Thursday 16 November 2023: To help forge connections between Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars overseas, the Ramsay Centre recently organised a series of events at the University of Oxford for scholars studying in the UK.

The Oxford events came on the heels of a series of other events in the UK also organised by the Centre, including London activities centred on music and art, and some special scholar events at Cambridge University.

Several scholars attending Oxford as well as Cambridge, and schools such as the London School of Economics and Political Science, joined in the Oxford activities, including dinners and tours of the university and its surrounds.

2023 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholar Trent Harron is studying a Master of Studies in History (History of War) at Oxford. A major in the Australian Army, originally from Adelaide, he has studied the classics as well as military defence studies. Trent is passionate about education and has worked for not-for-profit organisations dedicated to at-risk youth. In the future he aspires to leadership roles in the military, academia, or public office.

Trent said Ramsay Scholars in Oxford were delighted to be joined by Postgraduate Scholarship Manager Naomi Spinks in the first week of October for “an enlightening program of events that revealed Oxford’s cultural treasures and fostered fellowship amongst scholars.”

“The commencement of the academic year provided the perfect opportunity for returning Ramsay Scholars to acquaint themselves with those arriving in 2023,” Trent said.

“The week began with lively conversations over dinner at The Ivy, one of Oxford’s most vibrant venues and an ideal setting for welcoming the incoming cohort. Following some very warm opening remarks from 2022 Ramsay Scholar Jonathan Tjandra, scholars were afforded the opportunity to discuss a diverse range of subjects as they shared their respective academic interests.       

The following morning, a smaller group gathered at the Bodleian Library for a literary walking tour of Oxford. Beginning with a condensed history of the Bodleian Library itself, the tour proceeded to outline the rich history of the Oxford University Press and the contribution it continues to make to research, scholarship, and education. Winding through the streets of Oxford, we were informed of several curious contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary, visited the former homes and haunts of several of Oxford’s literary giants, and discovered many of the lesser-known details of Oxford’s literary past.

One of the highlights of the program was a tour of the Oxford Botanic Gardens, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain having been established in 1621. Sitting on the west bank of the River Cherwell opposite Magdalen College, the gardens were originally conceived for the purpose of studying the medicinal uses of plants. Fortuitously, our guide was a practising anaesthetist who was able to provide unique insight into how the gardens had been integral to medical training at the University throughout the 17th century. The tour progressed beyond the Walled Garden to the more colourful Lower Garden before proceeding to the glasshouses to observe the diverse range of exotic plants cultivated at the gardens.   

Our final event was a delightful tour of both Merton and Corpus Christi College led by 2021 Ramsay Scholar, Eric Sheng. Enjoying privileged access and the company of an insightful and authoritative guide in Eric, scholars had the opportunity to observe Merton’s Mob Quadrangle (the oldest quadrangle in the University), the magnificent Merton College Chapel, and the serene gardens of Corpus Christi College.

The week concluded with an informal dinner at The White Rabbit and brunch at Vault and Garden the following day in the iconic Radcliffe Square. For those of us who were newly arrived, these events made for a particularly memorable experience, and for all of us, marked the beginning of lasting friendships and professional associations.”    

Interested in learning more about the Ramsay Centre’s Postgraduate Scholarships? Visit: https://www.ramsaycentre.org/scholarships-courses/postgraduate-scholarships/

Media contact: Sarah Switzer 0407 816 098 / sarah.switzer@ramsaycentre.org