Can Imran Khan break the white monopoly to become Oxford chancellor?

Oxford University is set to elect its 193rd Chancellor next month in what is turning out to be a high-profile race to be decided by an online poll for the first time in the history of the prestigious institute.

But the candidate who has set tongues wagging is former Pakistan prime minister and cricket legend Imran Khan, who is contesting from jail.

The 71-year-old politician, an Oxford graduate who has been imprisoned for over a year, announced his candidacy in August.

While the chancellorship has traditionally attracted former politicians and statesmen, it has historically been the domain of elite, white men. There has never been a female chancellor in Oxford's history, and the list of past chancellors includes numerous statesmen, lords and dozens of “Williams”. The current chancellor, Chris Patten, is a former Tory prime minister.

If elected, Imran Khan would break this pattern, becoming the first non-white, South Asian, and Muslim to hold the prestigious position.

Khan’s potential rivals include former British PMs Tony Blair, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson.

Oxford students see the candidacy of Khan – formerly married to British journalist Jemima Goldsmith – as a positive step towards long-awaited diversity within the university’s administration.

‘Step’ towards diversity?

The Oxford chancellorship is both extremely prestigious and simple. The university describes the role as "ceremonial," with "no executive responsibilities."

The chancellor is unpaid and primarily serves to represent the university in official capacities, while the vice-chancellor, who manages the institution's day-to-day operations, holds the actual executive authority.

This is why this job attracts specifically retired politicians, “whose name recognition serves the University well in terms of its public relations and ability to attract donors,” says Faisal Devji, a history professor at Oxford.

“The higher echelons of university leadership have lacked almost any measure of diversity. The current and former vice-chancellors have been the first women holding the position. The chancellors have all been white men,” Devji tells TRT World.

Although he is dissatisfied with the predominantly white and male history of the university administration, the history professor does not believe that Khan is the right person to advance diversity at Oxford.

While some students agree with this view, some don’t.

“If the university is looking for someone who can bridge tradition and modern leadership while promoting diversity, then Imran Khan is a great choice,” says Fiza Abbas, an undergraduate student in Economics and Management at Oxford.

Fiza believes that Khan’s candidacy is “a step in the right direction for promoting diversity,” as his background breaks the orthodox expectations.

“I do think he has a strong shot at winning. He could get a lot of support from people who value the international and diverse perspective he brings,” the 20-year-old student tells TRT World.

Highly politicised role

Khan graduated from Oxford in 1975 with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE), while also captaining the university's cricket team.

He served as Chancellor of Bradford University from 2005 to 2014 but was forced to resign before his term ended due to student protests over his frequent absences from key ceremonies, such as graduation, where conferring degrees is a primary responsibility of the chancellor.

In February 2014, Bradford University students were scheduled to vote on a no-confidence motion against him. But before the vote took place, Khan resigned, citing "increasing political commitments" and charity fundraising as reasons he could not devote sufficient time to his role.

“I haven’t a clue as to who will win the election. I hope it isn’t Khan,” says Louie, a PPE student at Oxford, just like what Imran Khan once was.

“The chancellor must be a paradigm of the University. In the same way Hilary Clinton seems a poor choice to be the face of a Northern Irish university, Imran Khan seems a poor choice to be the face of a British university,” he tells TRT World.

For him, it makes sense that many see the Oxford chancellorship as "another mark on their checklist," with Khan being one of them.

Since the founding of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party, Khan has had a turbulent political journey. He served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted through a vote of no confidence.

The ex-cricketer politician has been imprisoned since August last year, facing over a hundred charges, most of which remain unresolved. The United Nations has condemned his detention as arbitrary, and cited a lack of legal grounds for his imprisonment.

Can Khan help campus resistance?

While Louie thinks that “Oxford’s attempt to create a diverse roster of candidates is something worth laughing at,” another undergraduate student at the Department of Global and Area Studies, speaking anonymously, views Khan’s candidacy “as an imprisoned former PM, a Muslim, and a brown man” would be revolutionary for both Oxford’s history and the broader voices of resistance.

Oxford's campus was among those where numerous students were arrested during anti-war protests against Israel's bloody war on Gaza that started in October last year.

Hundreds of academics and students called on the university to be fully transparent about its investments in weapons manufacturers, arms dealers, and procurers, and to divest from any financial ties with corporations complicit in the Israeli war.

In less than two months, the university administration removed the students' solidarity encampment from the campus.

For some, Khan’s strong support for Palestine is enough to see his candidacy as a hopeful sign.

In a recent interview, the Pakistani candidate said that the world is closely observing the new British government and its leadership, “particularly in light of the horrific situation in Gaza.”

“Anyone who cares about the plight of Palestinians must surely support Khan for chancellor of Oxford University,” wrote British journalist Peter Oborne in an opinion article titled “Why Imran Khan must become Oxford University's next chancellor.”

Despite all, “the chances of him winning are still slim in my opinion,” the 22-year-old student tells TRT World.

Others share this view as well.

“Oxford is still riddled with elements of institutional elitism and the position of Chancellor still seems very much restricted to not only politicians, but to a certain class of politicians.”

Voting for the new chancellor, who will serve a 10-year term, will start at the end of October, open to all staff and alumni. The results will be announced in November.