Governance, Culture, and Innovation in Oxford

Catalog description

The most prestigious research universities are esteemed, among other reasons, for fostering innovation. In this course, students will be part of a research team that will investigate the oldest of what Times Higher Education calls the "superbrand" universities - Oxford - in a comparative study with the youngest of the superbrands: Stanford. In the past four decades, both the University and City of Oxford have emerged as hubs of innovation - replicating in some ways the success of Stanford in cultivating Silicon Valley. We will investigate questions such as the following: How is Oxford governed, and how has this changed over time? How does this governance differ from Stanford and its surrounding communities? In what ways is Oxford culturally different from (or similar to) Stanford, and how does culture show itself in the city and in the university today? How have the barriers to central coordination in Oxford been overcome? How does Oxford's model for innovation work, and what can students learn from it? How does innovation fit (or not) with Oxford's emphasis on tradition? Date(s) of course: August 28-September 15, 2023