University of Oxford

The University of Oxford has no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096. The university describes itself as the oldest university in the English-speaking world, with nine centuries of continuous existence.⁠[1]

Oxford developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. In 1188 the historian Gerald of Wales gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons, and around 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student, began the university’s tradition of international scholarly links.⁠[1]

By 1201 the university was headed by a “magister scholarum Oxonie” (head of an ecclesiastical school at Oxford), on whom the title of Chancellor was conferred in 1214; in 1231 the Masters were recognised as a universitas, or corporation.⁠[1]

During the 13th century, rioting between townspeople and students hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. University, Balliol and Merton Colleges, established between 1249 and 1264, are the oldest.⁠[1]

In 1355 Edward III paid tribute to the university for its invaluable contribution to learning and praised Oxford graduates who had served the state. In the same century John Wyclif, a Master of Balliol, campaigned for a Bible in English, against the wishes of the papacy.⁠[1]

Duke Humfrey’s library, built above the Divinity School, was begun in 1478 and finally opened in 1488.⁠[2]

In 1598 the old library was refurbished to house a new collection of around 2,500 books; a librarian, Thomas James, was appointed, and the library finally opened on November 8, 1602. In 1610 Thomas Bodley entered into an agreement with the Stationers’ Company of London.⁠[2]

From 1833 onwards, the Oxford Movement sought to revitalise the Catholic aspects of the Anglican Church. One of its leaders, John Henry Newman, became a Roman Catholic in 1845, was later made a Cardinal, and was canonised as a saint in 2019.⁠[1]

In 1860 the new University Museum was the scene of a famous debate between Thomas Huxley, champion of evolution, and Bishop Wilberforce. The same year the Radcliffe Library was taken over by the Bodleian and renamed the Radcliffe Camera.⁠[1][2]

From 1878 academic halls were established for women, who were admitted as full members of the university from 1920.⁠[1]

J. Paul GettyJ. Paul GettyJ. Paul Getty (1892–1976) was an American oil businessman and art collector who held a controlling interest in the Getty Oil Company and founded the J. Paul Getty Museum; his bequest built the J. Paul Getty Trust after his death.Open the full entry, who was born in Minneapolis, began his studies at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, in November 1912 and received a diploma in Politics and Economics in June 1913. Within the Getty family, Mark GettyMark GettyMark Getty is the co-founder and chairman of the board of the image company Getty Images and oversees Getty family investments; in Getty Images’ 2026 bankruptcy restructuring, Getty family affiliated entities and Koch Equity Development committed new equity and will jointly own the reorganized company.Open the full entry, co-founder and chairman of Getty ImagesGetty ImagesGetty Images is a visual content company headquartered in Seattle, United States, whose three brands, Getty Images, iStock, and Unsplash, license creative images, editorial images such as news and sports pictures, video, and music. Its holding company, Getty Images Holdings, Inc., was listed on the New York Stock Exchange from 2022 and has traded over the counter since September 2026.Open the full entry, was also educated at the University of Oxford and the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a campus of the University of California system; the University of California was founded in 1868 through a merger of two institutions and moved to Berkeley, California, in 1873.Open the full entry; his company biography does not give the years.⁠[3][4]

By 1986 all of Oxford’s male colleges had changed their statutes to admit women, and since 2008 all colleges have admitted men and women.⁠[1]

In 2015 the New Bodleian reopened as the Weston Library, with large public and new academic spaces.⁠[2]

On December 30, 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford with AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) for people aged 18 and over, and the UK government accepted the MHRA’s recommendation to authorise its emergency use. The vaccine was developed by teams including the university’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group, and the partnership between Oxford and AstraZeneca included a joint commitment to provide the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.⁠[5][6]

On May 9, 2022, Irene Tracey, then Warden of Merton College, was nominated as the next Vice-Chancellor with the approval of the university’s Council, to succeed Louise Richardson; the nomination remained subject to approval by Congregation, and the Vice-Chancellor’s term of office is seven years.⁠[7]

On January 1, 2023, Irene Tracey became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.⁠[8]

On February 5, 2024, Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor since March 2003, announced that he would step down at the end of the 2023–24 academic year, with his successor to be elected by members of the university’s Convocation.⁠[9]

On November 27, 2024, the university announced that Lord Hague of Richmond had been elected Chancellor. The election used the Alternative Vote system, under which voters could rank as many of the candidates as they chose; in the final round Lord Hague received 12,609 votes and Lady Elish Angiolini 11,006. He became the 160th recorded Chancellor in the university’s history and is to serve a term of 10 years.⁠[10]

On February 19, 2025, Lord Hague, a former Member of Parliament and Foreign Secretary, took up his duties as Chancellor.⁠[11]

As of October 2026 Irene Tracey was Vice-Chancellor and Lord Hague was Chancellor. The university’s 36 colleges and three societies are related to it through a federal system, and there are also four permanent private halls founded by different Christian denominations; each college is independent and self-governing. The university is divided into four academic divisions: Humanities; Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences.⁠[8][11][12]

Student data published by the university, correct as of December 1, 2025, show 26,800 students at the University of Oxford, including 12,460 undergraduates, 13,755 graduates and 585 visiting, recognised and other students. As at July 31, 2022, the university had more than 2,000 academic staff and more than 5,900 research, teaching and research support staff.⁠[13][14]

University of Oxford: Official website: https://www.ox.ac.uk/ (opens in a new window)⁠[15]

X: Official account: https://x.com/uniofoxford (opens in a new window)⁠[15]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Official account: https://www.linkedin.com/school/oxforduni/ (opens in a new window)⁠[15]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Official account: https://www.youtube.com/oxford (opens in a new window)⁠[15]