Our Story

In the middle of the illustrious Christ Church college of Oxford University, two students felt an air of unease, a sense of not belonging. But no wonder.

They knew that in 1960, when their grandfathers looked up at the ceiling about to start their days in communist Poland and China, that they were not looking at the 16th century dining hall, which saw 14 UK Prime Ministers' impassionate speeches.

And yet there they were, having a meal with the future leaders of the world, reminiscing about studying metaphysics alongside Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and debating with world leaders at the Oxford Union.

We are Klau and Jefferson, co-founders of Oxford Academica, and this is our story. We made our dream come true, are we are here to help you find and build yours.

In the past five years, we have taught over 100 students aged 10 to 21. We helped perfect their admissions essays, prepare for daunting tests, and build their confidence in speech and debate. We have since seen some of these students, like us, enter some of the best universities in the world.

We are Oxford Academica, and we are bring you the key to unlock your future.

Yours Truly,

Klau , Oxford BA Philosophy, Politics, Economics ‘20

Jefferson , Oxford MChem Bioinorganic Chemistry ‘21

Our Founding Team

  • Co-founder (they/them)

    Klau Chmielowska has an intersectional career and an inspiring story. At the age of 16, Klau applied and received a full scholarship to study at one of the UK’s most elite private schools. Despite knowing nobody and barely speaking English, two years later, they were admitted to to the University of Oxford to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (the degree of choice for nearly 10 heads of states in 5 countries, including 6 UK Prime Ministers).

    Klau is a Senior Research Fellow at London-based think tank, Global Policy Institute and Founder of Lafiya Nigeria, a global health non-profit that expands contraceptive access to thousands of rural Nigerian women.

    Klau also has professional experience in management consulting and digital technology, having worked extensively in the financial and environmental sectors.

  • Co-founder (he/him)

    Jefferson Chen holds an integrated master’s in chemistry from the University of Oxford, specialising in bioinorganic chemistry. Before moving to the UK for university, he moved between Shenzhen, Beijing, and Toronto multiple times, having to start from zero each time.

    Jefferson Chen is a healthcare venture investor in a Paris-based fund and co-founder of Lafiya Nigeria.

    Jefferson’s previous professional experience takes him from biotech, medtech, health data, to consulting across the UK, China, the Netherlands, France, Pakistan and Nigeria.

The best mentors from the best schools.

Our values

  • We understand that each student is different. We prioritise tailoring our tuition to your needs. At Oxford Academica, we only work with a handful of students every year, ensuring that we can give enough focus and attention to each person who trusted us with unlocking their future.

  • Above all, we prioritise your success - you have trusted us to support you in this journey, and we will do everything we can to make sure that you can achieve your goals. Our dedication to your success dictates our standards - we are only satisfied with excellence.

  • Having spent years working as mentors ourselves, we prioritise only working with experienced and trusted mentors. We have a rigorous selection process for all our mentors and consultants and organise internal trainings to make sure that your future is in excellent hands.

“The mentorship and attention I received for my essays and statements were key for my admission into Stanford. Thank you OA, it’s a dream come true!”

— Cecilia, Stanford Class of 2023