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General Office
Monday to Friday
10:30 - 12:30 / 13:30 - 16:00
Library
Monday to Friday - 9:30 - 19:00
Saturday - 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday - Closed
Bar
Monday to Wednesday - 11:00 - 23:00
Thursday to Saturday - 11:00 - 24:00
Sunday - Closed
As the Oxford Union Society (OUS) begins its third century, there is much on which to reflect - from notable debates that have reverberated around the world to the guest speakers who have been questioned and challenged by the Society’s members.
We are now seeking to secure the Oxford Union’s future by ensuring we can continue: to uphold free speech by inviting members and guests to challenge ideas in a historic setting that is fit for purpose; to preserve the unique architectural heritage of the buildings, irreplaceable artworks and two centuries of tradition; and to increase accessibility by removing physical and financial barriers to participation.
The Oxford Union’s ability to retain its independence rests on the purpose-built premises, notably the historic grade II* listed debating chamber, which provide a unique setting for world-famous debates and speaker meetings. The buildings’ grade II* listed status denotes the premises as having special architectural and / or historic interest considered to be of national importance. Fewer than 6% of all listed buildings in England have grade II* status.
As an immediate priority, we are seeking to raise £5 million by year-end 2025 to fund essential maintenance works to to enable the Oxford Union Society to continue to fulfil its time-honoured role as the ‘last bastion of free speech'.
Welcome to The Oxford Union
The Oxford Union is an extraordinary place. Nowhere else will you find a lineup of such prominent speakers or compelling debates. Since 1823, the Union has hosted leaders in every field, from politics and business to sport and the arts. Members have the opportunity to meet their heroes and challenge those with whom they disagree during interactive Q&As. For those looking to debate competitively, master the art of public speaking, or find a new hobby, our debating workshops offer something for everyone.
The Union is also the social hub of Oxford. Our Members' Bar, Snooker Room, frequent socials and termly Union Ball offer members a vibrant inter-college community. Our beautiful library and historic reading rooms also provide a comfortable and well-resourced working environment.
Joining the Oxford Union gives you the opportunity to participate in the free exchange of ideas at an extraordinary place. We look forward to welcoming you - and for our alumni life members, we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
The Oxford Union offers partners a number of bespoke packages, which can include joint branding on debate publicity, advertisement on our event YouTube videos, adverts in our term card and physical banners, flyers, and a recruitment stand on the night of a debate. Spaces can be reserved at our exclusive black-tie debate night dinners, attended by our speakers, for your valued employees and clients. We also offer a debate night corporate hospitality package, which is highly sought after.
The Oxford Union has enjoyed successful partnerships with a variety of organisations, including Accenture, Credit Suisse, Dentons, Deutsche Bank, Hogan Lovells, KPMG, and WPP. We look forward to exploring how we can partner with you to create a bespoke package to suit your organisation’s requirements.
For enquiries, please contact treasurer@oxford-union.org.
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15 October 2022: Our Response to Allegations of 'No-Platforming'
Our letter to 'The Times' (which was not published) in response allegations that The Oxford Union among others had 'quietly de-platformed speakers'
Sir,
We write in response to the article published in the Education section of The Times on 13th October 2022 entitled University free speech hit by ‘quiet no-platforming’ culture. This is a joint statement from The Cambridge Union Society, The Durham Union Society and The Oxford Union Society.
We reject the allegation that university free speech has been “hit by ‘quiet no-platforming’ culture”. We believe that the discussion of complex, sometimes controversial, topics should not only be encouraged but is an essential element of any free, progressive society.
Our respective societies aim to promote critical thinking through the exchange and debate of a wide range of ideas and opinions, presented by a diverse range of speakers - some inspiring, others controversial.
We do acknowledge that, in recent years, a small number of individuals have tried to progress an agenda that has attempted to curtail free speech, under the alleged objective of protecting those who might feel ‘offended.’
While certain speakers may hold views that are regarded by some as unacceptable, we nonetheless believe that it is more important to debate an issue in full rather than shy away from a difficult subject or to silence certain voices. We invite those who do not agree with the views of a particular speaker to actively participate in an event and to challenge them.
The Cambridge Union Society is strongly committed to our founding principle of promoting Free Speech. In recent years we have proudly defended this fundamental right with a speaker line-up which has included Jordan Peterson, Mahathir Mohamad, and Germaine Greer. The Cambridge Union strongly supports the rights of all speakers to share their views. We will never blacklist any speakers and regularly apportion significant funds towards providing security to enable those likely to attract protests to share their views in our chamber, such as we did for the Israeli Ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, earlier this year.
The Durham Union Society is proud to uphold the principles of free speech and open dialogue between our guest speakers, members and the wider University community. Consulting with our members, we host a wide range of speakers with a diversity of viewpoints, with recent speakers including Lord Sumption, Nathan Law, Noam Chomsky and Gina Miller. The Durham Union Society does not shy away from difficult and important conversations, and we encourage members to challenge and engage with argument, rather than shut it down.
The Oxford Union Society exists to challenge, inform and educate through open debate and civil discourse. As per our Guest Speaker Invitation Policy, we only host speakers who agree to be challenged in the context of a debate or an interactive discussion. There are, therefore, some occasions when we must rescind an invitation to a potential speaker on the basis that they do not agree to this policy. We will continue to defend the right for any person to express their opinion on a given topic as long as it is legal.
Kind regards,
The Cambridge Union Society, The Durham Union Society and The Oxford Union Society
