Equitech Futures Institute Oxford
Launching the Next Generation of Global Technology Leaders
Course Timeline:
July 6, 2025 - August 3, 2025
Program Type:
In Person (Oxford, UK)
Applications Open:
January 8, 2025
Eligibility:
Students between ages of 18-24 enrolled in any discipline or currently undertaking a gap year
Launching the Next Generation of Global Technology Leaders
Technology is profoundly shaping societies globally. The world needs a new generation of interdisciplinary leaders who can anticipate both the risks and the possibilities of emerging technologies, and use them to tackle pressing challenges from climate change to healthcare.
The Equitech Futures Institute in Oxford (EFI Oxford) will bring together aspiring technology leaders from around the world. Established as an extension of the Technology And Society Forum created in collaboration with the Rhodes Trust, EFI Oxford is a four-week intensive summer program in Oxford that will cultivate a network of future entrepreneurs, researchers, and civic leaders who are equipped to use emerging technologies to tackle global challenges.
Why join this Program?
Learning by Doing
Our curriculum focuses on experiential learning that blends live instruction with projects in small cohorts.
Global Community
Students in the Equitech Futures community come from over 50 countries. Learning in collaboration with aspiring technologists and innovators from around the world provides unique global perspectives on tech and global challenges.
Individualized Mentorship
Students joining the Equitech Futures Institute will join a thriving global network of alumni and mentors who are dedicated to providing individualized mentorship for students at pivotal points in their careers.
Career Support and Planning
Equitech Futures provides ongoing career support for every student in the alumni network. Students have access to support on graduate school applications, scholarship applications, and connections to discover the best career path.
Venture Support
At the Equitech Venture studio, we have cultivated a deep talent network from over 52 different countries. Alumni can participate in exclusive Innovation Institutes and gain access to mentorship as well as funding to explore their potential as founders.
Forums and Networking
Equitech Futures alumni have access to leading fora like the Rhodes Tech and Society Forum and other regional in-person conferences hosted by Equitech Futures. Additionally, all alumni are invited to year-long virtual programming with technology leaders.
A Curriculum Designed for Technology Leaders who want to Tackle Global Challenges
To tackle complex global challenges in the 21st century, aspiring innovators need tools and perspectives that transcend traditional disciplinary silos. The Equitech Futures curriculum breaks down traditional disciplinary barriers and approaches technological education through three lenses.
How can AI and data science be applied to tackle real-world problems?
How can governments, markets, and the social sector work together?
How can we build technological solutions that are human-centered and ethically sound?
The Equitech Futures Institute is designed to develop the interdisciplinary technological skills and build the global networks that emerging leaders need to tackle challenges of the future.
What you’ll learn
This course provides you with a functional understanding of how to apply artificial intelligence tools in various domains. Unlike many courses that focus on developing AI algorithms, we will focus on how to deploy AI algorithms and the potential and risks associated with them. Whether you want to launch a startup, lead a nonprofit, work in policy, or pursue academic research, this will help cultivate an "AI architect mindset" that goes beyond understanding the mechanics behind algorithms. By the end, you will learn how to identify good (and problematic) use-cases for AI and be well-placed to create new companies, nonprofits, or policies using these novel tools. Covered topics include Introduction to Supervised Learning, Building AI Blueprints, Datafication, Applications in Healthcare, Applications in Education, and Applications in Climate and Environment.
This course provides you with a practical understanding of how to apply entrepreneurial tools to bring ideas to life. Unlike many courses that focus on business theory or case studies, we will focus on how to actually build and validate ventures through hands-on experimentation and user-centric design. Whether you want to launch a startup, join an early-stage company, or innovate within an existing organization, this will help cultivate a "builder's mindset" that goes beyond understanding business fundamentals. By the end, you will learn how to identify promising opportunities and be well-placed to create and scale ventures using iterative development methods. Covered topics include Customer Discovery, Rapid Prototyping, User Testing, Business Model Design, and Go-to-Market Strategy.
Strong leaders are effective communicators. They articulate visions for the future and motivate teams by fostering trust and engagement. Leaders also document their visions in writing, extending the life of the thought in ways that can be clarified, referenced, and shared. This course invites each scholar to hone their narrative as a future innovator. We will practice the range of storytelling, process, and feedback that position thoughtful leaders for success.
The goal of these discussion-based seminars is to help you navigate vital themes at the intersection of technology and society. These seminars will give you the opportunity to hear from and interact with practitioners and experts working across a variety of fields. The seminars will help you explore the social implications of technological tools and the ethical implications of your work as innovators. You will learn to think deeply about a problem, inhabit multiple viewpoints, and analyze arguments across a range of source material. Covered topics include Building Human-Centered Technologies, Gender and Technology, The Politics of Automation, The Many-Headed Climate Monster, Intellectual Property Rights, and Public Trust in STEM.
A Vision for Global Fellowship
"For more than a century the Rhodes Trust has been bringing future leaders with a shared commitment to making positive change in the world together in Oxford. In recent years we have worked with Equitech Futures to deliver the impactful Technology and Society events series and I am excited to see their Futures Institute launching in 2025.
I look forward to seeing the positive impact in years to come of those who attend the EFI Oxford programme."
Sorina Campean
Director of Global Programmes
and Alumni Engagement at Rhodes Trust
Who is the Program for?
We believe transformative innovators transcend disciplines and are not defined by test scores. Our ideal applicants are creative problem-solvers in the social sector who are highly motivated and persistent in the face of challenges. We want people who welcome collaborative spaces, who wear their talent with humility, who take responsibility for their own learning and growth, and who want to use their talents in the service of other people.
Eligibility Criteria
- Scholars must be at least 18 years of age but no older than 24 years of age on July 6, 2025
- Scholars may be enrolled in university study or on gap years
- We welcome applicants from all academic, professional, geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We particularly encourage women and individuals from underrepresented communities to apply for the Equitech Futures Institute Oxford.
Selection Process
- Early Admission - eligible for partial scholarships
- Applications for early admission close February 5, 2025
- Finalists will be invited for an interview with the faculty by February 14, 2025
- Early admission decisions will be made by February 21, 2025
- Regular Admission
- Applications for regular admission close March 5, 2025
- Finalists will be invited for an interview with the faculty by March 14, 2025
- Final admission decisions will be made by March 21, 2025
Day in the Life
12:30pm
Lunch with members of your cohort in Oxford city centre
5:00pm
Social hour
7:30pm
Evening social activities (hackathons, city walking tours, concerts in the park)
10:30pm
Homework and bedtime at The Queen’s College
Creating a Lifelong Community of Ambitious Minds
At the conclusion of each program term, graduates are entitled to a Certificate of Completion and are welcomed to join the Equitech Alumni Network. This cross-cohort community of talented young innovators share opportunities, collaborate on shared research, and inspire one another. A few of the privileges of alumni status include:
Career Support
The Equitech Scholars curriculum provides excellent training for future careers in entrepreneurship, academia, or the social sector. Our goal is to provide you with varied perspectives and lenses to help you lead you to a career pathway that is best for you. Faculty have written letters of recommendation for alumni who make exemplary strides in their coursework.
Continuing Education
Alumni from the Equitech Scholars Program are invited to monthly Leadership Labs with leading practitioners in tech and academia where open dialogue is encouraged. The network also supports career preparedness with workshops and mentorship opportunities.
Regional Gatherings
While our instruction is exclusively online and accessible worldwide, we invest in opportunities for alumni to gather IRL during curated weekend retreats in different regions of the world. These events join our cohorts for interdisciplinary collaboration, networking, and shared research.
Tuition
- Full tuition for the Equitech Futures Institute Oxford is US $17,900. With generous support from our philanthropic partners, we are offering a US $5000 tuition scholarship to early applicants. The total tuition for early applicants (Deadline: February 5th, 2025) is US $12,900.
- The tuition costs include:
- Four weeks of live, in-person instruction;
- Accommodation at The Queen’s College, Oxford;
- Breakfast and dinner at The Queen's College;
- A month-long transit pass for buses throughout Oxford;
- All social activities and field trips organized by the program, including tickets to museums, hackathons, performances, and sporting events;
- Special gala dinners at Rhodes House and Reuben College;
- Online access for the Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society 2025;
- Year-long career support and mentoring;
- Year-long access to Equitech Alumni Network programming.
- Tuition does not include airfare, daily lunch, transportation to and from the airport, or personal expenditures.
- Admitted scholars must make their tuition payment by March 31, 2025.
Hear from our Alumni
"I was an English major in college and did not study computing or data science. I wanted a space where I could learn the technical aspects of data science and AI and figure out how to apply these tools to real-world problems. Equitech Futures was the perfect place and it helped me launch a career in civic tech."
Montserrat Madrigal
Scholar '21
"Despite growing up near Silicon Valley, I did not study STEM in college. Yet I was always curious about how technology can be used to solve problems. Equitech Futures gave me the opportunity to learn data science and AI surrounded by a curious, supportive global community that really made me feel at home."
Oscar Tran
Scholar '21
"The faculty at Equitech Futures really know how to inspire you. There's a shared dream to change the world for the better, and how data science and AI can aid in that process that is really invigorating."
Kexin Xu
Scholar '22
Let’s shape the Future of Technology Together
Don’t miss your chance to join the next generation of global tech leaders