Dr Alice Spiers

Oxford academic, educator, and IBT-featured thought leader championing research-led enrichment in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Founder & Director

About Alice

Dr Alice Spiers holds a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford, exploring medieval religious and cultural history. She has extensive experience in teaching, research, and Oxbridge admissions. She has taught across Oxford colleges, delivered undergraduate programmes in history and interdisciplinary methods, and developing targeted learning support provisions. She has contributed to various access-widening initiatives to support students from underrepresented backgrounds, including working on the design and establishment of Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year.

Alice’s work combines rigorous academic practice with a passion for transformative learning, with a particular focus on the Humanities and Social Sciences. She has contributed to research and policy using qualitative and quantitative methods, helping to quantify the value and impact of Humanities and Social Science disciplines in UK research funding frameworks. Alice’s experience informs the design of Inquisitas programmes, ensuring enrichment is not only intellectually engaging but also demonstrates the impact and vitality of Humanities and Social Science disciplines in a fast-changing world.

Recognition & Thought Leadership

International Business Times (2025): Profiled as one of “ten leaders whose thinking is helping to shape the agenda right now”.

Read the IBT article →

Research & Policy: Contributor to British Academy-commissioned studies analysing the measurement of the research impact of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Read more here →

Why Alice Founded Inquisitas

Alice founded Inquisitas to bridge elite academic practice and broader learning communities. Her mission: to provide students with enrichment that:

  • Cultivates intellectual curiosity and confidence

  • Prioritises a love of learning alongside academic attainment

  • Develops independent research and critical thinking skills essential for navigating the modern world

  • Supports university readiness and lifelong learning

  • Champions the Humanities and Social Sciences as valuable and rigorous pathways

Our students live in unprecedented times, in a globalised world both more connected and more fragmented than ever before, and in which access to information, expertise and understanding are increasingly complex issues. The research, critical thinking, and communication skills at the heart of the Humanities and Social Sciences are more vital than ever in addressing the challenges facing the world today. We are committed to supporting the next generation of thinkers, speakers, writers and innovators, empowering curiosity and inspiring ambitious and confident academic journeys.
— Dr Alice Spiers

Connect on LinkedIn | Email: info@inquisitas.com (FAO Director)