Today is the ‘first day of school’ for our new MPP students - 75 brilliant individuals with a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. They come from more than 45 countries and territories, including places as far afield as Nepal and Peru, Jamaica and Uzbekistan.

The official Michaelmas term start date for the University of Oxford is not until October 12th, but we like to be ahead of schedule because our MPP course is concentrated in one intensive year.

During their first week – ‘Induction week’ – students get to know each other, meet the faculty members, and get acquainted with the beautiful city of Oxford. We’re also keen for them to to immediately start thinking in ‘public policy’ terms and that’s why one of the key features of Induction week is the ‘Policy Challenge’.

Our Dean Ngaire Woods said: “We are really excited to welcome our third class of students for the Master of Public Policy. We’ve prepared a rich induction schedule, which includes a policy challenge focused around healthcare – an increasingly important issue for governments and policymakers. It’s inspiring to see students from all over the world share experiences, learn from each other and quickly become a vital part of our vibrant community.”

We’ll share more about our students in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for updates.

See our infographic showing age, gender and geography of the Class of 2014

Find out more about our students by reading their profiles.

Read about University of Oxford term dates.