LONDON: British former Conservative Party leader and ex-foreign secretary, William Hague, has been elected as the new chancellor of Oxford University.
Hague, who will assume the role for a ten-year term starting early next year, becomes the 160th chancellor in the university’s 800-year history.
The chancellor’s position is largely ceremonial, and Hague triumphed over several prominent candidates, including former Labour minister Peter Mandelson. Oxford University confirmed that Hague received the majority of support in the final round of voting for the prestigious role.
Hague will succeed Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, who stepped down after serving for 21 years. The chancellor’s seat had become vacant after Patten’s resignation earlier this year.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan had also applied for the chancellorship in September. However, his bid was rejected after Oxford released a shortlist of 38 candidates in October, which did not include Khan’s name. His application had sparked controversy, as Khan, despite being incarcerated due to corruption charges and his involvement in violence during the May 9 protests, was still in the race.
Notably, former UK Prime Ministers (PM) Sir Tony Blair and Boris Johnson were also listed among the candidates for the position, but ultimately, Hague emerged as the preferred choice.
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