From foundations to frontier — led by the professors themselves.
The Professor Seminar Series strand of Future Scholars. Taught live by the professor who actually leads the research — not a teaching assistant reading slides, not a recording. Online (14 + 6 hours across seven sessions) or in person (20 + 6 hours across ten). We take you from the foundations of a field through to where the work is happening now, with the people doing it. No middlemen.
A foundations-to-frontier arc, taught live.
Most “masterclasses” are a recorded lecture, or a well-known name lending their brand to material someone else wrote. This is neither. The professor teaches, live, across every session — and they teach the thing they research.
The groundwork
- It opens with a kick-off and icebreaker, then builds the core concepts you need before the frontier makes sense — taught from the ground up. No assumed graduate background.
The methods
- How the field actually works: the techniques, the instruments, the way real questions get asked and answered. In person, this includes four hands-on lab sessions where you run, record and analyse your own work.
The frontier — and your showcase
- Where the research is now, including the professor’s own work and the open problems not yet solved — closing with a session where you present what you produced.
This is not a launch experiment. A typical cohort stays small — around ten students — so the professor can teach to the room rather than past it, with active-researcher TAs supporting the hands-on data sessions. Every seminar also includes a six-hour skills workshop — scientific figure-making, AI-assisted study and other practical craft.
Two formats, one seminar.
Same professor, same cohort, same teaching. Choose on logistics, not on content.
| Online | In person | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 14 + 6 hours · 7 sessions | 20 + 6 hours · 10 sessions, incl. 4 lab sessions |
| Where | Anywhere, live | An agreed venue in London |
| Format | Live sessions — you ask questions in real time, nothing recorded | Live, in the room — direct whiteboard and bench time |
| Price | £2,000 | £4,000 |
- The teaching is identical either way — online opens the seminar to students anywhere
- In person adds the room, the direct contact, and what only happens alongside the people teaching
- There is no “premium” version of the content — the price difference is the venue and the contact, not the quality
On completion: a certificate, written mentor feedback and an academic comment — and a reference letter, assessed on your depth of engagement.
Open now — dates and places.
For students ready to move at the pace of real research.
It starts from the groundwork and builds, so no graduate background is assumed — but it moves at pace and rewards students who keep up. It suits motivated Year 10–13 students — GCSE through A-level and IB — seriously considering this field; strong Year 10 students may also be a fit.
If you would rather test the water with something shorter first, many students start with a two-day Lab Immersion and go deeper with a Seminar afterwards. You choose by what you need now.
The honest answers.
Who actually teaches?
The professor who leads the research teaches the seminar, live throughout. Active-researcher TAs support the hands-on data sessions. It is live, every session — not a recording, and not a TA standing in for an absent name.
Online or in person — does it change what I get?
No. Same professor, same cohort, same seminar, same teaching. In person adds the room and direct contact; online opens it to students anywhere. Choose on what is practical for you.
Is it live or recorded?
Live, every session. You ask questions in real time and the professor answers them.
What level is it pitched at?
Foundations to frontier. It starts from the groundwork and builds, so no graduate background is assumed — but it moves at pace and rewards students who keep up.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. You leave with a completion certificate, written mentor feedback and an academic comment; a reference letter is also available, assessed on your depth of engagement.
How large is each cohort?
Small — typically around ten students, so the professor can teach to the room rather than past it.
Are these the same academics behind your Lab Immersion and Academic Mentorship?
Often, yes. The academics who lead Seminars are active university researchers; many also host our Lab Immersion cohorts or take one-to-one Academic Mentorship.