMedia Ltd. Dr Sohail has also been the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of a number of scientific journals and is currently the Managing Director of the International Society on Aptamers. With ample experience of teaching for over two decades and in managing educational services of over a decade, he will ensure that our programmes are run smoothly and to the highest possible standards, both academically and administratively.
Director of the English Teaching and Cultural Programmes
Mr Mike Newell obtained an undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature in 1997 from the Open University, whilst developing a career in senior management posts at Oxford Brookes University. Seeking a career change, he left Oxford Brookes University in 2009 and joined the University of Oxford in 2010. Between 2009 and 2010, Mr Newell travelled and also earned his CELTA qualification to enable him to teach English as a Foreign Language. Having held some administrative posts at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, since 2010, he began teaching English to both European (from 2011) and Japanese (from 2014) students. Alongside Mr Newell, there will be a team of dedicated and professional teachers who share his passion and commitment for teaching and making a difference to young lives.
Mr Newell is also a qualified first-aider.
Our Associate Teachers
Our English language teaching is led by the Programme Director, Mr Mike Newell (St Hilda’s College, Oxford), who has been teaching international students, both at elementary and advanced levels, for many years and has always received glowing feedback from his students. All our associate English teaching staff are native English speakers, qualified to British Council standards (CELTA, Trinity Cert TESOL), with years of experience in working with international students. Some of our staff specialise in teaching Japanese and European students, so we can offer courses specifically tailored towards groups of students from a particular country/language background.
Other courses will be taught by subject specialist, highly-motivated and enthusastic graduate tutors, mostly from the University of Oxford.
Support Teams
Student welfare and Health and Safety are of paramount importance to us. We understand that for most of the students this may be their first time away from home. Thus, in addition to our academic team, we will also have a dedicated support team of college mentors, who are Oxford undergraduate students, to help students on-campus, around the city and during excursions. Moreover, we will have reasonable safety regulations in place, ensuring our students have a safe and happy experience.
We also offer courses tailored specifically for Japanese students, who can join our Japanese only or international programmes. Our Japanese Liaison Officer will answer any questions from parents, schools and agencies by email or telephone in Japanese and assist during summer schools.
