William Hague, former leader of the Conservative Party and ex-UK Foreign Secretary, has been elected as the next Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
This prestigious, largely symbolic role has a history spanning centuries.
Hague succeeds Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong and a veteran Conservative politician, who stepped down after 21 years of service.
The election saw Hague triumph over former Labour minister Peter Mandelson and three additional contenders.
In a statement, the university announced that Hague secured a majority of votes in the final round, making him the 160th recorded Chancellor in Oxford’s extensive history, a position tracing back over 800 years.
Notably, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, had expressed interest in the role.
Despite his incarceration on corruption and other charges related to the May 9 protests of the previous year, Khan applied for the position in September.
However, his bid was ultimately rejected, with Oxford’s shortlist of 38 candidates for the first voting round not including his name.
The list of candidates included prominent figures such as former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson.
