International summer school at the University of Reading

Join us for an exciting two-week summer school in sustainable agriculture and food studies.

The University of Reading is ranked 22nd in the world and is the highest-ranking UK university for Agriculture and Forestry, including Food Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024).

What you'll learn

This summer course on sustainable agriculture and food systems offers a unique blend of academic learning, hands-on experience and cultural immersion. During this course, you will:

gain an overview and insights into agricultural, animal, environmental and food sciences
gain hands-on experience through practical sessions on activities related to agriculture and food
enhance your communication and English language skills.

You will also gain a deeper understanding of the UK higher education system and study culture, and explore the town of Reading and the cities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Course details

This course is held annually by the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development.

Duration: 14 to 25 July 2025 (two weeks)
Course fee: £1,400
Accommodation: University Hall, £25-30 per night (depending on the room facilities)
Application deadline: 1 May 2025

Email us at s.stergiadis@reading.ac.uk, to apply for the course or request more information.

Note: The course content may be subject to minor changes.

Detailed schedule

14 July: Welcome and campus tour

9:00 -11:00: Meet and greet, registration.
11:00 -11:30: Refreshments break.
11:30 -12:30: Welcome to the School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development.
12:30 -14:30: Lunch break.
14:30 -16:00: Library skills and tour of the library.
16:00 -17:00: Wi-fi registration.

15 July: Animal science at Reading

10:00 -12:00: Animal science at Reading.
12:00 -13:30: Lunch break.
13:30 -16:30: Visit to the Centre for Dairy Research.

16 July: Trip to Oxford

Walking tour of historical colleges, museums, library, and chapels.
Dedicated tour guide.

17 July: Sensory science for quality evaluation

9:00 -10:00: Vocabulary development for sensory science.
10:00 -11:00: Sensory evaluation at the Sensory Science Centre.
11:00 -11:30: Coffee break.
11:30 -12:30: Result discussion.
12:30 -14:30: Lunch.
14:30 -16:30: English tuition.

18 July: Study and living in the UK

9:00 -10:00: Introduction to the University of Reading.
10:00 -11:00: Study skills for UK higher education.
11:00 -11:30: Coffee break.
11:30 -12:30: Applying for MSc or PhD courses in the UK.
12:30 -14:30: Lunch.
14:30 -16:30: English tuition.

21 July: Crop science at Reading

10:00 -12:00: Crop science at Reading.
12:00 -13:30: Lunch break.
13:30 -16:30: Visit to Sonning farm.

22 July: Environmental science at Reading

9:30 -11:30: English tuition.
11:30 -14:00: Lunch.
14:00 -16:00: Environmental science at Reading.

23 July: Trip to Cambridge

Walking tour of historical colleges, museums, library, and chapels.
Dedicated tour guide.

24 July: Early Career Researchers' Day

9:00 - 11:00: PhD students and Early Career Researchers' work at Reading.
11:30 - 12:30: Tour of the laboratories in the Agriculture Building.
12:30 - 14:30: Lunch.
14:30 - 16:30: The history of Huntley & Palmers biscuits (Reading Museum).

25 July: Visitors' Day

10:00 - 12:30: Visiting student presentations on the introduction and outcomes of the visit.
12:30 - 14:00: Farewell party.

Travel information

Reading is conveniently located and well connected to airports and railway stations. The average journey time is approximately:

40 minutes from London Heathrow airport
80 minutes from London Gatwick airport
25 minutes by train from central London.

Visit our travel information page to find out more.