Principal's Welcome

On the clocktower in our beautiful college grounds, nestled in the heart of Oxford, are inscribed these words: “It is later than you think, but it is never too late”. How true! I got my PhD in the year I turned 40 and know how easy it is to think “that moment has passed”. But it is, indeed, never too late. As people are living longer, we have the time and opportunity to take a more varied path than simply moving from education to career to retirement. We can start or return to study, achieve more qualifications, and fulfil our intellectual passions whenever we feel ready to do so. And as technology changes the shape and patterns of the workplace, we can skill up and re-train for new careers. The future belongs to lifelong learners!

Yet mature students are often treated as a homogenous group defined more by the struggles they are expected to face than by the assets they embody. At Harris Manchester we know that mature students are brave. It takes courage to come, or come back, to higher education: to confront knowledge gaps, ask for help, face exams, risk failure. Our students also bring maturity, more varied life experiences, clarity of motivation, and a deeper appreciation of the transformative possibilities of an excellent education. These positive characteristics make for valuable graduates who are well placed to benefit wider society.

Students will find we have an extraordinary body of Fellows and tutors here, with a wide range of interdisciplinary research interests. Many of them have – like me – come to academia after careers in other sectors. And our wonderful staff have a similarly diverse range of life experiences, having previously worked in charities, the public sector, armed forces, and businesses. Our college community “walks the talk” of lifelong learning and seizing opportunities in later life – another reason why we want to help others who are ready to write the next act in their lives.

This is why I am passionate about Harris Manchester – because of what we can offer our students and what they, in turn, can offer to the world. If you share our passion for breaking down the barrier of age in higher education, we welcome your interest as a potential student, colleague, friend or supporter.

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Harris Manchester has always been a distinctive and inclusive community. We were founded in 1786 at a time when religious freedom was not guaranteed, to offer a place of learning for people of all beliefs and none, with an open spirit which continues today. When the college arrived in Oxford in 1889, it was already co-educational, which made it unusual at that time, and our student body has long been one of the University’s most international. Our proud history of radical dissent ensures we put inclusivity and diversity at the heart of our values and activities.

We are known as a very friendly college, with a genuine spirit of cooperation between the Fellows, staff and students – a quality reflected in what our students say about us. This creates a mutually respectful and supportive atmosphere in which everyone strives to do their best, and where community life is highly valued. The wellbeing of our community members matters to all of us, and the quality of our environment matters too, so we seek to create a college that is sustainable in every way. 

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if what you read here on our website strikes a chord with your priorities and aspirations.

Beth Breeze 
Principal