LONDON: Former British foreign minister and one-time leader of the Conservative Party William Hague was elected on Wednesday as the new chancellor of the University of Oxford, a role which is hundreds of years old.
Hague becomes successor to Chris Patten who was Britain’s last governor of Hong Kong and another former senior Conservative politician.
The new chancellor overcame competition from the former Labour minister Peter Mandelson and three other candidates.
The university said Hague won a majority of support in the final round of voting for the post and he would be the 160th recorded chancellor in the university’s history, a role that dates back at least 800 years.
More than 24,000 former students and past and present members of the university’s governing body took part in the election.
“My heart and soul are in Oxford and I will dedicate myself in the coming years to serving the university I love,” Hague, 63, said in a statement thanking those who had backed him for the 10-year, unpaid role.
The chancellor presides over key university ceremonies, undertaking fundraising work and acting as an ambassador at local, national and international events.
Hague graduated from Oxford University in 1982 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan had also applied for the position of chancellor in September at the prestigious university despite being incarcerated in corruption and other cases relating to incitement of violence during May 9 protests last year.
The seat had become vacant after the resignation of 80-year-old Lord Patten who stepped down from the post after serving for 21 years.
However, in October, the former PM’s bid was rejected, his adviser had said.
Oxford had released a shortlist of 38 candidates who were in the running for the first round of voting with Imran’s name not among them.
The list included names of former prime ministers of England Sir Tony Blair and Boris Johnson were among the candidates to become the university’s chancellor.