I’ve spent
quite a lot of my life in and around Oxford, so was surprised I had never heard
of this ‘school’ or the founder – set up in 2005 by a visionary, who’d made a
fortune writing books …
… all the 300+
post-doctorate scholars and professors work across the University of Oxford … collaborating
world-wide.
Sir James
Martin (1933 – 2013) wrote ‘The Wired Society’ forty years ago … which is still
considered timely; he was a quiet man ‘foreseeing our future’ …
… in 2012 –
he produced a short feature film (29 mins) called ‘Revolution in Oxford’ (link below) in
which he talks to leading academics about the difference they are starting to make
in Oxford and the world. I hope you’ll
take time out to watch and listen to it … so worthwhile.
I found out
about the Oxford Martin School from a book our book club thought of reading
(Age of Discovery) … some of us did – I know I scan read. I made notes as I went … it is not an easy
read – but very informative … and I’d never have found out about Sir James
Martin – amazing man …
To leave you
with one thought stated in the book:
‘Don’t just get an education. Make one.’ …
… the book
is about the developments of the Renaissance era (years 1300 – 1600) comparing
them to what is happening now: the challenges and the opportunities …
For us the
participants of #WAWTB … this short film is definitely an eye opener … if we can take cognisance of
our own possibilities and encourage all, we will benefit so many more people in
our societal spheres …
 |
| Dr James Martin in Oxford |
I want to
say we are the revolution … we are … and we can be … #WAWTB …
We Are The World - In Darkness Be Light
Oxford Martin School - the founder and site
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
68 comments:
Interesting! I’d not heard of him or the school either.
Very interesting! Thank you, Hilary.
Love,
Janie
Positively fascinating.
Which is lovely. Thank you for the light you shine on positive people.
Hari OM
Was vaguely aware of the institution, but had not really paid attention; thanks for pointing towards something which truly sparks the imagination! YAM xx
Never heard of this! How do you participate?
I hadn't heard of this school before either. Thanks for sharing. Very interesting! :)
~Jess
I didn't know that and I never heard of it either! Interesting. sandie
Interesting. Very forward thinking.
First I hope you all take time out to watch the video - it really is inspirational and educational ... thank you!!
@ Anabel - very well worth knowing about ...
@ Janie - that's great ... glad to see you here ...
@ EC - yes it was incredibly interesting ... I was delighted to find out about the school ... and thank you for your comment ...
@ Yam - the institution had never entered my brain sphere at all ... but I was so pleased I came across it ... as you say it does spark one's imagination in so many positive directions ...
@ Sue - I added to my comment on your latest blog post, which you'll moderate when the time frame ties in ... and look forward to you joining us ...
@ Jess - James Martin is a great find ... sadly he died relatively recently ... but the school looks set to continue on to greater things ...
@ Sandie - the video is well worth watching ...
@ Liz - yes very forward thinking ... a good video to have in one's repertoire ...
Thanks so much for coming by - I hope you can pass on the video to others who could well be interested ... cheers Hilary
It's lovely to read and view about amazing people like that. I've never heard of that school until now.
I shall watch the video this evening. Thanks.
Like several before me, I was not aware of this school or gentleman. Most interesting.
No, I have never heard of him before. Will have to come back and watch the video. Thanks for writing about the school.
I always come away from your posts better for having stopped by, Hilary. Very interesting, this.
@ Lynn - like you I was so pleased to come across the school (Uni) and learn about Sir James Martin the author and entrepreneur ...
@ John - that's great ... I'm certain you'll enjoy it ...
@ Keith - thanks ... me too - so pleased I found out about them ...
@ Jo - that's great you'll be back to watch the video - so informative ...
@ Jacqui - the video and people are so enlightening ...
Cheers to you all - good to see and thanks for commenting and I hope getting to see the video - Hilary
Very interesting. That school is like a think tank on steroids. May they find the solutions they seek, and may the world's leaders have the good sense to listen to them.
Take care, and have a super weekend. Cheers!
I never stop learning, always eager to hear and learn more. Part of it was being an educator, being forever a student.
quite the visionary with a mission. I'm just constantly amazed at how much good stuff folks do for the world - thinking through and making stuff happen. Your blog posts that bring awareness are just so good and ooze such positive vibes, I can only hope this all does make a difference in the world, and that folks will keep learning
Thanks!
@ Susan - yes ... that's a good way of putting it - obviously very clever people with ideas for the future and how it should unfold. I so agree ... may the so-called leaders of this world pay attention and act on their proposals ... Let's hope good sense prevails.
@ Steve - I bet you never stop learning ... I wasn't an educator - yet now I'm catching up ... being a student is good ...
@ Joanne - Sir James Martin had a lot of strengths apparently and was always looking forward - which he certainly seems to be achieving posthumously with his 'school'. Thanks re my blog posts - it's what I'm aiming to do - show where help can come from and how we can all be positive ...
Cheers and thanks for being here - Hilary
Sucha visionary-- and so much good is coming of this.
Thanks, Hilary, for shining the light on such a longstanding, brilliant project to help humanity.
thanks Hilary - I've looked at some of the video and have bookmarked it to watch in full later. I love that the revolution is being embraced and that there is a multi-disciplinary approach to the problems that we face in the 21st century.
This is so interesting. Oxford still has something of a mystique for Americans! Thanks for alerting me to him and the school.
Good morning Hilary: The two legendary institutes of learning in the UK are Oxford and Cambridge, and I have never visited either one. If I ever make it back there I will have to rectify that omission. I think of all those post docs there - it must be a heady atmosphere at times.
Hi Hilary. Thanks for highlighting this institution. I must follow up and get hold of the book. The only James Martin book I have on my shelves is a cookery book - not the same man, of course.
@ Damyanti - yes I'm sure there are a lot of useful developments going on via the interaction of their work. The Oxford Martin School certainly is there to help humanity forward ...
@ Susan - thanks ... I'm sure you'll enjoy the video - so much on offer through the School. It is so interesting to know academics and practical entrepreneurs are working together for the greater good ...
@ Karen - Oxford and Cambridge offer much apart from magnificent settings ... and ways of life. So much happens there ... I'm glad you found the School informative ...
@ David - yes morning! - lovely one here. It's worth visiting both places - so different, yet so much the same. If you're in the University and involved in life ... it's a brilliant place to be - I get 'jealous' just visiting now! So I hope you do get back ...
@ Frank - lovely to see you here. Great that you're going to look the book out - it is full of information, ideas and comparisons across the centuries - yet looked forward.
Nope - you're right about the other James Martin ... he's a good cook though ...
Cheers to you all - thanks for coming by ... and once again I'll encourage you to watch the video - Hilary
This is new to me. Interesting though.
I had never heard of this, either, but then my time in Oxford was decades ago and I see this is a recent addition to the town. All the same, it tickled me to see that I must have walked past this place hundreds of times, just around the corner from the Turf Tavern :)
Wow ! What a great place gor lifelong learning
Sometimes, its nice to see something new in familiar places, and know there is still things to learn about in this world. Thanks for the links.
@ Nas - I just was bowled over and so pleased the book came into my orbit and thus I can in particular promote the film ... 'Revolution in Oxford' - so interesting to see.
@ Ian - it is recent ... but I sort of keep up with things - but obviously Sir James Martin was almost an invisible entrepreneur - he certainly wasn't brash or out there as others one could bring to mind.
Oxford has changed ... particularly with opening up the Weston Library in The Broad ... it's a wonderful place now - with lots of exhibitions in this Library happening. So much building work is going on - more research centres etc ... it's a wonderful place to visit ...
And yes - the Turf Tavern - that bustling student pub on a cobbled lane, just around the corner - so often patronised by me too ...
@ Sandra - it's worth knowing about ... Oxford is definitely worth visiting ...
@ Kate - thanks for coming across ... I see you don't have a blog - but it's great to see you here and commenting ...
@ Donna - yes this 'School' is going to make a lot of difference to the way we look to the future - these professionals are so forward thinking ...
Thanks so much for your comments - I do hope you will watch the video!! Cheers Hilary
Thank you Hilary for this interesting post.
I like the quote you shared. It's one thing to have knowledge. It's another thing to actually use that knowledge and discover even more.
Learned something new today as usual. I should visit your blog as much as I can. Just don't go on the computer that much.
I hope that all is well with you.
Cheers
- Munir
Encouraging others to be their best, I think, helps us discover our own possibilities. I think reaching out in this way, opens our minds and hearts to who we are.
Thanks for the wonderful comment on my blog. I would definitely let you help me mow my yard. :) Or we could just have a wonderful conversation over tea.
Teresa
I'd never heard of this school Hilary, and after reading the website I'm fascinated. So great to know that so much research is being done for the future of us all and the planet.
Have a great day.
I like that philosophy of "making one's own education". Pursuing our loves and interests would likely make for a more fulfilling life.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Thank you again for an educational post. For some reason, this all rings a bell. Why I have no idea.
@ Kelly - thanks ... I was very pleased to find out about the school.
@ Sherry - yes I felt I wanted to put the quote in ... it's all very well getting a degree ... but if we don't use our higher education and help others ... I feel it's going to waste. I never did get a degree, nor had a passion (other than sport) - now I do ... so I need to utilise my knowledge ...
@ Munir - that's great ... I love knowing that I wrote something useful. It's good to see you again ... and I'm here whenever you get onto the machine again!
@ Teresa - you, I am sure, are right there ... pushing ourselves will definitely teach us other things in life; here they are really reaching out to fellow colleagues with knowledge ...
I'd love to come and mow your lawn and have a natter over tea afterwards!!
@ Pam - that's great you took time out to look at the website and thus school ... and yes it is good to know there are people with brilliant brains who are working together looking at the future (for us and for the planet) and what it holds.
@ Lee - yes we really should make our own education ... and reach out to learn more, and as much as we could ...
@ Inger - you look at the world in your way and have always been involved with academia - I'm sure that's why you hooked onto this post ... it'd fascinate you: so I hope you were able to watch the video.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting ... cheers Hilary
Isn't it great when people accomplish positive things?
Another interesting post, Hilary, I had never heard of this man or his school. I suppose we are in another Renaissance area, but is it bringing as many positive changes? Anyone can communicate anything and too often that leads to division and hatred. We need to be using these new powers for good.
What a pleasant discovery you got from your scan reading! I think the hard reads are the ones we really get the most out of... maybe not the ones we most enjoy, but def. the ones that leave things that stick. :)
I used to travel to The Summer Academy (Canterbury) or the Cambridge Summer Institution for years, and loved living in a university town. But I never lived in Oxford, sadly.
How fascinating! I love that quote.
@ Sandra - oh I so agree ... and I was absolutely 'chuffed' to find out about this 'school' of higher learning ...
@ Nick - thanks ... nor had I heard of him - so I knew I just had to post it up. The video is excellent ... I hope you can watch it ... it does clarify what you're suggesting ...
@ Rosey - good to see you ... and yes you're probably right - but this was fairly heavy and I had to get it back to the library ... so perhaps that was the prod I needed. Lots of good information in it - so it definitely was worth pushing myself and then writing this post - thanks for the visit.
@ Hels - I went to school in Oxford ... and spent a bit of time there as a late teen/early twenties. I'd love to attend more academic talks or classes though ... sometime perhaps -
@ Christine - I had to get the quote up ... it made so much sense - I'm glad it resonated with you ...
Thanks for commenting - always lovely to see everyone - cheers Hilary
Very interesting. There are so many inspiring people out there whose stories just get shoved aside.
I think I know a lot, and then I discover I know next to nothing. This happens all the time, especially as I age. Now here's another author I've never heard of and a school that has never appeared on my radar. Well, I owe you another thanks for posting about them today.
I only wish our leaders would take this seriously and actually listen, do something. One thing they don't really mention is population and how to stem the human tide... Thanks for sharing this Hilary. Very interesting and precise about the problems we face.
I've heard of Oxford, of course, but not Oxford Martin School.
That's a powerful quote. Education is so important.
Hi Hilary -
What a fascinating film! As is the thought of living on your own island ;-)
"Forests are the lungs of the earth" - a sentiment I certainly agree with.
Thanks for the enlightenment!
I hadn't heard of the school either. I like the quote you shared: "Don’t just get an education. Make one." Brilliant.
@ Crystal - yes ... his story is a large one though ... and he'll be remembered, as will his legacy - a legacy of continuing education ...
@ Lee - oh don't we all ... I was surprised I hadn't come across Sir James - as he was incredibly entrepreneurial and interested in life and the future. The 'school' will be around for many a year - he seems to have changed Oxford's approach already ...
@ Lisa - exactly ... our leaders need to be aware more and be interested ... I think the video does touch on population - but the doesn't cover all the disciplines and ideas - it say its doors are open to all constructive thoughts and approaches. It's worth watching more than once.
@ Chrys - yes well I'd never heard of the Oxford Martin School til I read this book ... a reason to read I guess!
The quote is good isn't it - 'get an education ... but make one' at the same time ... double your studies - check out other areas of interest ...
@ Diedre - sadly he had a swimming accident and died there ... but he was obviously a man of many talents, yet hid his light under a bushell to the general public, however he must have been so well known in the academic world ...
Forests are the lungs of the earth ... as too enlightening ourselves to what else is possible.
@ Lynda - I'm glad everyone is picking up on this amazing institution at Oxford. I loved the quote - I had to put it into the post.
Thanks so much for enjoying the post and being prepared to watch the video - cheers Hilary
Hope your Wednesday has been productive and full of fun, Hilary.
Don't just get an education. Make one.
He sounds like a sensible man. I had never heard of him either. Thanks for the info. Always learn something new over at this blog.
Hope your week is going well.
This is very intriguing! I've never heard of this, either. Thank you for sharing some positive from the world.
Thanks for an interesting, informative and insightful story, Hilary! :)
Hi, Hilary,
As usual... soooooo interesting and informative. I always learns something new and interesting from your blog posts....THANKS for sharing!
@ Sandra - most days are interesting ... and that's what's important ... as positivity can be beget from these sorts of days ...
@ Nila - yes that quote stood out for me - I had to use it. Sadly he's died, but the school with his guidance is well set to help us all through the future ... a world leading centre of pioneering research that addresses global challenges ...
@ Sheri - I was really blown away by the video and their approach in the school. It is positive as you rightly mention ...
@ Shilpa - they are definitely out to improve our world in as many ways possible ...
@ Michael - that's my aim ... so I'm delighted to see you here and appreciative of the post and its content ...
Thanks so much for your comments ... I'll press you all to watch the video - pretty please! Cheers Hilary
Just stopped by to say hey and have a good evening.
I like the quote: "Don't just get an education, make one. Powerful. I always learn so much here, Hilary. Thanks so much for all your "positive" information you share with your readers. Hope you summer was wonderful. All best to you!
How thrilling to be so close to such greatness. Oxford, just the name makes you think of knowledge. Education is the secret to a better world! I thought that by now we'd have such, but alas keeping men in the dark is the goal of those who seek ultimate power, still...
I hope all is well, always!
Very inspiring as I feel, where I am, is now an age of darkness. I ignore it as much as I can and carry on, but it seeps in, the darkness, the insanity. Light can do the same. I will keep my thoughts and eye on the light.
I really like his quote. I feel like we truly are what we live. Have a beautiful weekend!
@ Sandra - thanks ...
@ Victoria Marie - yes I thought the quote was a really good one - we go off and get some education - but then we need to stretch it further and understand other branches. It's great you're happy to call in and lovely to see your comment.
@ Yolanda - I was lucky to be schooled just on the edge of Oxford ... now the school has really opened its doors to what's in and around the city. We can all push ourselves and others to progress, to lead as well ... but you're right it's so sad some countries won't allow their people to improve or help themselves ...
Thanks for your wishes ... all fine here ...
@ Mary - yes there seems to be darkness all around us ... so many are just trying to live without opportunity to do more. Our ripples of light will move out and shine a way forward ... it's my goal too ...
@ Elsie - the quote about extending your education is such a good one - imploring us all to do more with our lives ...
Thanks so much - a pleasure to read your comments ... cheers Hilary
Once again you've shared fascinating information that I was unaware of. And yes, education is always the key. Hugs and thanks again! RO
Dear Hilary,
when I hear ‘visionary' and ‘having made a fortune from his books’ I instantly think of ‘self-help gurus’. I know I am a cynic and perhaps I am totally wrong this time. I hope t am, we do so need people who are genuine and have something new and lasting to contribute.
I hope you are doing well and you are happy and contented on the other side of the big pond.
@ Ro - I was so interested that I'd never heard of Sir James Martin - because his legacy is really eye wateringly sensible ... keep learning and keep helping others to learn - yes, I so agree ...
@ Friko - so good to see you - and yes you are totally wrong this time ... sadly he has died, but he has left the institution and its practical, academic, forward thinking members ... it is a genuine research and policy unit within the Social Sciences Division of Oxford University ... I hope you'll get to see the video ...
This side of the pond - well now ... I've emailed you! I'm still here and taking advantage as I can ...
Thanks to both of you and so good to see you - cheers Hilary
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