The Department of Politics and International Relations welcomed senior leaders from across industries and organisations to Rhodes House from 16–18 July 2026 for the second successful international cohort of its Executive Education programme, Geopolitical Risk.
Building on the strong foundations of its inaugural offering in November 2025, the programme brought together participants from a diverse range of sectors and countries, reflecting the growing demand for rigorous, academically grounded insights into today's rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
The success of this second cohort highlights the programme's growing reputation as a unique forum for connecting academic expertise with real-world decision-making.
By bringing together senior professionals from across sectors and geographies, the programme fostered valuable dialogue, peer learning, and lasting professional networks alongside its academic content.
Hear more about what our July 2026 Participants said:
“A really thought-provoking couple of days with an excellent faculty and a brilliant international cohort!!!”
“I highly recommend this programme to anyone seeking to deepen their geopolitical insight. As an aspiring academic, I benefited immensely from the diverse perspectives shared by both the expert speakers and my fellow participants. This truly was a unique experience.”
“I am eager to deepen my geopolitical expertise and engage with diverse perspectives, allowing me to better analyse complex global dynamics throughout my research.”
“Fantastic thought-provoking ideas which reflects the hard earned knowledge the faculty members have.”
“Every session was incredibly insightful and thought-provoking. I was particularly fascinated by the discussion on AI. The concept of AI serving as a tool of warfare was a completely new perspective for me. I am deeply grateful for the wealth of knowledge and the valuable networking opportunities this programme provided. It was a very unique experience indeed.”
“The question is no longer simply what AI can do. It is increasingly who controls it, who governs it, and who gains strategic advantage from it.”
“The side conversations I had were very thought provoking. I also found that having such a geographically diverse cohort was extremely beneficial. That being said, the faculty presentations were top notch and very enlightening. Having dinner next to Neil Unsworth, OBE was perhaps the highlight of my trip!”
“The conversations with peers between sessions and the high quality of lecture. All sessions were incredibly engaging and high quality. Particularly the AI session.”
“Geopolitical risk has moved from the foreign affairs pages to the board agenda.”
“The thinking at DPIR Executive Education, University of Oxford was world-class. The harder work, for all of us, starts back at our desks.”
“In today’s world, every risk is now subservient to geopolitical risk. Geography is no longer just where you operate, it’s increasingly how you operate.”
“Diverse perspectives matter. Some of the most valuable discussions came from learning alongside participants representing different industries, countries, and viewpoints.”
“Effective geopolitical risk management requires more than awareness. Organizations need practical frameworks to identify, assess, prioritize, and respond to rapidly evolving risks.”
“One of my biggest takeaways is that geopolitics is no longer confined to diplomacy or defence.
It is now a core leadership discipline.
It is increasingly shaping capital allocation, corporate strategy, technology adoption, supply chains, and organisational resilience.”
Thank you to all our July 2026 participants. If you want to join our Geopolitical Risk programme cohort in May 2027, complete the expression of interest form.