Christopher Patten has announced his retirement as the chancellor of Oxford Chancellor Election Date University at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. He was the university chancellor since March 2003.
He said, “This year, I will have my 80th birthday in May. I hope that there will be many more birthdays to come. But I am unlikely to have another 21 years in the job as Chancellor of the University.”
Christopher Patten also said, “I think it is in my own interest and that of the University for me to step down at the end of this academic year, giving the University the opportunity to plan a sensible succession which matches the demands of the 2020s. I say this with a heavy heart, trusting that I will still be able to work for Oxford University, which I love, from time to time.”
‘The University of Oxford has been a hugely important part of my life. I think it is true to say that Oxford as a whole made me, not just because of the three happy years I spent there as a student, but because of what Oxford has continued to mean to me over the years right up to the present day.’
Ms. Tracey wished Mr. Patten well in his retirement and thanked him for his years of service to the university.
She said: “While his incomparable dedication will be sorely missed by the university, it is entirely understandable that he should want to take a step back at this time, as he approaches his 80th birthday.”
Next Oxford Chancellor Election Date
The new Oxford chancellor election date is during the third week of the 2024 Michaelmas term. Online voting will be held, and more than 250,000 colleagues and alums can vote. Applications for the position were due on August 18, 2024. According to national and international press reports, candidates Lady Elish Angiolini, Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, Imran Khan, and Peter Mandelson were among those who applied.
The First-Ever Online Chancellor Election in Oxford
After Lord Patten’s retirement, Oxford will hold its first-ever online contest for the position of Chancellor. The Chancellor’s role includes official duties such as chairing the committee that chooses the Vice-Chancellor and advocacy, advisory, and fundraising work. Among the former chancellors are Harold Macmillan, Oliver Cromwell, and Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax.
What is the Eligibility to Vote?
All members of the convocation are eligible to vote and elect the new chancellor. The convocation members are:
- Oxford graduates who have had their degree conferred.
- Congregational Members
- Former employees who were Congregation members at the time of their retirement.
Alumni
Voting rights will be given to any student who has completed an eligible degree before the Chancellor’s election. It could happen if voter registration is finished by August 18 and the degree is granted by October 1.
Congregation
Congregational members will not be required to register to vote; they will automatically receive a personalized voting link. They can access their email address stored in the congregation database by clicking the voting link.
Retired Staff Members
Retired employees who belonged to the congregation on their retirement date must register to vote in the election for Chancellor.
Candidates for Oxford University’s Next Chancellor 2024
Many notable candidates are competing for Oxford’s next chance to become chancellor. Imran Khan, Tony Blair, and Boris Johnson are some of those. Read to learn more about these notable candidates.
Imran Khan
The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has applied to run for the next chancellor of the University of Oxford. Syed Zulfi Bukhari confirmed that Khan’s application for the October election has been submitted. The former prime minister will face competition from several other well-known contenders, including Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, two former prime ministers of the United Kingdom.
Unlike his competitors, Imran Khan will be running for the chancellor’s seat from a prison cell. He was found guilty of leaking state secrets and given a 10-year sentence. A recent UN report found that his detention was illegal and against international law. Khan was arrested in May 2023 and has been involved in over 150 legal cases. The UN has called for Khan’s immediate release following his removal from power in April 2022, supported by the military’s no-confidence vote.
Imran studied philosophy, politics, and economics before earning his degree from Oxford in 1975. He is the most famous person in Pakistan and has held multiple reputable titles throughout his 71-year life. He was captain of Pakistan’s cricket team, which won the 1992 World Cup. He was appointed his nation’s prime minister more than twenty years later.
Tony Blair
Tony Blair served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Following his resignation, he was a special representative of the Quartet on the Middle East, a position he held until 2015. Blair is an Honorary Fellow of St. John’s and has won numerous honors, including the Liberty Medal and the American Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has also published several works, including his bestselling autobiography, A Journey, in 2010. Tony is currently running for the chancellor’s seat.
Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson has also applied for an Oxford University chancellor’s post. He has previously demanded that the college bear Margaret Thatcher’s name. His chances are little, though, as he has spent the last ten years upsetting the same class of bourgeois metropolitanate who will cast ballots in the election.
Is Imran Khan eligible to run for the Oxford University Chancellor’s seat?
Imran Khan has held honors for the university’s cricket team and was chancellor of the University of Board for eight years. In the 1970s, he studied philosophy, economics, and politics at Oxford’s Keble College. He was also captain when Pakistan’s men’s cricket team won the World Cup in 1992.
Candidates for the Oxford chancellorship had to be in person in Oxford and wear academic attire to vote. However, new regulations that permit online nominations and voting have made Khan’s candidacy easier.
The following will be the exclusion standards for the position of Chancellor, and they will all be applicable as of the time the position is filled:
- The Chancellor should not be a university student.
- The chancellor is not permitted to work for the university.
- A declared candidate for election to an elected Assembly may not hold the position of Chancellor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can cast a vote in the race for chancellor?
All Oxford graduates who have had their degree conferred, Congregational Members, and former employees who were Congregation members at their retirement can cast their vote.
What is the voting procedure for casting a vote?
Registered voters will receive emails with a link to cast their votes. There will only be one voting round if there are less than ten candidates. However, if the number of candidates is more than 10, there will be a second round of voting.
What is the Oxford chancellor election date?
The Oxford University chancellor election will be held during the third week of the 2024 Michaelmas term and will be conducted online.
Who is competing to become the next Chancellor of the University of Oxford?
Numerous notable personalities are competing to become the next chancellor of the University of Oxford. Famous individuals include Imran Khan, former Prime Minister Theresa May, St Hugh’s College Lady Angiolini KC principal, Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, and Rory Stewart.
