Erasmus+ professional development for higher education staff
Confident Presenting in Higher Education
Less nerves. Clear structure. More presence.
A practical week for all higher education staff who want to overcome nerves, build clearly structured talks and present with confidence in front of any audience.
Who is this week for?
Who is this Staff Week for?
Conference talks, information sessions, partner meetings, committee reports, welcome days: presenting is part of almost every job in higher education, and for many colleagues it is also a source of stress. This week is entirely about you in front of an audience. In a small, supportive group you learn where nervousness comes from and how to calm it, build a talk around one clear message, use voice and body language with intention and handle questions calmly. On Monday you record a short talk on your phone; on Friday you give your final talk in Oxford and compare the two. The talk you develop is a real one from your own work, ready to use when you return home.
- Lecturers and researchers presenting at conferences or in class
- International Offices presenting to students, partners and delegations
- Administrative staff reporting to committees and management
- Student services and advisors at welcome days and fairs
- Project and EU officers presenting projects and results
- Anyone who feels nervous before speaking in public
Why join?
Calm your nerves
Understand stage fright and practise simple techniques that work before and during a talk.
Clear structure
Build every talk around one key message, a strong opening and a memorable ending.
Voice & presence
Use your voice, pauses, eye contact and body language with intention.
Handle questions
Answer questions, objections and the unexpected calmly and with confidence.
Your own talk
Develop and rehearse a real talk from your own work, with video feedback from Monday to Friday.
Five days · approx. 20 teaching hours
The programme
Each course week comprises approx. 20 teaching hours (Monday to Friday), including the professional programme on the London Day.
We do not require a formal certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge; your own assessment of your level is sufficient.
Day 1 · Monday
Confidence Starts Here
Getting to know each other and understanding nervousness
- Welcome and a safe, supportive group setting
- Your personal presentation goals
- Your two-minute starting talk, filmed on your own phone
- What happens when we get nervous
- Breathing, grounding and voice warm-ups
A short first talk you will compare with your final talk on Friday. Videos stay on your own phone.
Day 2 · Tuesday
Clear Message, Clear Structure
From the audience to the outline
- Start with the audience
- Your key message in one sentence
- Simple structures that work
- Openings and endings that people remember
- Slides that support you, not replace you
- Working with cue cards instead of a script
Each participant presents the core of their final talk and gets instant feedback from the group.
Day 3 · Wednesday · London Day
Speaking in Public
From Oxford to London: a full-day programme
- Visit to the Houses of Parliament, with Prime Minister’s Questions when the House is sitting
- Observing how experienced speakers use voice, pauses and humour
- Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park
- Guided exploration of London
Day 4 · Thursday
Voice, Body and Questions
How you say it matters
- Voice: pace, volume, emphasis and the power of the pause
- Body language: stance, gestures, eye contact
- Handling questions and difficult moments
- When things go wrong: technology, time, interruptions
- Impromptu speaking in the Oxford Union style
- Full rehearsal of your final talk
Practise answering friendly, critical and unexpected questions in a safe setting.
Day 5 · Friday
Final Talks
From nervous to confident
- Warm-up and final preparation
- Your five-minute final talk with questions
- Written feedback from the group
- Video comparison: Monday and Friday
- Planning your next talk at home
- Certificate presentation and farewell
Each participant gives their final talk to the group, ideally in a historic Oxford setting, followed by a farewell in a traditional Oxford pub.
What you take home
By the end of the week, participants will have…
- practical techniques to calm their nerves before and during a talk
- a clear method for structuring any presentation around one key message
- a rehearsed talk from their own work, ready to use at their home institution
- more confidence in handling questions and unexpected situations
- personal feedback and a video record of their own progress
- an international network of colleagues from other universities
Confidence is not a talent. It can be learned.
Dates 2027
4 weeks to choose from
| Week | Programme days (Mon–Fri) | London day |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 8–12 March 2027 | Wednesday, 10 March |
| Week 2 | 19–23 April 2027 | Wednesday, 21 April |
| Week 3 | 24–28 May 2027 | Wednesday, 26 May |
| Week 4 | 25–29 October 2027 | Wednesday, 27 October |
Programme fee per participant
Not included: accommodation in Oxford, travel to and from Oxford (e.g. flights, airport transfers), other meals.
Registration & Erasmus+ funding
Designed for Erasmus+ Staff Mobility
All programmes are designed to fit Erasmus+ staff mobility for training. Please check eligibility and funding with your institution's International Office.
Approx. 20 teaching hours
Every course week comprises approx. 20 teaching hours from Monday to Friday.
English level
Level B2 (CEFR) for most programmes; “Confident Presenting in Higher Education” starts at level B1+ and “Refreshing your English” is designed for levels A2 to B1. No certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge is needed; your own assessment is sufficient.
Invitation letter
For your funding application, we are happy to send you an official confirmation or invitation letter well in advance, on request.
Non-binding registration
Register online at any time. A registration is not a booking and creates no costs.
Pay only after confirmation
You receive an invoice only once we have confirmed that your course week takes place.
Our venue
Where we teach
The Staff Mobility Institute Oxford has no campus of its own, and that is deliberate. We teach in hired seminar rooms in the historic heart of Oxford, in or close to the colleges of the University. For every course week we choose the room to suit the size of the group and the content of the course, and we pick places that let you feel what makes Oxford special: centuries of scholarship, college quads and the atmosphere of a living university city.
A course week might, for example, take place on St Giles, the broad avenue beside St John’s College, a few steps from the Eagle and Child, the pub where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis met with their literary circle, the Inklings, and where Tolkien read early chapters of The Lord of the Rings to his friends.
Central location
Our venues are within walking distance of Gloucester Green bus station, the railway station and the hotels we recommend.
Chosen for your course
The room fits the group size and the way the course works: group tables, a projector and a flipchart, so that you work together rather than just listen.
Beyond the classroom
Part of every programme takes place outside: a walking seminar through Oxford and a full day in London.
The exact venue depends on the course week, the group and room availability, so we cannot promise a particular building in advance. We confirm the address and directions with your joining information before you travel.
Getting there
How to get to Oxford
The most convenient way to arrive from abroad is via London Heathrow or London Gatwick airport, then directly into central Oxford on the Oxford Bus Company coach (“The Airline”).
✈ London Heathrow → Oxford
Coaches run directly from all Heathrow terminals and stop centrally at Gloucester Green bus station in Oxford, from where most accommodation is within walking distance.
✈ London Gatwick → Oxford
Also operated by Oxford Bus Company’s “The Airline”, also arriving at Gloucester Green bus station in the heart of Oxford.
Most visitors who do not need a visa, including citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, need an ETA to enter the UK. You apply online or in the official “UK ETA” app; it currently costs £20 and is valid for two years for any number of trips (or until your passport expires). A decision usually arrives within three working days, so please apply in good time. Irish citizens do not need an ETA. If you need a visa instead, we are happy to provide an invitation letter. Please check the current rules at gov.uk/eta before you travel.
Practical tips
Accommodation in Oxford
Recommendations for every budget
Accommodation is not included in the programme fee. Here are a few reliable recommendations across different price ranges, all well connected to the venue in central Oxford.
Royal Oxford Hotel
Central, right by the station — short walk to the venue and Gloucester Green.
Holiday Inn Oxford
Reliable standard, a little outside the centre, well connected.
Courtyard by Marriott Oxford City Centre
Right on the Thames, walking distance to the city centre.
Malmaison Oxford
Housed in a former prison — an unusual atmosphere, central location.
The Randolph Hotel (Graduate by Hilton)
Oxford’s most storied grand hotel, right in the historic centre.
Old Bank Hotel
Boutique hotel overlooking the Radcliffe Camera.
Please check prices and availability directly with the hotels or via standard booking platforms, as these vary by season and demand.
Registration
Register – without obligation
Your registration is not a booking. It reserves a place for you and creates no costs. We confirm a course week as soon as enough participants have registered.
- RegisterSend us your non-binding registration with the form below.
- Confirmation of the course weekOnce the minimum number of participants is reached – at the latest 8 weeks before the start – we confirm that the week takes place.
- Invoice & bookingOnly then do you receive your invoice and your place becomes binding. If a week does not take place, you pay nothing and we offer you an alternative date.
Please note: book flights and accommodation only after we have confirmed your course week.
Thank you – we have received your registration
We will reply by email within a few working days. Once the minimum number of participants is reached, we confirm the course week and send you the invoice. Until then your registration is non-binding and free of charge.
Almost done – please send the email
Your email program should have opened with your registration. Please send that email. If nothing opened, copy the text below and send it to info@staffmobilityinstituteoxford.co.uk.
Contact
Questions?
Write to us – for example about funding, delegations or a tailored week for your institution.
info@staffmobilityinstituteoxford.co.ukOn request, we are happy to send you a confirmation letter for your Erasmus+ funding application.