About Oxford Academia

Professor James Basker, Co-Founder & Academic Director

A Scholar Shaped by Oxford’s Traditions

Professor James Basker is an esteemed scholar, former Rhodes Scholar, educator, author, and distinguished professor whose academic journey began far from the halls of Oxford, in a small lumber town in Oregon. Awarded a scholarship to Harvard University for his bachelor’s degree, he then went on to earn a master’s degree at Cambridge University and a doctorate at Oxford University.

It was at Oxford, immersed in the tutorial system and surrounded by world-renowned scholars, that Professor Basker discovered the intellectual community that shaped his life’s work.

A Career Dedicated to Scholarship & Teaching

A respected author and historian, Professor Basker has taught at Harvard, NYU, Oxford, Cambridge, and more, and has served as a professor at Barnard College, Columbia University for over 30 years. Since 1997, he has also led the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History as its President and CEO. For nearly four decades, he has served on the Board of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars, helping select and mentor future leaders.

For more than 30 years, he has introduced students to the magic of Oxford, shaping summer school programs that bring high school scholars into close contact with some of the world’s greatest academic traditions.

Pioneering the Original High School Summer School at Oxford

Nearly 40 years ago, Professor Basker pioneered the original high school summer school at Oxford University, at a time when such opportunities were rare for younger scholars. His vision was simple and profound: to give motivated high school students access to the kind of small seminars, tutorials, and intellectual mentorship that defined his own Oxford experience.

The program grew quickly and successfully, eventually enrolling thousands of students and earning a reputation for academic rigor. Over time, the demands of running that program—combined with his deep commitments to Columbia, Gilder Lehrman, and the Rhodes community—became unsustainable, and ownership of the program transferred to a large external organization. Professor Basker remained involved for several years before fully stepping away, and he is no longer connected with that original program.

Returning to His Passion of Working With High School Students

In time, Professor Basker found himself longing to return to the work he loved most: teaching and mentoring high school students at Oxford. Together with Putney Student Travel, he founded Oxford Academia, an academic program that reflects his original mission, values, and educational philosophy.

Today, many programs offer an “Oxford experience,” yet few can claim the academic lineage, scholarly network, or founding vision shaped directly by Professor Basker’s decades of experience with the Oxford tutorial tradition. Oxford Academia carries forward the academic quality, personal mentorship, and true immersion that he believes can transform a young person’s educational journey.