Conference Venue
 

Few places are more readily associated with scholarly endeavour than Oxford. This city on the River Thames in Southern England is the location of Oxford University, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Whilst some might argue that the city is not as aesthetically pleasing as its arch-rival Cambridge it remains a visual delight and a veritable treasure house of human achievements. Oxford not only boasts the world famous university, but is also home to Oxford Brookes University, an institution that consistently scores highly when it comes to student satisfaction surveys.

Being within easy reach of London has ensured that far from being a sleepy academic oasis Oxford has been touched by national events such as the English Civil War in the Seventeenth Century and has itself helped mould those who have gone on to enhance the body of human knowledge. To date it is worth noting that Oxford University has been the place of study for 27 British Prime Ministers, including the present incumbent – Theresa May. The city has long been a centre of publishing, with the Oxford University Press being the largest university press in the world. No visit to Oxford would be complete without a visit to Blackwell’s Bookseller and of course the Ashmolean (www.ashmolean.org)  and Pitt Rivers Museums (www.prm.ox.ac.uk) .  Oxford has long been a centre of manufacturing and innovation and is proud to be the place where the famous Mini car is assembled. Oxford is ethnically diverse and extraordinarily outward looking, being twinned with Bonn (Germany), Grenoble (France), Leiden (The Netherlands), León (Nicaragua) and Perm (Russia).  Whilst Oxford is in many respects a thriving and affluent city it is important to note that it has pockets of deprivation and also faces challenges over land usage and new development that have given rise to environmental campaigns such as that to Save Port Meadow. That said, it still has the ability to beguile and is proud to be place rich with positive associations and as such one of the strongest brand names in the world.

The shopaholics amongst you may well will to visit the famed Bicester Village, Oxfordshire (www.bicestervillage.com) – this is easily reached from Oxford. See:http://www.tourinaday.com/oxford/bicester-village-to-oxford.html

Finally we heartily recommend that if time (and budget) permits that you venture forth from Oxford to visit the Oxfordshire town of Woodstock where you will discover the magnificent Blenheim Palace (www.blenheimpalace.com), the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965).