Student news

Welcome back to the start of Hilary term! I hope you are settling back into the rhythm of student life now that we’re heading into Week 2. Despite the cold weather, Oxford is looking spectacular with the winter frost and sun, so do enjoy our beautiful parks for some fresh air. I’m new to the job as your Vice-Chancellor, and so here I want to give you a feel for what you can expect from me.  I’m also keen to meet with students (you can find out more at the end of this message about how I plan to do that). 

My Oxford journey

A major transformation of the University's processes, culture and technology is underway.

The Digital Transformation programme will enable Oxford to be digitally fit for the future, making it easier for everyone to study and work here.

Professor Tracey shared this video message with students and staff on 5 January 2023:

In 2020 I made the jump and left my job at the BBC to read for a DPhil in modern Iranian Jewish history at Oxford. A major pull for me in returning to Oxford’s Asian and Middle Easter Studies for the doctorate was being surrounded by people working on everything from Biblical Hebrew to Classical Mongolian and Armenian under one roof. As an undergraduate I had spent time studying Persian and Urdu and living abroad in Istanbul and Jerusalem. I was looking forward to recapturing some of that variety once I was back at university.

As a typical Ukrainian child, I spent most of my free time playing outdoors and socialising – football was a huge passion of mine. I grew up specialising in learning foreign languages in Bila Tserkva and at the age of 15, I was one of three students from Ukraine to win a full academic scholarship to study A-levels in the UK. Realising I was not going to become the next Andriy Shevchenko in football or the next Steve Kaufmann in foreign languages, I decided to study sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Further Maths) at school. 

The information on our dedicated Vacation welfare support page will help you to find a mental health service whatever time of the day or night.

Visit the page to find support:

Creating a pathway to Oxford

The world can be an inhospitable place for the millions of people who find themselves displaced or endangered by conflict, persecution, climate change or the violation of their human rights. Only 1% of those affected by displacement go on into higher education.

The Graduate Scholarship Scheme for Ukraine Refugees offers graduates ordinarily resident in Ukraine but displaced by the war a full-time, one-year Masters course across a broad range of subjects. The scholarship is intended to further their academic training and development to enable them to better contribute to building back Ukraine’s future.

The scholarships are co-funded by the University and participating colleges, with each scholar given free accommodation and meals within their college, and a grant of £7,500 to support their study and living costs.

Travelling from the hilltops of the Peak District down to Oxford is a journey I’ve made a hundred times before, having worked in a recording studio in the Oxfordshire village of Eynsham. But this time felt different. As the car glided onto the panorama of the M40, adrenalin rushed to my toes. This was a journey that was never supposed to happen. This was my first day as a student at the University of Oxford.

Let’s rewind a little…

The journey so far