Venue and Accomodation

 
The WNU SI is held annually in Christ Church, the largest college of Oxford University. Oxford University is the oldest English-speaking university in the world, dating back to 1249, and remains one of the world’s top universities for both education and research. Today the University boasts 39 colleges and over 20,000 students.  Christ Church, where the Summer Institute is held, was founded in 1546.

With its beautiful architecture and campus, Christ Church was used as the setting for many of the scenes in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter films. In those movies, the Great Hall, where WNU Fellows eat breakfast and lunch on weekdays, became Hogwart’s Hall. 

Historically, King Charles I lived at Christ Church during the English Civil War (1642-1646) and held his Parliament in the Great Hall. in 1682, a former student, Sir Christopher Wren, famous as the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral, designed the college's bell tower which houses the bell called Great Tom, from which the tower and the quad get their names.

WNU SI presentations are usually made in the college's modern lecture theatre.

Fellows live in nearby college rooms on campus, with the majority housed in Blue Boar Quad. While every effort is made to ensure that all Fellows are housed in rooms with en suite bathrooms,  this is not always possible. It should also be understood that accommodations at Christ Church, whilst providing a high standard for university living, are designed for students and  are therefore neither suitable for families nor ideal for couples. For insurance reasons, no one under the age of 13 may reside at the college.

Oxford is a bustling, cosmopolitan city with unique architecture that combines ancient college buildings and church spires with more modern designs. For evening meals, Fellows are given a per diem, and there are many good restaurants and bars to choose from.

Fellows are encouraged to explore Oxford and its surroundings, where they will find many beautiful gardens and pastoral settings. These websites ofter information on Christ Church and Oxford:
www.chch.ox.ac.uk/
www.visitoxford.org/