@TheOxStu
Michaelmas Term, Week 3 | Friday 1 November 2024
OXFORD STUDENT The
The University of Oxford’s Student Newspaper, est. 1991
World’s first study on period pain in teens Read more on page 3
A threat of many fronts: The Middle East by M Saddique
In conversation with Lewis Goodall by Johannes Riese
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The other Oxford Chancellor Candidates Caitlin Clarke
L
ast week, the official list of 38 candidates for the position of Chancellor of the University of Oxford was published. Naturally, prominent figures like Lords William Hague and Peter Mandelson have received more media attention than other candidates. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t other equally interesting individuals in the running, who are campaigning on diverse promises. This week, The Oxford Student reached out to some of them – a Zumba teacher, an activist,
The Radcliffe Camera, Image Credit: Cameron Samuel Keys
and a Reverend – to hear more about their ambitions regarding the Chancellorship. Tanya Tajik described herself as a “seasoned businesswoman,” who aims to become not only the first female Chancellor, but the first Pashtun woman to hold the position. She told The Oxford Student: “As a Pashtun woman from a region ravaged by terrorism, I’m proud to be shortlisted for this esteemed position. My journey is not just about breaking gender barriers, but also about representing a community that faces immense challenges. Continued on page 4
Oxford Palestine Crisis Sport Scholarship Scheme Chanel set to sponsor the Boat Race faces criticism Yunzhang Liang
T
he University of Oxford has rolled out a number of initiatives in support of the advancement of learning and the rebuilding of higher education in Gaza and the West Bank. One of these initiatives is the Palestine Crisis Scholarship Scheme, to support “students displaced by the humanitarian crisis” in the region. However, the scheme has been criticised by a member of Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) who worked on the scholarship, for its limited reach and delayed rollout. This comes after Oxford received the University of Sanctuary designation in 2023 in recognition of its ongoing dedication to supporting sanctuary seekers and fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment
for displaced individuals. Designed to provide “access to higher education to students displaced by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank”, the scheme allows for the provision of full graduate scholarships to study at Oxford in 2025-2026. Besides covering students’ course fees, the scholarship provides them with a grant for living costs, as well as additional support towards arrival costs. Graduates from all subject areas, and who hold an offer for any one-year full-time or two year part-time taught master’s course, are eligible to apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is open to applicants for the 2025-26 academic year. However, the Palestine Crisis Scholarship has faced criticism for being “too little, too late”. The Oxford Student spoke to a
member of OA4P who worked with the University throughout the development of the scholarship. They said: “This is an extractive scholarship scheme that only serves postgraduate students and is temporary”, remarking that it is “completely insufficient”. “The scheme targets only students who are postgraduates, meaning they already have degrees. It serves such a small section of the student population in Palestine, and does not support students who never had the chance to go to university, or undergraduates whose studies have been interrupted.” The OA4P member said that they and a few others had previously been campaigning for scholarships that serve both undergraduate and postgraduate students, instead of merely the latter. Continued on page 3
Zohaa Butt
I
n what is set to be Chanel’s first move into sports, the French fashion house has announced its long-term partnership with ‘The Boat Race,’ the UK’s oldest running sporting competition between the rowing clubs of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The renowned competition dates back to 1829, and has been running consecu-
tively since 1856, apart from between the years 1915 and 1919, and from 1940 to 1945 due to the World Wars, and in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Whilst being broadcasted by the BBC, it is also attended by around 250,000 people every spring, with attendees hoping to see the UK’s oldest two universities compete along a four-mile course on the River Thames.
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The Boat Race 2010. Image credit: Ant Miller via Flickr