Oxford Summer Camp, London 2023
On January 30, 2023, North South University arranged a seminar regarding the Oxford London Summer Program 2023. It was organized by the Office of External Affairs (OEA), NSU, and coordinated by Ms. Samina Alam (International Affairs Officer, NSU) and Ms. Mona Masud (Coordinator of the Oxford London Summer Program). After I had been selected for the program, I was surprised, I had never imagined that I would get to go to Oxford University. My heart started to beat faster when I received the visa at the last moment. There were two of us from North South University who attended the program.
I landed in London on July 16, 2023, and spent a whole week at Imperial College. We had three amazing deans who took care of us. From the second day at Imperial College, we began receiving proper lectures and practicing debate. We were informed that we would be participating in a debate competition at the Oxford Union, one of the most prestigious institutions formed in the early nineteenth century. Ahmad Nawaz, the president of Oxford Union, provided us with insightful lectures to help us perform our best. In addition to the debate training, we attended four sessions related to different academic courses.
On July 24, 2023, we left London for Oxford University. Oxford felt very different from Londonthe infrastructure resembled a historic fortress. I met a diverse group of international students who joined us in the program. We stayed at St. Anne’s College at Oxford University, where we had a week-long tutorial. Each tutorial consisted of a maximum of three to four students per teacher, allowing for meaningful interaction. I chose Business Studies as my major and Politics and International Relations as my minor. The subjects were incredibly engaging, and the study materials were made practical and relevant.
Two days before leaving Oxford University, we had a fantastic debate competition following the British Parliamentary System, which included three speakers and a whip. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the Oxford Summer Program. On the final day, I received my certificate and attended a formal dinner that lit up the evening with elegance and celebration. Finally, I landed back in Bangladesh on July 29, 2023.
