An Indian student has accused Oxford University of “racial bias” and “forcibly removing” her from a PhD programme. Lakshmi Balakrishnan from Tamil Nadu’s Madurai has reportedly “initiated legal action”, alleging that the prestigious university’s English faculty had “not acted in good faith.”
“Oxford failed me”
Balakrishnan claims that her thesis idea on Shakespeare in the English faculty was accepted during the application stage. Following this, she joined the university in 2018 to pursue a PhD. However, in the fourth year, she was removed from the PhD programme and moved to the master’s level.
“It is actually a breach of contract because when I applied to Oxford I clearly mentioned in my application that my PhD thesis is going to be on Shakespeare. The scope of my PHD thesis has continued to remain the same since the time of my application to Oxford and therefore I believe that this constitutes a fundamental breach of contract when the university failed my PHD exam,” she said to ANI.
“They forcibly removed me from the PhD program and moved me to a master’s level course without my consent,” Balakrishnan told the BBC,” adding, “I feel a sense of betrayal and I feel like I have been let down by an institution that I held in high regard.”
Why not pursue a master’s degree?
Balakrishnan already has two masters to her name and has spent nearly £100,000 while pursuing her PhD.
“I already have two master’s degrees from India and I paid £100,000 at Oxford to get my PhD, not another master’s course,” she told the BBC.
Appeal against the decision
According to the BBC, two different assessors failed her, citing that her research topic “did not have scope for PhD level.” Following this, the university confirmed the appeals process had concluded.
“I believe that the university’s strategy is to force me to wade through endless appeals and complaints procedures in the hope that I will eventually give up and go,” she told the outlet.
Support from college
The Queen’s College, where she studied, wrote to Oxford University to “express concern at her treatment”, reported the BBC. The statement pointed out that her work has no “serious issues” despite her failing the two assessments, adding that her “research had potential and merits a PhD.”
Acquisition of racial bias
“I think race was certainly a motivating factor behind the professor targeting me in that manner,” she told ANI. There is a “deep bias and discrimination against Indian students,” she added.