The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium

The Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium

In Hilary term 2026, the Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium offered two distinct themes: climate change and artificial intelligence.

Expressions of interest have closed for 2025-2026.

The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium is a unique, interdisciplinary, extra-curricular offering for all undergraduates at the University of Oxford.

With the need for broad, creative thinking to respond to the challenges of our time, students have an exciting opportunity to work outside of their subject of study to gain additional knowledge and skills.

This programme brings together leading Oxford academics and interdisciplinary student teams to respond to big questions about complex challenges like climate change and artificial intelligence through keynote lectures, group discussions and interdisciplinary projects.

Key areas of skills development

Numeracy and data analysis: In our age of information, how can we make sense of the world and effectively use the insights of data analysis to guide policy, our own understanding, and our ability to engage in critical reflection?
Critical thinking, curiosity and imagination: Thinking deeply about social and cultural systems, how do we ask questions about the harms and benefits of individual and collective actions, and develop the capacity to offer solutions?
Communicating to different audiences: When faced with complex and potentially divisive issues, how can we communicate effectively to key stakeholders from the classroom to the boardroom?

2026 themes

The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium on Climate: Explore interdisciplinary perspectives on the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change. Through group projects and sustainability consulting sprints, students can make a positive difference in their college and the local community.

The Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium on AI (new in 2026): Explore the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence in a critical, interdisciplinary dialogue between the sciences and humanities. Students will also develop AI competencies that will benefit their studies and future careers.

What is included?

Keynote lectures and talks: The cornerstone of the Colloquium is the delivery of keynote lectures by senior Oxford academics from across the academic divisions. Each session will bring together two professors from different disciplines to respond to a big question related to the theme and explore how their academic disciplines and research methodologies provide insights.
Interdisciplinary group discussions/activities: Oxford Colleges will host small group discussions and activities in the alternating weeks from the keynotes. These sessions will be guided by a cohort of doctoral teaching assistants who have been trained by the organisers and respond to the lectures and deliver skill-building content.
Interdisciplinary projects: Participants will be formed into small interdisciplinary groups to identify a local problem and propose an interdisciplinary solution. These projects will synthesise the key themes of the lectures and skill-building content, harnessing interdisciplinary perspectives to result in new insights for local and global engagement.
Panel and celebration: The Colloquium concludes with a celebratory event, with a small group of undergraduate and postgraduate students joining the Vice-Chancellor in a dynamic panel discussion. The group project finalists will present their projects, with the winning group provided with funding to continue their project.
Summer consulting sprints: A week-long summer programme is offered to students that complete the Colloquium, in which interdisciplinary groups of students work on a project for an Oxford department, college or community partner to apply the knowledge and skills developed in the Colloquium.

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the Vice-Chancellor's Colloquium.

2026 Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium Update

In Hilary term, over 500 students enrolled in the Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium across the two themes. Many thanks to the Schwarzman Centre for hosting the new AI Colloquium and the Saïd Business School for hosting the third year of the Climate Colloquium. The AI Colloquium was developed in partnership with AI@Oxford Research, the AI Competency Centre, and the Critical Digital Education Research Group at the Department of Education, and featured Oxford’s leading experts in artificial intelligence as keynote lecturers. The Climate Colloquium featured eight new keynote speakers and enhanced college activities related to climate ethics, justice and communication.

To celebrate the conclusion of the 2026 Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium, students from both cohorts gathered at the Sheldonian Theatre for a panel discussion on the relationship between artificial intelligence and climate change chaired by Professor Irene Tracey. The group project finalists in each theme presented their projects, with the audience rating the projects and the Vice-Chancellor supporting all six projects financially due to the quality of the student work.

Climate Group Project Finalists: