LONDON: The election to elect the next chancellor of the University of Oxford has attracted an unusually diverse range of candidates, including an Anglican clergyman who opposes “woke” culture, a Zumba instructor, and a left-wing activist. This diverse range of candidates contrasts with the more traditional candidates of the past.
The candidates are vying for a prestigious position that has been a symbolic yet enduring part of Oxford’s leadership for over 800 years.
The upcoming election marks a shift from traditional. Now, the process has become more inclusive, shifting from an informal “tap on the shoulder” approach to a more open and international format, particularly with the introduction of online voting.
Over 31,000 Oxford alumni, faculty, and staff are eligible to participate in the election, which is a departure from the previous election in 2003 that saw only around 8,000 votes cast, Mark Landler wrote in an article published in the New York Times on October 20, 2024.
The broad field of 38 candidates will be reduced to five in the first round, with the final selection slated for late November.
For the past 21 years, the role has been held by Chris Patten, a former Conservative Party chairman and the last colonial governor of Hong Kong. His retirement in July opened the way for a mix of high-profile figures and non-traditional candidates to throw their hats into the ring.
Jonathan Black, director of Oxford’s career services and a fellow at New College, as cited by Mark Landler, emphasized the shift to a more inclusive process. “We’ve moved from the old-school approach of a tap on the shoulder to a far more open process,” he said. “The issues the university is facing are very different than when Chris Patten arrived.”
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According to Mark Landler, candidates include Harry Stratton, a left-wing activist who has pledged to stand with university staff on picket lines and push for higher wages. Tanya Tajik, a Zumba instructor, highlighted her fitness credentials and experience running a business with over 200 employees in her candidate’s statement, while Anglican cleric Matthew Firth, with a background in astrophysics, presents himself as the “anti-woke candidate,” promising to defend academic freedom.
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan and an Oxford alumnus, was excluded from the race due to not meeting specific requirements for being a trustee of a charity, as outlined in Britain’s Charities Act. Although the university did not provide explicit reasons for his exclusion, it cited British Charities Act requirements that mandate the chancellor be deemed “fit and proper” as the trustee of a charity.
The role has a long history, dating back to 1224, and has included some controversial figures, but the current election reflects a contemporary and varied approach to university leadership.
While the chancellor’s role is largely ceremonial, it holds symbolic weight, representing Oxford’s academic independence. Patten, the outgoing chancellor, credited with maintaining Oxford’s global academic standing, led be-gowned processions but had little authority over the university’s colleges and departments. His predecessor, Roy Jenkins, famously described the job as “impotence assuaged by magnificence.”
Some of the more prominent candidates include Peter Mandelson, a former Labour cabinet minister, William Hague, a former Conservative foreign secretary, and Elish Angiolini, a lawyer and principal of St. Hugh’s College. Two candidates, Jan Royall and Angiolini, are vying to become the first female chancellor in Oxford’s history.