Travel Diary · Oxford, United Kingdom
Reimagining transatlantic futures
in the city of dreaming spires
College life, lively debates, and afternoon excursions — six stops that trace the rhythm of the Europaeum Spring School at University of Oxford.
By Antonella Paparini
M.A / M.Sc. Student in Political Science, LMU Munich & Stockholm University
Full English breakfasts and hearty lunches at St. Peter's dining hall, to keep us going through hectic days.
Where the magic takes place: keynote talks and students' panels on the present and future of transatlantic relations.
The Bodleian Library and the Univeristy Church — two landmarks that have watched over Oxford's intellectual life for centuries.
Walking around Oxford gardens and parks, looking for the One Bench.
Spot for continuing debates (when sessions are not enough) and enjoying sun during breaks. Also, preferred meeting point for afternoon excursions.
Badges are to be left behind, but cheers for all the new ideas, questions and newly formed friendships that each of us is taking home.
"And yet, steeped in sentiment as she lies, spreading her gardens to the moonlight, and whispering from her towers the last enchantments of the Middle Age, who will deny that Oxford, by her ineffable charm, keeps ever calling us nearer to the true goal of all of us, to the ideal, to perfection,—to beauty, in a word, which is only truth seen from another side?" M. Arnold, Essays in Criticism (1918)
With thanks to the Europaeum team, whose constant efforts behind the scenes made every conversation, panel, and meal possible — adding up to a truly unforgettable experience.