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Oxford gets its first female vice-chancellor since it was created in 1230

The University of Oxford is all set to get its first ever female vice-chancellor  for the first time since its records began nearly 800 years ago, after terrorism expert Professor Louise Richardson was nominated to the chief executive role.

Oxford gets its first female vice-chancellor since it was created in 1230 Image Courtesy: University of Oxford Website

London: The University of Oxford is all set to get its first female vice-chancellor ever since its records began nearly 800 years ago, after terrorism expert Professor Louise Richardson was nominated to the chief executive role.

Professor Richardson, 56, is currently the principal and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

She has previously taught at Harvard and will be the first woman to hold the position at Oxford since it was created in 1230.

Professor Richardson has led St Andrews for more than six years, ‘combining strong institutional advancement with a distinguished academic career in the study of terrorism and security issues,’ said a press note issued by the Oxford University.

Prior to joining St Andrews in 2009, Professor Richardson lived and worked in the United States where she was Executive Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

A married mother of three children, she has received her undergraduate degree from Trinity College, Dublin, followed by a Masters in political science from UCLA and a Masters and PhD in Government from Harvard.

Chris Patten, who holds the ceremonial post of chancellor at Oxford, said the nominating panel was "deeply impressed by Professor Richardson's strong commitment to the educational and scholarly values which Oxford holds dear".

"Her distinguished record both as an educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years," said Patten, who served as the last British governor of Hong Kong.

Subject to confirmation from the university's 5,000- strong parliament, Congregation, the Ireland-born Richardson will take over on January 1, 2016 and serve a seven-year term.

Her predecessor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, has been appointed president of New York University (NYU).

Professor Richardson said she was "enormously privileged" to be taking the helm at Oxford, "one of the world's great universities".

“I am very much looking forward to working with talented, experienced, and dedicated colleagues to advance Oxford’s pre-eminent global position in research, scholarship, and teaching,” she added.

(With  AFP Inputs) 

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