Frequently Asked Questions – The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium

Apply to join the programme by completing the expression of interest form between Monday of Week 1 (13 October 2025) and Friday of Week 2 (25 October 2025) of Michaelmas term. 

What are the benefits of participating in the Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium? 

The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium is an exciting opportunity to develop new skills outside of your subject area through dynamic talks and group activities. You will expand your network and employable skills while learning from peers in different courses, colleges and years of study. The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium is also part of an innovative new digital accreditation programme that will allow you to share your participation on your CV and social media such as LinkedIn. In addition, the work of interdisciplinary teams of students will be showcased at a celebratory event in Trinity term.

What is the time commitment? 

Participants are expected to spend four hours per week on the Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium during Hilary term. This involves weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings alternating between keynote lectures and smaller group discussions and activities at 15 colleges. Additional time might be spent on the readings set by the keynote lecturers, reviewing digital content, and working in interdisciplinary student groups on a project.   

Why are interdisciplinary skills important? 

As Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey explained in her 2023 Oration when she introduced the Colloquium, there is a potential divide between STEM and humanities students in higher education. Across our academic divisions and colleges, the University of Oxford is a vibrant academic community. While some opportunities exist for students to learn things outside of their subject/discipline, the Colloquium was designed to be an interdisciplinary learning opportunity to help students develop a range of skills related to numeracy, data analysis, critical thinking, curiosity, imagination and communication.  

How can studying climate change and artificial intelligence support interdisciplinary skills? 

Climate and AI are complex, topical challenges that will shape students’ lives and their future careers. Responding to both the threat of climate change and the rapid development and adoption of artificial intelligence requires insights from academic disciplines across the sciences and humanities. The Colloquium uses these issues as an opportunity to explore the generation of knowledge and the application of research to public policy. Through group projects and consulting sprints, these concepts are practically applied in a unique form of problem-based and project-based learning.

How will participants be selected? 

A maximum of 300 students will be able to participate in each of the strands of the Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium in Hilary term 2026. You must complete a form to express your interest between Week 0 and Week 2 of Michaelmas term. If oversubscribed, places will be allocated randomly, considering factors such as academic discipline, college, year of study, and gender. Students selected should discuss the Colloquium with their tutor and confirm their commitment to participate before the end of week 4 of Michaelmas term.  

Can undergraduate students in the Department for Continuing Education join the Colloquium?

Yes – provided the student has a single sign-on (SSO) and they are able to join the sessions in person in Oxford, they are elligible to participate in the Colloquium.

How will my participation be recorded?

In order to receive digital certification of participation, students will need to log their attendance through a Microsoft Form – included as a QR code in the lecture slides – and complete fortnightly self-assessment in Canvas. Attendance of 75% of both the keynotes lectures and college sessions is required to receive accreditation. 

How will my participation be assessed?

There will be no formal assessment of participation in the Colloquium and you will not be required to submit any essays or participate in any form of examination. We will be gathering feedback through a self-assessment, and this is also how you can confirm your participation and reflect on the key learning outcomes.

What kind of topics might the lectures explore?

The keynote talks will bring together two academics from different departments/disciplines to respond to the same prompts and then engage in a discussion with students. The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium on Climate keynotes are organised around the following questions: 

What is the structure of the keynote lecture sessions?

The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium will meet in the early evening on Wednesdays of Hilary term (locations to be confirmed). They keynote sessions will be composed of a short (10-minute) introduction, two short lectures (approximately 30 minutes each) from academics in different departments/disciplines responding to the same prompt, and additional 30 minutes of questions and discussion, and a 20-minute explanation of the digital learning content and college-based group sessions the following week. 

What would one of the college group sessions look like?

The group discussions and activities take place alternating weeks from the keynotes at the same time and will be hosted by fifteen colleges and facilitated by DPhil students. These skill sessions involve activities related to the main concepts introduced in the keynotes, smaller group discussions and interdisciplinary group projects. The college session activities develop skills related to numeracy, critical thinking, communication and collaborative problem solving.

How will the interdisciplinary team projects work? 

As part of the smaller group discussions and activities held at colleges, students will be formed into interdisciplinary groups to collaborate on a capstone project for the Colloquium. Each group will identify a local problem and propose an interdisciplinary solution, building on what they have learned in the Colloquium. The students in each participating college will choose a group project to represent them as a semi-finalist. Three groups selected as finalists by the Colloquium team will be showcased at a celebratory event with the Vice-Chancellor in early Trinity term.

How will the college (and project) groups be selected?

Students will be assigned to the college hosting their group discussions and activities when places in the Colloquium are allocated. Within the college cohorts, students will be assigned in groups of four to undertake group projects . These project groups will include students from multiple colleges, departments and years of study.

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