Profiles

‘We were the poor relations’: Naomi Lightman on life as a woman at Oxford in the 1960s 

The year Naomi Lightman came to study at Oxford – 1962 – was the first in which women were allowed to become members of the Oxford Union.  Four years earlier,...
Profiles Gavriella Epstein-Lightman -

“I am proud of being a Jew, and equally proud of being an Arab”: Professor Avi Shlaim on Iraq, Zionism and belonging

Long before he became one of Israel's ‘new historians’, Avi Shlaim was a boy...
Profiles Saba Ahmadzadeh Noughani -

‘We have to end the complicity of Western countries with Israel’: Peter Beinart on Purim, Palestine, and the importance of changing your mind

Peter Beinart knows the importance of admitting when you’re wrong. A professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York, a New York Times columnist, and Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents, he has spent the last three decades as a leading liberal voice in the United States. But, unlike other pundits who pin their flags to the mast in order to pay the bills, Beinart’s writing is characterised by subtlety, self-reflection, and a remarkable political transformation.
Profiles Stanley Smith -

‘If not me, then who?’: George Abaraonye’s return to Oxford

The jubilance in George Abaraonye’s demeanour matched my memory of our first encounter, coincidentally placed at the location where his university career may be defined: the Oxford Union. I first met the student – who has subsequently become a polarising figure among the politically conservative and a victim of online racial persecution approximately a year prior – at the Oxford African and Caribbean Society (ACS) meeting, Say It With Your Chest.
Profiles Madison Garrett -
Latest

“What makes us human and why it matters”: In conversation with Frédérique Duyrat, Director of Collections at the Ashmolean Museum

At a time when Britain feels more polarised than ever, Duyrat’s creed offers a guiding hand to a kinder, more empathetic way of engaging with material culture, art, and the world more broadly.

Tanjil Rashid on diversity and the future of journalism

Fifty or a hundred years ago, it was in book reviewing and literary journalism that the great journalists were to be discovered.

‘The ocean was this big, unknown, sometimes scary place’: Sarah Outen on becoming the first woman to row across two oceans

The ocean crossings were extraordinary, but they were never really the destination.

‘Physics is a zero-bullshit zone’: Jessica James on Commerzbank, Christ Church, and the joy of shifting from STEM to finance

Jessica James, Managing Director at Commerzbank, discusses how a Physics PhD set her up to succeed in her career in finance.

‘Cecil Rhodes would probably turn in his grave’: Kumi Naidoo on fossil fuels, Amnesty International, and fighting Apartheid

Rhodes scholar Kumi Naidoo reflects on Apartheid in South Africa, his Oxford years, and the fight for environmental justice.

‘The future of British politics is cooperation’: Jonathan Bartley on the Green Party, activism, and the importance of finding common ground

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party from 2016-2021, discusses Extinction Rebellion, local elections, and rising populism.

‘Genocide – I want you to use that word’: Nick Maynard on working in Gaza’s healthcare system

Professor Nick Maynard, a consultant at Oxford University Hospitals, has been to Gaza three times since 7th October 2023.

Meghan Campbell on women, poverty, and why international law still matters

Meghan Campbell discusses the Oxford Human Rights Hub, the manosphere, and using international law to fight women's poverty.

‘This isn’t a culture war. It’s a war on culture with a very long history’: Dan Hicks on Rhodes, racism, and the Pitt Rivers 

In 'Every Monument Will Fall', Professor Dan Hicks argues for a democratic process in reckoning with the monuments and museums that celebrate Britain's colonial past.

‘What we need is action’: Dr Lakasing on maternity care, misinformation, and the NHS crisis

Dr Lakasing explains what its like to work in maternity care during a time of crisis for the NHS.

‘I’m not campaigning for any particular point of view’: Sam Freedman on government, the Conservatives, and writing with his father

As a writer and Fellow at the Institute for Government, Freedman has the opinions of a journalist and the knowledge of a policy maker.

‘We’re hurtling into a new era’: James Marriott on books, broadsheets, and a changing Britain

The Times columnist James Marriott sees the decline in reading in Britain as part of a wider trend of rising populism and the death of liberalism.

‘My aim is to make everyone equally unhappy’: Catherine Royle on Somerville, the Foreign Office, and the importance of pragmatism

Catherine Royle explains how a career in the Foreign Office and NATO is shaping her approach as Somerville College's principal.

‘There’s a difference between impartiality and neutrality’: Lewis Goodall on politics, podcasting, and the prime minister

Organisations like the BBC have "a completely hollow view of impartiality", says Lewis Goodall, host of The News Agents.

Professor Lee White: ‘I’d rather face Boko Haram terrorists than climate negotiations’

Professor Lee White – a conservationist, scientist, and politician – does not like talking about himself. White came to Oxford to deliver a lecture, at which I learned almost nothing about Lee and a great deal about the trees found in the Gabonese rainforest.

Dr Merritt Moore: ‘Get ready for the emotional roller coaster of failing a lot’

Dr Merritt Moore is a Harvard alumna and Oxford DPhil graduate who has successfully navigated a career as a quantum physicist and robotics specialist, whilst also performing as a professional ballerina with Zurich, Boston, and English National Ballet.

In Conversation with Paul Kingsnorth

Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer and perhaps the most astute critic of technology’s impact on society writing today.

Sir Ed Davey: ‘Inevitably you make mistakes’

Multiple times throughout the interview Sir Ed Davey accidentally turned his Zoom camera off. He’d hastily apologise and search to turn it back on.

On Afghanistan, Ukraine, and honorary degrees: Christina Lamb is a story-teller like no other

Christina Lamb started her career as the Cold War was ending. She saw the fall of dictatorships in eastern Europe and Latin America, and the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Haleh Blake: A vessel for the voices of Iranians

Haleh Blake was always told she was worth half a man. “As you grow up as a girl, from very early on, you realise that you're treated as a second-class citizen”, she tells me.
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