Opening Oxford to the World

 

In 1871 an act of parliament finally opened Oxford to all faiths and none. For centuries, the University had been closed to those who were not members of the established Church. The Universities Tests Act changed all that. It was an incomplete process, not least because women remained excluded. But the result was, in many ways, the beginning of the modern global university, with students and staff of diverse faiths, sexualities, genders, nationalities, and races. Here, we mark the 150th anniversary of that reform and consider the ways in which Oxford can open up still further.  Join us over the next year for a programme of events, online content, and artistic commissions, celebrating diversity while asking which voices are still missing from Oxford.

somerville college hockey team c 1892

Somerville College and the Universities Tests Act 1871

articles of religion oxford university archives listing

The Letter of the Law: The University's Response to The Oxford University Act of 1854

Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson

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