College Aims
Founded in 1438, the College was established with the expressed dual purpose of Study and Prayer. It was a Foundation designed in part for the offering of prayers for all the souls of the faithful departed and in part to promote the study of Philosophy and Arts, of Theology, and of the Civil and Canon Law.
The College still holds true to those original aims:
Research
To advance scholarship, research and education of the highest standards, including by engaging with the arts, science, the law, and public policy.
Buildings & Collections
Conserving and renewing the historic College buildings and maintaining its outstanding library.
Chapel
Maintaining the tradition of the College as a place of prayer
In support of these aims, the College advances research by:
- providing research fellowships for outstanding academics from the UK and elsewhere
- supporting the research of its Fellows through interdisciplinary collaboration, academic seminars and conferences, particularly those that strengthen links between academic work and public life
- offering Visiting Fellowships to senior academics and others wishing to undertake research in Oxford
- maintaining and enhancing its historic buildings and environment in support of academic work
- providing grants for specific research projects and encouraging the dissemination of research through scholarly books, journal publications, lectureships, and other appropriate channels
- sustaining an extensive library, including important rare books and manuscript collections, as well as a specialist law library, for use by members of the University and the wider research community
Advances education and learning by:
- supporting the continued education and development of Examination Fellows
- providing teaching and supervision to undergraduate and graduate members of the University
- funding postgraduate scholarships in the Humanities and Social Sciences, including the All Souls Hugh Springer Scholarships for students from the Caribbean and support for the University’s Black Academic Futures programme
- supporting Codrington College, Barbados, through annual grants
- sponsoring lectures open to members of the University and, in some cases, the public
- providing grants for selected educational initiatives within the University, the local community, and elsewhere
Promotes links between academia and Public Life by:
- a focus on research, education and the development of policy, in fields relevant to public life, the arts, and wider society, including law, economics, political science, literature, and the natural sciences
- sponsoring public lecture series, such as the Lee Lecture in Political Science and Government, the Evans-Pritchard Lectures in Social Anthropology, and the Neill Law Lectures
- organising seminars that bring together policymakers and academics to exchange ideas
- supporting the contributions of Fellows to public policy, law, and the arts.
