For two weeks I will be here in Oxford, UK taking part in the Oxford Internet Institute’s (OII) Summer Doctoral Programme (SDP). The program is for doctoral students and candidates who find themselves in the broad field of “internet research.” About 30 students are selected every year and are invited to stay on Oxford’s campus, attend lectures, and present their own research.
I arrived yesterday afternoon (July 6), after a seven hour flight into Heathrow, a few tube rides through London, an hour train to Oxford, and a short taxi ride. I was exhausted, and quite hungry, so I assumed that I would just make it to my room (a dorm room that, while modest, is much nicer than the dorms I have previously experienced), unpack some things, and fall asleep. However, when I arrived to Keble (the college I will call home for the next two weeks), I was immediately inspired; there is something in the air.
I know that it’s Oxford, and I know that everyone says it, but there is just something wonderful about being here. The air is crisp, the grounds are beautiful, and besides the large droves of tourists (who hasn’t been an excited tourist at least once?), after only being here for five minutes, I was invigorated and ready to be studious Angela once again.
Later that evening, I met my fellow SDPers at a local Pub. We drank pints, ate pies and fish and chips, and nerded out about American Idol, Harry Potter, and, of course, our individual research paradigms and dissertation focuses.
So, for the next two weeks, I will be blogging about my time here at the OII SDP. I will mostly be writing about the lectures and our presentations, but there will also be fun stories about my crazy adventures sprinkled in. Hopefully, I will have a few pictures of my own to share as well. If you are interested in getting an idea of what everyone else is saying, you can follow our hashtag at #oiisdp.
One view of home base–Keble College