Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, currently imprisoned, is running to become the next chancellor of Oxford University. Graduates and staff will vote later this year to decide the successor of Chris Patten, the former Conservative minister.
Syed Zulfi Bukhari, an advisor to Khan, confirmed that the ex-cricket star has submitted his application for the October election. Khan, aged 71, served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022 as the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which he founded in 1996. He was removed from office through vote of no confidence in Pakistan’s parliament and has been in jail facing multiple charges over the past year.
In the past, Oxford’s chancellor elections required voters to be physically present in Oxford and dressed in academic attire. However, new rules now allow nominations and voting to take place online, which has facilitated Khan’s candidacy.
Khan’s qualifications include serving as chancellor of the University of Bradford for eight years and studying politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford’s Keble College in the 1970s. During his time at Oxford, he also played for the university’s cricket team. He later captained Pakistan’s national cricket team to victory in the 1992 World Cup.
Nominations for the chancellor election closed on Sunday. The university will announce the final list of candidates in early October.
Although campaigning for the role is typically minimal, other potential candidates include Elish Angiolini, the former lord advocate of Scotland and principal of St Hugh’s College, and Margaret Casely-Hayford, a former chair of Shakespeare’s Globe. Either of them would be the first female chancellor in Oxford’s history. Supporters of Peter Mandelson, a former Labour minister, and William Hague, a former Conservative leader, have also expressed interest in the position.
Voting will take place online starting October 28, with only Oxford graduates and university staff eligible to vote.
While the chancellor’s role is largely ceremonial, it includes chairing the committee that appoints the vice-chancellor and involves participation in fundraising, advocacy, and oversight activities.
Oxford University records show that Chris Patten is the 159th person to hold the chancellor position since 1224. The role has previously been held by notable political figures, including Robert Dudley, the first earl of Leicester, during the reign of Elizabeth I, and Oliver Cromwell during his time as lord protector.
