Transcript: Vice-Chancellor's start of Michaelmas 2024 student message

 

 

Dear students, welcome to the start of our new academic year.

I am thrilled you're here, whether for the first time or returning, and I hope you are rested, energised and ready to contribute and engage in Oxford's unique and vibrant environment.

I would like to extend a particular warm welcome to all our new students. Thank you for choosing Oxford for this next phase of your educational journey, and a huge congratulations on securing a place here.

And I'm pleased to tell you that you are officially in the top university in the world for a record-breaking ninth successive year, as recently announced by The Times Higher Education.

It's a fantastic achievement that is testament to our extraordinarily talented and committed academics, researchers and staff who deliver exceptional standards of teaching and globally impactful research.

So you, as a lifelong member of our brilliant community, remember that we're here to help you get off to the best possible start with help from right across the University.

Do explore the resources tailored to you from your college, department and the University on the Oxford Transition Support webpage.

I’m talking to you today from the Old Road campus, part of the medical school up at the Churchill site, and I'm sitting in the Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, an extraordinary place dedicated to the development of new drugs and therapeutic strategies to tackle cardiovascular, neurological or immune system chronic illnesses that have a developmental origin.

It proudly hosts near 20 world-leading research groups, comprising 240 scientists, including the fabulous Sarah Gilbert of our COVID vaccine, integrating their expertise to foster multidisciplinary collaborations.

Just another example that exemplifies what Oxford does: strives for the seemingly impossible and tackling great challenges.

We don’t do easy. And if you want to find out more about the kind of things we do across the University, check out my Fire and Wire podcast.

 

I am mindful that the academic year begins again in the context of extremely worrying external tensions, with particular concern about the ongoing conflict in Israel, Gaza and now Lebanon.

Over the past year, we have taken a number of steps to support those impacted, including the launch of new scholarships; offering support for impacted students and academics; and developing education resources for those in Gaza and the West Bank. These have now been updated on our dedicated webpage.

 

There are simple steps that you can take to support our efforts, from getting involved in inclusion activities, to understanding harassment, and the University’s approach to freedom of speech. These are all outlined in a new Inclusive Student Life webpage. Do read it if you haven't already. The page also links to guidance on protests and demonstrations.

While the University supports freedom of speech, those taking part in protest must treat everyone with respect, courtesy and consideration. Conduct that is not in line with University rules, or which is unlawful, can have serious consequences for the individuals involved and seriously affect others in our community.

So, in these challenging circumstances, it is essential that we work together to ensure Oxford remains a welcoming and inclusive place.

There's a lot of kindness in Oxford and we're all motivated to do what is best. So whilst I recognise that our students are struggling to make sense of ongoing conflicts, and have found different ways to express their frustration, remember that kindness, generosity, sympathy and understanding will be essential to take Oxford forward in putting that empathy into useful action for those suffering, and to remain focused on delivering our core mission to teach and deliver ground-breaking research.

I am grateful to those who have shared their perspectives with me, so that we can try to support everyone in our community as best we can. Updated information for staff and students can be found on the University website.

Relatedly, please take a moment if you haven't already done so, to complete the University's online consent training before term gets too busy. This should be in addition to training organised by your college or department. We expect all students to contribute to Oxford's respectful community of learning.

Having healthy relationships and a shared understanding of positive communication boundaries and the law and ethics surrounding sexual consent is an important part of this.

As ever, the start of the new academic year brings a renewed focus on our core mission to advance your learning through our teaching and research.

We're committed to supporting every student, ensuring you get the very most out of your time here and graduate successfully.

Take charge of your student experience by downloading the new MyOxford Student app, which is also accessible in a web browser. It has been designed to give you quick access to essential University systems and services, development opportunities, and all your college content.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium is one of the opportunities available for undergraduates and DPhil facilitators to collaborate with our world class academics.

The Colloquium invites you to work with students from other subjects to respond to the ever-pressing issue of climate. You can express your interest to take part later this term.

It's going to be a busy time ahead, with many positive challenges and development opportunities that I really encourage you to embrace.

Oxford is an environment for you to thrive and grow intellectually, with so many opportunities to shape your student experience through our many extracurricular activities.

However, there may inevitably be times where you need to access support for your wellbeing, so do explore the University's Common Approach to Student Mental Health. For information about the range of support tools and resources available from your college department and the university's student welfare and support services, please do not hesitate to reach out if you need to.

Well, I wish you all the very best for Michaelmas term and the year ahead, and I look forward to seeing you around Oxford at various events, student breakfasts or even during my ever-popular student dog walks.

Thank you and have a great term.