The Oxford Union Society

The Oxford Union Society is the world's most prestigious speaker and debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Established in 1823 with the aim of promoting debate and discussion in Oxford University and across the globe, the Union is now the largest student society in Oxford with over 10,000 active members. In the Union's illustrious history it has hosted speakers including US presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, HH the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Albert Einstein, and countless major figures. Six former officers of the Oxford Union have gone on to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, one to be Prime Minister of Pakistan and three to be Archbishop of Canterbury. In the past few years alone, the Oxford Union has hosted Morgan Freeman, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Natalie Portman, Johnny Depp, Stephen Fry, Anna Wintour, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Senator John McCain, General David Petraeus, Malala Yousafzai, Sepp Blatter and David Cameron, to name but a few. There is nowhere else in the world where students can dine with heads of state, grill them in debate, and then have a drink with them afterwards.