Inspired by The Academy, University in One Day (U1D) is a day of liberal arts and philosophy for 16- to 19-year-olds.
The event is aimed at those who are interested in (but perhaps less familiar with) the classics, philosophy and the history of ideas, employing a broader approach to knowledge beyond the curriculum and across disciplines. Many extra-curricular activities are either skills/employability based or aimed at exam crammers, whereas U1D aims to celebrate knowledge for its own sake, and whet attendees’ appetite to read more widely than their chosen academic course requires.
The first U1D, held at Goodenough College in London in July 2015, was titled Man is the Measure of All Things, with a historic timeline from the Renaissance through to the Enlightenment and Age of Revolution.
In 2016, U1D ran as part of the Festival of Education and focused on the Enlightenment, with lectures on Milton’s Areopagitica, the scientific revolution, the rise of the reading public, the American Revolution and much more.
In 2017, the event was hosted by West London Free School on Classical Greek thought, Luther and religious conscience, and the role of Englightenment thinkers in the development of free speech.