Balliol College, Oxford: Insight into Humanities Talks 2026-27
Balliol College, University of Oxford
Create a free account to applyJoin online interactive academic workshops led by graduate researchers, exploring history, classics, politics, philosophy and English literature. Hear expert presentations, ask questions and broaden your super-curricular knowledge to support university applications. Sessions are free to attend and are recorded and uploaded afterwards.
Balliol College's Insight Talk Series is a set of online, super-curricular academic sessions delivered by Oxford graduates who introduce topics that connect to their own research. Sessions take the form of interactive workshops where participants hear an expert presentation and have an opportunity to ask questions, designed to introduce students to new areas of knowledge beyond the school curriculum.
Talks cover a broad range of humanities subjects including history, classics, politics, philosophy and English literature. The series is aimed primarily at Year 12 students, with interested Year 11 students welcome to join.
Sessions are free to attend and intended to support students preparing for further study or university applications through exposure to advanced ideas and research methods.
Students must book each talk using the online booking form linked on the Balliol College page, and sessions are recorded and uploaded afterwards. There is no limit on how many talks a student may attend.
5 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
History — Building an Anglo-Saxon Ship (The Sutton Hoo Project)
9 November 2026, 15:45 – 16:45
History and Classics — Stories from Hadrian’s Wall
12 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
History — African Liberation Movements
16 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
Classics — What Made the Romans Laugh?
17 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
History and Politics — Afro-Asian Solidarity and the United Nations
23 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
Politics — Understanding the Drivers of Migration
24 November 2026, 15:45 – 16:45
Classics — How Can Poetry Speak to Power? Greeks, Romans, and Fish
26 November 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
Politics and Philosophy — Political Philosophy in the Age of AI
3 December 2026, 15:45 – 16:45
Classics — Introduction to Greek Theatre
8 December 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
History — The Abyssinian Expedition of 1868: An Affair of Honour?
9 December 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
English and History — The History of the English Language
14 December 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
Politics — The Role of Social Media in Facilitating Micro-Diplomacy
16 December 2026, 16:00 – 17:00
Politics — How Do We Approach Politics as a Scientific Discipline?
12 January 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
History — What Was Life Like between the Classical and Medieval Period?: A Case Study from the Eastern Mediterranean
13 January 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
Politics — How Do We Establish Causal Relationships in Politics?
20 January 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
Classics — The Politics of Ancient Greek Comedy
2 February 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
Classics — Modelling the Cosmos
3 February 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
History and Literature — Families and Feuds in the Icelandic Sagas
4 February 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
Philosophy — Introduction to the Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
23 February 2027, 16:00 – 17:00
Philosophy and Politics — The Ethics of Travel and Tourism
Location
- Aimed at students in Year 12; Year 11 students are welcome to attend
- Open to any interested applicants (no academic selection stated)
- No limit to the number of talks a student may attend
Free to attend. Sessions will be recorded and uploaded for later viewing.
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