Study International Relations Oxford Summer Courses
The course will combine theoretical and empirical perspectives to address questions concerning the study and practice of international politics in the modern era. Analysis of approaches to the study of the discipline will be combined with case studies in order to help uncover the pattern of relations between states.
Students will be given reading from books and periodicals to do in between tutorials. They will be asked to prepare answers to specific questions as a starting point for a wider discussion of the relevanht issues. The course hopes to not only give a sense of the nature of modern international politics, but also develop the students’ confidence in addressing challenging questions both on paper and in the tutorial environment.
Courses
At Oxford Summer Courses we are committed to the best academic experiences and to the personalised learning that has made Oxford a global academic force. So while all of our tutors are at the top of their fields depending on your age you'll be taught in slightly different ways. We use small group seminars to ensure that you get greater attention than you could elsewhere. On top of that if you're aged 16-17 or 18-24 then you'll receive weekly tutorials from leading academics mirroring the teaching method that makes Oxford a world-renowned university. Choose your International Relations course below:
18-24 years
- 2 and 4 weeks courses available
- Oxford/Cambridge University accommodation
- Tutorials & group seminars
- Breakfast & Dinner included
Subjects studied can include:
- Neo-realist theory: the state; an anarchical system; polarity; balance of power. Case study: The United States – Colossus, Hegemon or Empire in Decline?
- Neo-liberal theory: relative vs absolute gains; international institutions; complex interdependence. Case study: The European Union and State Sovereignty.
- Constructivist theory: the role of ideas; the construction of identity and interests; the spread of norms. Case study: The Middle East and the Rise of Islamic Terrorism.
- Post-structuralist theory: subjectivity and power; inside/outside identities; the social construction of language and discourse. Case study: ‘New Wars’ and the break-up of Yugoslavia.
16-17 years
- 2 and 4 weeks courses available
- Oxford/Cambridge University accommodation
- Tutorials & group seminars
- Breakfast & Dinner included
Subjects studied can include:
- Neo-realist theory: the state; an anarchical system; polarity; balance of power. Case study: The United States – Colossus, Hegemon or Empire in Decline?
- Neo-liberal theory: relative vs absolute gains; international institutions; complex interdependence. Case study: The European Union and State Sovereignty.
- Constructivist theory: the role of ideas; the construction of identity and interests; the spread of norms. Case study: The Middle East and the Rise of Islamic Terrorism.
- Post-structuralist theory: subjectivity and power; inside/outside identities; the social construction of language and discourse. Case study: ‘New Wars’ and the break-up of Yugoslavia.
13-15 years
- 2 and 4 weeks courses available
- Oxford/Cambridge University accommodation
- Around 8 students per class
- All Evening Meals, many at local restaurants along with lunch every teaching day
Are you interested in the institutions and countries that govern modern society? If so, our International Relations and Politics course is designed to introduce you to the fascinating relationships that exist between the different states and the institutions of government that run them. We introduce you to the study of politics with an investigation of the differring political structures and powers that have governed modern society and have shaped the world we live in. You'll learn how to recognise a democractic institution from dictatorship, how Marxism differs from capitalism, and how liberalism differs from conservatism.
The course also focusses on the way in which these political concepts have been applied to international society through looking at the way in which globalisation has increasingly shaped the modern world. Our tutors will guide and inspire you to understand the most important theories of International Relations and the way in which they have determined the course of modern history. We'll introduce you to the theories behind International Relations and we'll ensure that you understand them with lots of practical study groups and seminars.
In previous years we have used these practical workshops to highlight the differing interests of states through a model UN, we've also looked at the ways in which diplomats help governments pursue their aims. We supplement this with visits from people who've experienced the real world of politics and international relations and visits to some of the most important sites that have helped shape today's political landscape.
Testimonials
Adimar Hernadez - International Relations student from 2015
At Oxford Summer Courses not only are you taught by well exceptionally trained academics, but you actually have the opportunity to debate with them about the subject. This is something I’ve never experienced before and it was a unique opportunity to engage with a new subject. I loved it!
On top of this the small group seminars are a multicultural experience in with many different perspectives from all around the world. It really made studying international relations so much more rewarding. By the end of this experience I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone not only academically but also socially. It was a great two weeks!
Staff
Ivaylo Iaydjiev
Ivaylo Iaydjiev is a tutor for International Relations with Oxford Summer Courses and a DPhil student in Public Policy with the Blavatnik School of Government and St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. His doctorate focuses on International Political Economy, and in particular the politics of the European financial crisis and the role of international institutions and he has published several articles, working papers, and policy briefs on this subject. He holds an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy (with Distinction) from the University of Oxford and a BA in French and Politics (First-class) from the University of Bath. He is currently a Senior Researcher with the European Policy Institute and was previously an adviser to the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, an analyst for the Office of the President of Bulgaria, and a trainee at the European Commission, gaining first-hand experience of International Relations and public policy.
Myrna Martin
Myrna Martin is a DPhil student in the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Religious Studies from Northern Arizona University, and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She has taught courses on Western Civilization, Modern Europe, and the History of International Relations in the United States. She has also taught Nationalism at Brasenose College, Oxford. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Walls and Gates: Italian ghettos, religious boundaries, and urban realities in Florence, Ferrara, and Modena’, examines elements of the experience of Italian Jews and Catholics in relation to the ghettos of these cities. Her research has uncovered previously unexplored themes related to the quotidian necessities of urban life. This work compliments her interests in understanding relationships between majority and minority religious groups, and negotiations of power and authority.
Joel Ng
Joel Ng is an Oxford-Swire scholar at St Antony’s College, reading a DPhil in International Relations with a focus on regionalism. Uniquely, he has experience in private, non-profit, and academic sectors, having worked in investor relations, human rights, and thinktanks/academia across three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. His unusual journey gave him a front row seat to iconic events of the 2000s, having investigated civilian protection in Uganda during its war with the Lord’s Resistance Army, working with Lehman Brothers as it collapsed in the global financial crisis, and participating in ASEAN Track II negotiations. As a public intellectual, he has been published in the Straits Times, Jakarta Globe, and Today, quoted in The Guardian, and interviewed on Channel News Asia.
Tuuli-Anna Huikuri
Tuuli-Anna Huikuri is a teacher of International Relations and Politics for students of 13-15 years of age. She is a postgraduate student at the University of Oxford studying for an MPhil in International Relations, and also works as a research assistant at Nuffield College on transnational governance and self-regulation. She graduated from King’s College London with a first-class honours BA in International Politics, and has since worked at the International Security Department of Chatham House in London, World Green Design Organisation in Beijing, and as a high school substitute teacher in Finland.
Jon Askonas
Jon Askonas holds a BS(Hons) in International Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and a MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford. In addition to his academic work, he has interned at the US Embassy in Moscow and the Council on Foreign Relations. He works in a research capacity for several senior fellows of politics at Oxford.
Prices and Dates
Select your Age Range
| Course start date | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses – 09-10s | 30/06/2019 | 07/07/2019 | 14/07/2019 | 21/07/2019 | 28/07/2019 | 04/08/2019 |
| 1 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 |
| 2 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | – |
| 3 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £3,995 | £3,995 | £3,995 | £3,995 | – | – |
| 4 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £5,195 | £5,195 | £5,195 | – | – | – |
| 5 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £6,295 | £6,295 | – | – | – | – |
| 6 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £7,395 | – | – | – | – | – |
Included in this price is:
- All Teaching, in class sizes of 15 or less
- Accommodation
- All Meals, including lunch
- A Graduation Ceremony
- All Activities and Excursions
The price does not include flights/travel or medical insurance
| Course start date | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses – 11-12s | 30/06/2019 | 07/07/2019 | 14/07/2019 | 21/07/2019 | 28/07/2019 | 04/08/2019 |
| 1 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 | £1,495 |
| 2 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | £2,795 | – |
| 3 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £3,995 | £3,995 | £3,995 | £3,995 | – | – |
| 4 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £5,195 | £5,195 | £5,195 | – | – | – |
| 5 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £6,295 | £6,295 | – | – | – | – |
| 6 Week – Wycombe Abbey | £7,395 | – | – | – | – | – |
Included in this price is:
- All Teaching, in class sizes of 15 or less
- Accommodation
- All Meals, including lunch
- A Graduation Ceremony
- All Activities and Excursions
The price does not include flights/travel or medical insurance
| Course start date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses – 13-15s | 23/06/2019 | 30/06/2019 | 07/07/2019 | 14/07/2019 | 21/07/2019 | 28/07/2019 | 04/08/2019 | 11/08/2019 |
| 2 Weeks – Cambridge | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | – | – | – |
| 2 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 |
| 2 Weeks – London – Standard (shared bathroom) | £4,195 | – | £4,195 | – | £4,195 | – | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – Cambridge | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – London – Standard (shared bathroom) | £7,895 | – | £7,895 | – | – | – | – | – |
Included in this price is:
- All Teaching, including small group seminars (8 students or less) and subject related workshops
- Accommodation and All Meals, every day, including evening meals at local restaurants
- A Three-Course College Banquet, on Friday evening (this may differ for London programme students)
- A Graduation Ceremony
- 3 Full Day Trips and All Activities
The price does not include flights/travel or medical insurance
| Course start date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses – 16-17s | 23/06/2019 | 30/06/2019 | 07/07/2019 | 14/07/2019 | 21/07/2019 | 28/07/2019 | 04/08/2019 | 11/08/2019 |
| 2 Weeks – Cambridge | – | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | – | – | – |
| 2 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 |
| 2 Weeks – London – Standard (shared bathroom) | £4,195 | – | £4,195 | – | £4,195 | – | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – Cambridge | – | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – London – Standard (shared bathroom) | £7,895 | – | £7,895 | – | – | – | – | – |
Included in this price is:
- All Teaching, including tutorials and small group seminars and subject related workshops
- Accommodation and Breakfast, every day
- All Evening Meals, including those at local restaurants
- A Three-Course College Banquet, on Friday evening (this may differ for London programme students)
- A Graduation Ceremony
- 3 Full Day Trips and All Activities
The price does not include flights/travel or medical insurance
| Course start date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courses – 18-24s | 23/06/2019 | 30/06/2019 | 07/07/2019 | 14/07/2019 | 21/07/2019 | 28/07/2019 | 04/08/2019 | 11/08/2019 |
| 2 Weeks – Cambridge | – | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | – | – | – |
| 2 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 | £4,195 |
| 4 Weeks – Cambridge | – | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 4 Weeks – Oxford – Standard (shared bathroom) | – | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | £7,895 | – | – |
Included in this price is:
- All Teaching, including tutorials and small group seminars and subject related workshops
- Accommodation and Breakfast, every day
- All Evening Meals, including those at local restaurants
- A Three-Course College Banquet, on Friday evening (this may differ for London programme students)
- A Graduation Ceremony
- 3 Full Day Trips and All Activities
The price does not include flights/travel or medical insurance
Christ Church, the most magnificent college in Oxford was re-founded by King Henry VIII in the 16th century, it has educated 13 British Prime Ministers and was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland but today it offers our students modern en-suite rooms in a grand setting.
If you stay at Christ Church this summer on either the 2nd or 16th July you’ll have:
- A superior quality en-suite room
- Breakfast in the same dining hall Harry Potter was filmed in each morning
- A special 4 course banquet each Friday in Christ Church’s magnificent banqueting hall
- A graduation ceremony in the Old Library which houses numerous historical artefacts including Cardinal Wolsey’s 16th century hat
If you are looking for a unique experience this grand setting offers our students a chance to live and study in a historical environment that has played host to inquiring minds for nearly 500 years.