LONDON: The University of Oxford today announced the final candidates for their Chancellor election. Three Indian-origin individuals are among the 38 finalists, but former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was not included. 

Diverse Field Of Contenders

The finalists come from various backgrounds including academics, politicians, and business leaders. Ankur Shiv Bhandari (first Indian-origin Mayor of Bracknell Forest), Nirpal Singh Paul Bhangal (Professor of International Entrepreneurship), and Pratik Tarvadi (medical professional) will be competing for the position.

Former Conservative Party leader Lord William Hague and former Labour politician Lord Peter Mandelson are among the senior politicians selected, however, Khan is deemed to have been disqualified following the selection process.

38 Candidates Meet Tough Criteria

“Applications were considered by the Chancellor’s Election Committee solely on the four exclusion criteria set out in the university’s regulations. All applicants have been notified whether their submissions have been successful,” a university statement reads.

To qualify for the unpaid position, candidates were required to meet stringent criteria. They had to demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in their field, as well as the ability to inspire respect from a wider audience. 

Additionally, candidates were expected to have a profound understanding of the university’s research and academic goals, its diverse global community, and its aspiration to maintain its status as a world-class institution. Furthermore, they needed to possess the capacity and desire to elevate the university’s reputation both domestically and internationally.

Although the university did not provide specific reasons for individual rejections, some experts suggested that Khan’s criminal convictions in his home country – Pakistan, might have disqualified the former Oxford graduate. 

The University’s Convocation, composed of faculty and alumni, will now conduct an online election to choose Lord Patten’s successor. Lord Patten, a former governor of Hong Kong, will step down from his 21-year tenure as Chancellor at the end of Trinity Term 2024.

In the first round of voting, which begins on October 28, voters can rank as many candidates as they wish. The top five candidates, to be announced on November 4, will advance to the second round of voting, scheduled for November 18. The University of Oxford’s new Chancellor will be revealed on November 25.

In his ‘Statement of Interest,’ Mr Bhandari expressed his desire to become Chancellor of Oxford University. He described the university as ‘a temple of learning, research, and a beacon of history’ and stated that serving as Chancellor would be ‘the honor of my life.’ Mr Bhandari believes he is well-suited for the role and can contribute to the university’s ongoing mission.

Mr Bhangal highlights his global connections, deep understanding of Oxford and Oxford University, and experience as a course developer and visiting professor. He believes his strong business acumen, multicultural competence, and government contacts in major economies worldwide make him a valuable asset to Oxford University in the 21st century.

Tarvadi sees the Chancellor position as an opportunity to promote inclusivity, innovation, and a global impact. He asserts that his international experience and network would be crucial in establishing new partnerships and strengthening existing ones, thereby ensuring Oxford’s continued leadership in global academic and research endeavors.

Oxford Chancellor – A Decade Of Leadership

The incoming Chancellor will serve a fixed term of no more than 10 years, in line with recent amendments to the university’s statutes.

The Chancellor serves as the ceremonial head of Oxford University, presiding over significant ceremonies and chairing the Committee to Elect the Vice-Chancellor. Beyond these formal responsibilities, the Chancellor engages in advocacy, advisory, and fundraising activities, representing the university at various national and international events.

The position of Chancellor has previously been held by former Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan, former Labour home secretary and president of the European Commission Roy Jenkins, and most recently by Lord Patten.

WASHINGTON: Two Indian Americans, Padmini Pillai from Boston and Nalini Tata from New York, were appointed to the 2024-2025 class of White House Fellows on Thursday.

In all, 15 exceptionally-talented individuals from across the United States have been named to this prestigious programme. Fellows spend a year working with senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking administration officials, and leave the administration equipped to serve as better leaders in their communities.

While Ms Tata is placed at the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, Padmini Pillai is placed at the Social Security Administration, the White House said in a media release.

Newton, Massachusetts, Ms Pillai is an immunoengineer bridging the gap between discoveries in immunology and advances in biomaterial design to treat human disease.

She has led a team at the MIT developing a tumour-selective nanotherapy to eliminate hard-to-treat cancers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Pillai was featured in several media outlets, including “CNBC”, “The Atlantic” and “The New York Times”, to discuss vaccination, immunity and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable communities.

Ms Pillai received her PhD in immunobiology from the Yale University and a BA in biochemistry from the Regis College.

Ms Tata is a neurosurgery resident at the New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, where she helps treat the spectrum of emergency and elective neurosurgical conditions between a level-1 trauma centre and a world-renowned cancer institute.

Her published work spans clinical and non-scientific journals, with a focus on advancing equity in access to care. Her career in neurosurgery and long-standing interest in public policy are closely bound by a deep-rooted dedication to public service. She received her BSc in neurobiology from the Brown University, MPhil from the University of Cambridge, MD from the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and MPP in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

According to the White House, this year’s Fellows advanced through a highly-competitive selection process, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate and accomplished group. These Fellows bring experience from across the country and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, state government, academia, non-profits, medicine and the armed forces, it said.

NEW YORK: An Indian-American professor, Shailaja Paik, conducting research on and writing about Dalit women has received a $800,000 “genius” grant from the MacArthur Foundation which gives out awards every year to people with extraordinary achievements or potential.

Announcing her fellowship, the Foundation said, “Through her focus on the multifaceted experiences of Dalit women, Paik elucidates the enduring nature of caste discrimination and the forces that perpetuate untouchability.”

Ms Paik is a distinguished research professor of history at the University of Cincinnati, where she is also an affiliate faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Asian Studies.

“Paik provides new insight into the history of caste domination and traces the ways in which gender and sexuality are used to deny Dalit women dignity and personhood,” the Foundation said.

The MacArthur Fellowships, popularly known as “genius” grants, are given to people across a spectrum from academia and science to arts and activism, who according to the Foundation are “extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential”.

The selections are made anonymously based on recommendations received and it does not allow applications or lobbying for the grants, which come without any strings and are spread over five years.

The Foundation said that her recent project focused “on the lives of women performers of Tamasha, a popular form of bawdy folk theatre that has been practised predominantly by Dalits in Maharashtra for centuries”.

“Despite the state’s efforts to reframe Tamasha as an honourable and quintessentially Marathi cultural practice, ashlil (the mark of vulgarity) sticks to Dalit Tamasha women,” it said.

Based on the project, she published a book, “The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India”.

It said, “Paik also critiques the narrative of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the twentieth century’s most influential caste abolitionist” and the architect of India’s Constitution.

In an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), the US government-subsidised broadcaster, she said that she was herself a member of the Dalit community who grew up in Pune in a slum area and was inspired by her father’s dedication to education.

After getting her masters’ degree from the Savitribai Phule University in Pune, she went to the University of Warwick in the UK for her PhD.

She did a stint as a visiting assistant professor of South Asian history at Yale University.

Since the programme began in 1981, fellowships have been granted to 1,153 people.

Previous MacArthur Fellows include writers Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Ved Mehta, poet A.K. Ramanujam, economists Raj Chetty and Sendhil Mullainathan, mathematician L Mahadevan, computer scientists Subhash Khot and Shwetak Patel, physical biologist Manu Prakash, musician Vijay Gupta, community organiser Raj Jayadev, and lawyer and activist Sujatha Baliga.