The LMH Summer Programmes offer a unique opportunity for intellectually curious students from around the world to experience Oxford University’s renowned tutorial teaching system. With a diverse range of courses taught by experienced academics and experts, the program emphasizes personalized intellectual discussions in small classes, fostering critical reasoning, logical argumentation, and analytical skills. This special learning experience also includes a co-curricular program of skills sessions and guest speakers to enhance personal and professional development. Located in the beautiful Lady Margaret Hall college campus in Oxford, students not only benefit from academic excellence but also enjoy a rich social and cultural program, including punting on the River Cherwell, formal banquets, and visits to world-class museums and historic sites. Whether attending in person or online, students can expect an engaging and rewarding academic experience while making friends and gaining inspiration in the historic “city of dreaming spires.”
Courses
Courses offered as part of this Program.
PPE: Globalisation, Populism, and Identity
While the world has been moving increasingly towards greater inter-connectivity through trade, infrastructure, communications, and migration, criticism of ‘globalisation’ has been growing ever louder, with many blaming it for inequality, cultural marginalisation, and political disaffection. Through the lenses of philosophy, politics, and economics this course will explore these competing dynamics and equip you to understand some of the most significant political phenomena of our time.
Jane Austen: Literature and Legacy
Jane Austen created some of the most fondly loved characters in literature, with generations of readers fascinated by her juxtaposition of romance and reality in Regency England. Why do Austen’s novels continue to resonate so deeply across the centuries? Join this course to immerse yourself in this captivating world where love, class, and identity intersect, explore the key themes and stylistic techniques employed, and discover how Austen’s work continues to influence literature and popular culture today.
Peace and Conflict Studies
Why do countries go to war? What is the impact of conflict on a society? And how do we find the path to sustainable peace? This course offers the opportunity to explore these questions and more through an introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies, an interdisciplinary Social Science dedicated to understanding the root causes of conflict and the conditions for the promotion of peace.
The Internet and Society
Does the Internet pose a risk to Society? Is it creating a global community, or robbing us of human connection? Is it offering new frontiers in creative freedom, or destroying authenticity and diversity? And is the Internet an opportunity for civic engagement, or a cause of echo chambers and disinformation? Sociologists have been investigating these questions since the emergence of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, and in this course you will explore the history of scholarship, discover the latest research, and consider the future of the Internet’s complex role in society.
Computational Psychology and Artificial Intelligence
How does the brain process information, make decisions, and learn? Computational Psychologists seek to answer these questions by using algorithms and mathematical models to simulate and analyse the mechanisms behind mental processes. The field has been highly influential on Artificial Intelligence research and development, as data scientists attempt to convincingly recreate human thought, speech, and behaviour in machines, a challenge Alan Turing called the ‘Imitation Game’. Introducing Computational Psychology, Computational Neuroscience, and AI, this course offers a fascinating insight into these exciting and forward-looking interconnected fields of research.
Oxford and the Rise of Fantasy
What inspired the emergence and flowering of the fantasy genre in the 20th and 21st century? Oxford - historic, beautiful, and timeless seat of learning - is closely associated with the genre. Towering figures of fantasy literature, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, were both professors at the University of Oxford, and many more, like Diana Wynne Jones or Philip Pullman, were educated at Oxford or, like J. K. Rowling, influenced by its literary products and settings. Oxford and the Rise of Fantasy offers a unique opportunity to examine the fantasy genre from its earliest origins to the present day, exploring at each stage the influence of Oxford and its writers.
Economic History: The Great Divergence, Convergence, and Beyond
What are the causes of the vast differences in wealth between nations? Why have certain societies prospered whilst others still grapple with poverty? Will inequality between the developed and developing worlds be permanent? This course addresses these questions, allowing you to understand today's global economy through a historical perspective.
Psychology and Social Connection
What is the secret to a life well lived? People may accumulate wealth and success, and yet find themselves feeling lonely and unfulfilled – what’s missing? The empirical evidence is unusually clear: the most significant determinant in how happy, healthy, and long a life we lead is our social connection, that is, how connected we feel to other human beings. This exciting course spans several areas of psychology, including evolutionary, social, and clinical psychology, and the psychology of individual differences, to explore how and why humans choose social connection with others.
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
How are we able to focus on one thing rather than something else? Why do we remember some things and forget others? What makes human beings intelligent? This course offers the opportunity to explore these questions and more through an introduction to Cognitive Psychology, a key area within Psychology which examines how the brain works.
PPE: Leadership in Business, Politics, and Beyond
Whether it is a politician guiding a nation through crisis, a visionary tech entrepreneur disrupting the global business landscape, or an inspirational activist campaigning for social justice, great leaders have the power to change the world. But what makes a great leader, and how do you become one?