The Oxford Academy for Advanced Studies is a well-established research institution situated in the heart of Oxford. It seeks to promote a better understanding between the East and West. It aims at fostering research and fruitful contracts especially through postgraduate students doing work in a wide range of subjects relating to the Middle East and the Far East under the joint supervision of Eastern and Western scholars.

The Academy is undergoing expansion and is in the process of developing foundation courses, based on the same broad principles as the advanced scholarship but having a comprehensive taught element.

The Academy was established in 1991 and is formally affiliated to the University of Portsmouth. Our present students are largely from the Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East generally.

Being situated in Oxford, arguably the most prestigious city of learning in the West, we are able to offer our students a range of visiting lecturers of the highest quality. Our own permanent staff are both experienced and well qualified and, in addition to lecturing, provide supportive tutorials, which overseas students find especially helpful.

Many of our postgraduate students have backgrounds in business. Consequently, their research has often directly or indirectly involved them in areas of economics, business or management. It is therefore natural that the demand for lower level courses in Management and Business Studies has increased and the Oxford Academy has responded by embarking upon a programme of study encompassing business in the Foundation Year.

Overseas foundation students will follow the course within the Academy and then proceed naturally to a Business School degree at the internationally respected University of Portsmouth, or other British University.

The Oxford Academy has a number of general lecture or seminar rooms, a specialist computer suite and a college library. Our students, of course, also have access to a series of other libraries within Oxford and the University of Portsmouth.

Why Study Business Administration?
Business is now global and a knowledge of it, in its various components , is essential to the development of any country. Successful business in its correct context provides the means for improving health, education and all aspects of material well-being.

It is self-evident that a knowledge of accountancy, business law, finance and marketing are all inherent components of the practice of business and these are quite naturally recognised in our Foundation Course. Nevertheless, business does not, and should not stand apart from society in both its spiritual and social responsibilities. Islam and the other great religions recognise the ethical and theological constraints placed upon business. In recognition of this, an Islamic underpinning will exist throughout the course. Complimentary to this more holistic approach, the ethics and responsibilities of business and industry will be addressed and the unit of Business and the Environment will address the wider concerns of our society, highlighting the importance of business not being taught or practiced in a vacuum.

Course Aims
The central aim is to offer a Foundation Year (year zero) to the full-time Business Studies B.A. Honours degree programme. The student intake is recruited in the autumn to commence in January, and in the spring to commence in June.

The Foundation Year is aimed exclusively at students with a Middle East/Arabic background. Students are self-financing, or will have acquired sponsorship from overseas institutions.

The Foundation course will comprise: