Genevieve Dear

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Interview with Gen Dear, General Manager of Oxford Summer Academy

Gen loves learning, trying new things and is always up for a challenge. She likes to keep fit, and has a keen interest in health and nutrition. She studied psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, and still likes to keep up in the field.

What position do you hold at Oxford Summer Academy? What has been your career path so far?

I joined the Oxford Summer Academy (OSA) in 2012 as the General Manager. Alongside this, I am also the General Manager of OSA’s sister organization, Oxford Science Studies (OXSS). I have been with OXSS for a number of years and am very pleased to be able to continue working with both of these companies at the same time. Before OXSS, I started my career in marketing within an international Management Consultancy firm. A very different sector, but I insist that OSA maintains the same high standards that the consulting industry has – so we are always striving to improve and reach perfection!

What does the future hold for Oxford Summer Academy - any exciting new programs to share?

I am very excited about the future of OSA. Having only recently joined, I still have so many new things I’d like to add to our courses. This applies to all areas of the program, such as new offerings within the options students can select from and new places for excursions. In fact, in 2012 we included a brand new elective that didn’t appear to be offered on any other academic summer courses, and it was one of our most successful and popular options: Improvisational Comedy. Through the tears of laughter, the students learnt so many new skills that are applicable to different areas and will help them in the future, which is what we are all about – having fun whilst learning.

What about the future of the high school abroad industry? How do you think international education will change over the next 10 years?

I think young people increasingly have a global perspective and are therefore actively seeking education abroad. As such, the high school abroad industry will need to continue to grow to meet this student demand. I believe it will become far more usual for students to study away from home, whether for short holiday periods, single terms or for an entire academic year. Qualifications will also, hopefully, become more universally recognized in response to the growing number of students with foreign qualifications returning to their home countries to enter higher education.