Oxford and Cambridge Israel Policy Trips
Applications for the Pinsker Centre Policy Trip in 2024 are now closed. Applications for 2025 trips will open in early 2025.
The Pinsker Centre offers the opportunity for students from Oxford and Cambridge to visit the State of Israel and the Palestinian Territories on a once-in-a-lifetime Policy Trip.
The purpose of the trip is to learn about one of the most complex geopolitical conflicts in the world from a balanced non-partisan policy perspective from a variety of disciplines and viewpoints. Participants have described the trip as a life changing opportunity that has given them unique experiences and immense benefits in their professional lives.
Please see below for FAQs, participant testimony and a selection of photos from our trips.
FAQs
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The Pinsker Centre is a non-partisan think tank focusing on global foreign policy, especially the Middle East. The Centre provides an open platform for dialogue and debate on international affairs and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
You can read more about our mission here.
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The itinerary is both packed and varied, and provides a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, including meeting with both Israeli and Palestinian politicians and lawmakers, entrepreneurs, high-level military officials and civil society activists.
The trip entails visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, and Israel's borders with Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. The trip is an intense “crash course” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, exploring its history, origins and its current realities.
All narratives and viewpoints are explored from different sides, political perspectives, and sectors in both Israeli and Palestinian society.
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The trip is FREE and includes flights, accommodation, the cost of all activities and the cost of all but two meals during the trip.
To confirm their commitment, participants must provide a deposit of £199 which is fully returnable after the trip.
The deposit is only forfeited if one cancels their participation on short notice, except in the case of cancellation due to an emergency or sudden illness. The deposit can be waived in cases of hardship.
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To be eligible to attend the trip, one must be a student at either Oxford or Cambridge University at the time of their application. Students in their final year who are graduating in the summer are welcome to apply.
To apply for the trip, students must complete a simple Google form including a few paragraphs explaining why they want to go on the trip.
The application form is available upon contacting us, please do so via the “contact us” section of the site.
The deadline for all applications for the 2024 trip has now passed. Applications for the 2025 trips will open early 2025.
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The trip lasts for 7 and a half days.
The 2021 Oxford and Cambridge trip at the Western Wall, Jerusalem.
The 2023 Oxford trip meeting with Avi Mayer, then Editor of the Jerusalem Post
What have past participants said?
“I feel incredibly grateful to the Pinsker Centre for entrusting me to see the shades of grey and understand a myriad of stakeholders in order to continue fostering dialongue upon my return as a student and in my career as a policymaker.”
Elsa Katz, MPP Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University ('22)
“The Pinsker Centre trip to Israel was unlike anything I have experienced before. Each day was packed with one of a kind experiences, from visiting the Knesset of the day is dissolved to going on a Jeep tour around the Syrian border.
The most moving moment was visiting Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum, where we were fortunate enough to speak to the director of the museum. I feel like the trip opened up my eyes to a new and deeply complex political and cultural environment, something which is not taught at school or even university.”
Oliver Udy, Cambridge University ('23), former Speakers Officer of the Cambridge Union
“One of the most eerily moving moments of the trip was standing at a lookout point across the Gaza Strip and hearing the Friday call to prayer rise from the buildings beyond, joining with the soundscape of crickets, swaying wind chimes and an overhead drone.”
Ella Shattock, Cambridge University ('23)
