OSGA Academic Visitors

The Oxford School of Global Area Studies (OSGA) welcomes visitors primarily to conduct research activity that is aligned with the research agenda of the School and its academic research programmes.

The visitor programme exists to facilitate links and collaboration with other universities, governments and organisations, both in the UK and overseas, and to allow academics and practitioners the opportunity to collaborate in research with our School’s academics.

Visitors, who must be nominated and hosted by a permanent academic member of staff at the School, may be associated with the School for different purposes and for varying periods. All visitor applications must be reviewed and approved by the relevant Programme management committee in advance of any visit.

Before completing an application form to become a visitor, please read the OSGA Visitors policy and procedure, and familiarise yourself with the Visitor application process document.

In particular, it is recommended that prospective applicants consider who in the School might be able to offer appropriate support as an Academic Host and contact them for advice before applying to the Academic Visitor Programme.

Please ensure that you submit a complete application with all the required information to the Programme Administrator at your chosen programme or institute.

Once you have submitted your application, your identified Academic Host and associated Programme Administrator will be asked to review before it is submitted to the Programme Management Committee for approval.

Visitors should note that applications will need to be submitted by the following deadlines for the academic year 2025-2026 to enable all Programme Management Committees to approve applications:

Monday 29 September 2025 (Michaelmas Term Programme Management Committees)
Monday 5 January 2026 (Hilary Term Programme Management Committees)
Monday 13 April 2026 (Trinity Term Programme Management Committees)

However, visitors requiring a visa and/or ATAS clearance should note that their visit start date may be impacted and/or delayed by the visa/ATAS process.

Our programmes are not able to provide assistance with any local logistics such as accommodation, schools, and travel bookings. We ask that you do not request these services from our administrative staff, but instead, refer to the guidance which you will receive.

Visitor fees

Standard OSGA fees: visitors will be charged £250 per month or £600 per term.

Programmes may use their discretion in setting fees relating to Academic Visitors engaged in collaboration (Type A). Programmes may set discretionary fees if providing visitors with desk space agreed by prior arrangement.

The School does not provide salary or other financial payments to visitors. Visitors should apply for research funding schemes through their own institutions. The visitor will also be responsible for their travel, accommodation, visa fees and all maintenance costs as well as IT provision.

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African Studies Visitors

Academic visitors are welcome and can apply for attachment to the African Studies Centre. They should send their application form to the Centre administrator at african.studies@africa.ox.ac.uk. Applications are reviewed by the Management Committee of the African Studies Centre. This attachment provides a University card but no access to college facilities. There are currently no funds available from the Centre to support visiting fellows.

Visitors may also apply for college visiting fellowships advertised in the University Gazette.

Academics working in South African universities can apply for grants from the University of Oxford Oppenheimer Fund. This provides travel expenses and a small stipend for up to six months. For details on how to apply please see the Oppenheimer Fund webpage.

Middle East Studies Visitors

MES is unable to offer any financial support for Academic Visitors. MES may be able to provide desk space for an additional charge; this will be made clear when and if your application is approved.

MES charges academic visitors a basic establishment fee of £2000 per calendar year or pro rata.

Desk space at OSGA is in high demand and is not usually available for academic visitors. However, if available, MES visitors may rent a desk for £1500 per year (pro rata).

In addition we estimate that an Academic Visitor would need approximately £1200 per month for modest living expenses.

Middle East Studies welcomes suitably qualified academics from the Middle East and elsewhere who wish to contribute to the research and activities of our centre. The research focus of MES falls into various broad academic disciplines

Anthropology and Culture
Development Studies
Economics
Human Development and Poverty
Politics
Environment
International Relations and Security
Political Economy

Your research should fall within one of the broad areas defined above.

The programme is intended to give academic visitors the time, space and access to research materials to work on an independent study project. Visitors will have the opportunity at their own initiative be able to meet people and participate in a wider research/ learning environment but this will not generally be facilitated by MES.

Please note that we receive many more applications than we are able to accept, and it is best to apply at least six month in advance of the date you wish to start in Oxford.

What we expect of you

We ask all our visitors to agree to the following:

To pursue an independent research project.
To be aware of the research materials/ libraries/ archives of Oxford University in advance of your visit and to initiate your own efforts to secure access to those relevant for your research http://www.ox.ac.uk/research/index.html
To participate in Middle East Studies events and seminars.
To be aware of and attend any workshops or conferences as appropriate to your area of research.
To provide a short profile about your research activity that may be added to the MES website

What you can expect from us

MES is able to provide the following:

A university card, which gives access to the Bodleian Libraries of the University, including online journals.
The sponsorship of an academic member of Department, who will meet with you when you arrive and provide (very limited) guidance and feedback on your work.
Very occasional advice and introductions to help you attend workshops, conferences and seminars in Oxford.

Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies Visitors

The School does not provide salary or other financial payments to visitors. Visitors should apply for research funding schemes through their own institutions. The visitor will also be responsible for their travel, accommodation, visa fees and all maintenance costs.

Russian and East European Studies Visitors

REES does not provide salary or other financial payments to visitors. Visitors should apply for research funding schemes through their own institutions. The visitor will also be responsible for their travel, accommodation, visa fees and all maintenance costs.

The bench fee (affiliation charge) for Academic Visitors to REES during 2025/26 will be confirmed shortly.

What we expect of you

We ask all our visitors to agree to the following:

To contribute to the research environment of REES.
To participate in the RESC/REES weekly seminar series.
To provide a short profile about yourself and your research activity that may be added to the REES website.
To be willing to present your work in a REES seminar.

What you can expect from us

REES is able to provide the following:

Introduction to REES and OSGA staff. 
A university card, which gives access to the Bodleian Libraries of the University, including online journals.
University of Oxford email address.
Inclusion in relevant mailing lists advertising events related to Russia and Eastern Europe.
Access to the Russian Library at St Antony’s College.
Involvement in the St Antony’s RESC Monday evening seminar and two post seminar guest night dinners per academic term.
Access to the shared workspace
Access to teaching rooms in OSGA for seminar events if required and subject to availability.

South Asian Studies Visitors

CSASP has a programme for visiting academics, journalists and policy practitioners to spend time in Oxford affiliated to the centre to pursue an independent study project.

All scholars attached to the Centre are expected to contribute to seminars, workshops and conferences and will be able to access many of the research and learning resources of Oxford University.

The principal motivation of the programme is to give visitors the time and space to work and research independently without too many demands on their time for administration or teaching.

CSASP is unable to offer any financial support for Academic Visitors. CSASP charges academic visitors a basic establishment fee of £1,200 per calendar year or pro rata.

In addition we estimate that a Visiting Fellow would need approximately £2,000 per month for modest living expenses.

The Contemporary South Asia Studies Programme (CSASP) welcomes suitably qualified academics and other practitioners such as journalists and civil servants from South Asia and elsewhere who wish to contribute to the research and activities of our centre. The research focus of CSASP falls into various broad academic disciplines

Anthropology
Development Studies and Climate Change
Political Economy
Politics
Environment
International Relations and Security

Your research should fall within one of the broad areas defined above.

Please note that CSASP does not accept visitors whose research is in disciplines that are not taught within our centre.

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Accommodation

Finding accommodation for a short stay in Oxford (less than 6 months) can be difficult and the rental markets mean it is rarely cheap. It is essential that you start looking for accommodation as soon as you know that you will be coming to Oxford. Although a relatively small city, there are several different localities within Oxford, each with their own unique character.

OSGA is located in North Oxford, between St Giles, Jericho and Summertown. The areas closest to the School at 12 Bevington Rd are the most expensive! Do not discount those areas that are slightly further (e.g. Marston, Headington, Iffley Road, Cowley Road, Abingdon Road, Botley Road) – prices there can be significantly lower.

Great places to start looking for accommodation are

Commonwealth House
The North Oxford Overseas Centre
Information in the Daily Info
If you have a prior connection with a member of an Oxford college, college accommodation may sometimes be available.

Oxford is blessed with excellent public transport, and there are many buses connecting the city to the outlying areas. In addition, Oxford is an excellent city for cycling, and you can travel quickly on a bike from one part of the city to another.

Visas

UK immigration law is changing constantly. As soon as your visit is confirmed, we advise you to check with the UK visa application centre in your country. Please read through the information available on the website of the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

You must check all the immigration requirements and restrictions well in advance, and make sure that you know under what status you will enter the UK. The type of visa you need will depend on the duration of your stay in the UK and your nationality.

Plan ahead, and make sure that you have copies of all the relevant paperwork with you on arrival in the UK, including the formal letter of invitation issued by the relevant programme at OSGA.

Duration

Visitor stays should be planned to coincide with a minimum of one Oxford term, in order to take advantage of opportunities to interact with research staff and students and to attend events in OSGA. The three University terms are as follows:

Michaelmas (Autumn/Fall): October-December
Hilary (Spring): January-March
Trinity (Summer): April-June

You can check the exact dates by searching for dates of term on the main University website. Between June and September there is very little activity within OSGA and wider University due to exams. The minimum stay for academic visitors is one month, and the maximum is one year.

Please note that we receive many more applications than we are able to accept, and it is best to apply at least six months in advance of the date you wish to start in Oxford.

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Africa Oxford Initiative Fellowships

The AfOx Visiting Fellowship Program enhances academic mobility and network building. The program supports leading African scholars and researchers working in any academic discipline to focus on a project they choose while in Oxford. The AfOx Visiting Fellows Programme enables research leaders from institutions across Africa to make significant contributions to the intellectual life of Oxford while simultaneously gaining opportunities to engage with the range of knowledge and expertise in the University.  

AfOx Fellows have developed long-term partnerships with colleagues in Oxford, leading to significant research outcomes, joint publications and substantial funding. The 2024-25 AfOx Visiting Fellows are working on projects across various disciplines, spread across the four AfOx research themes, Healthy People, Innovation for Prosperity, Integrated Societies, and Green Futures, the fellows will be affiliated with the University for a year and spend May and June 2025 in Oxford.  

Further information here 

Funding for South Asian Studies Visiting Fellows

The following initiatives may be useful funding sources for CSASP Visiting Fellows.  

The Charles Wallace India Trust  

The Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust  

The UK India Education and Research Initiative  

The Rangoonwala Visiting Fellowships: The ZVM Rangoonwala Foundation will sponsor three visiting fellowships for scholars or senior public professionals from Pakistan to spend up to two months at the University of Oxford’s Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme within the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies in the Trinity term of each academic year.

British Academy - Visiting Fellowships

The British Academy’s Visiting Fellowships programme offers overseas academics a chance to work at UK institutions for three to six months. The Oxford School of Global and Area Studies supports applications to the scheme and it holds an annual internal competition to decide which application(s) will be put forward. Find out more about the latest call.  

As an academic visitor you are expected to work independently and be responsible for your own research activities whilst in Oxford. Your academic host/sponsor is there for the following:

To sign your official letter of invitation and visa letter (if appropriate)
To introduce you to OSGA, relevant academic colleagues, and suggest activities/events in which you may wish to participate.
To provide occasional and limited comments on your research work, depending on the time and availability of the host/sponsor themselves.

Academic terms in Oxford are only eight weeks long and extremely intensive! For that reason, your academic host/sponsor is unlikely to be able to meet with you on a regular basis.

OSGA Programme administrators:

African Studies Centre: african.studies@africa.ox.ac.uk

Contemporary China Studies: chinesestudies@area.ox.ac.uk

Global Area Studies: gas@area.ox.ac.uk

Latin American Centre: administrator@lac.ox.ac.uk

Middle East Studies: middle.east@area.ox.ac.uk

Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies: administrator@nissan.ox.ac.uk

Russia and East European Studies: rees.enquiries@area.ox.ac.uk

South Asian Studies: south.asia@area.ox.ac.uk

OSGA Human Resources: visitors@area.ox.ac.uk

OSGA Finance: finance@area.ox.ac.uk

OSGA Facilities: facilities@area.ox.ac.uk