Saturday 26th July 2025
Blog Page 157

International fees surged by 100% since 2018

Cem Kozanoglu
-
0
International fees surged by 100% since 2018

A Cherwell investigation has found that international student fees have doubled from 2018 to 2023, rising from nearly twice the home fee to around four times as much. A big part of the increase can be attributed to the large hike from 2018 to 2019, when average fees rose by 54% in one year. 

The University did not comment on the reason for the sudden spike, however the 2019 fees were paid three months before Brexit occurred, which eventually led to EU students being dropped from special consideration in 2021. 

How does the university determine tuition?

A recent Cherwell Freedom of Information request revealed the process behind how tuition fees are calculated. The University stated: “Fees for overseas students are agreed through a longstanding process involving stakeholders at all levels of the institution.”

The overarching Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PRAC) determines the initial rate rise before the departments make adjustments and the Joint Fees and Student Support Advisory Group (JFSSAG) approves these changes and presents it back to the PRAC. The factors considered by the committees include “inflation (CPI), projected cost increases, application numbers, impact on scholarships, and competitor benchmarking,” according to the university. 

Although the University assures that “[s]tudent representatives are involved at all stages of the process and there are student members of both JFSSAG and PRAC”, the PRAC is a 20 person committee with a very wide jurisdiction and the only student representative on it is the SU President. 

Furthermore, while the JFSSAG has 2 student representatives (the Education & Access officers for Undergraduates and Postgraduates respectively) among its 11 members, there are no explicit provisions made for the representation of international students, whose fees are the ones up for negotiation. 

Fee increases

While home fees have remained constant, the rate of international fee increases have outpaced inflation in every year since 2019 except 2022, contributing to the growing gap between home and international student fees. Despite the pound’s loss of value in the aftermath of the Truss ministry, the cost of tuition has continued to grow in dollar terms too, rising from $44k in 2021 to $46k in 2023.

Another aspect of the price increases has been the convergence of fees for STEM and humanities subjects. While STEM fees were 30% higher than humanities degrees in 2016, this premium dropped to 14% in 2022. Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics, for example, has increased by 42% from £31k in 2022 to £44k in 2023.

Change in international student demographics

International students have an important role to play in any global university. At Oxford, they made up 46% as of December 2022, which included 23% of undergraduates. Currently, they make up a total of one third of all students and around 21% of undergraduates. 

Prior to Brexit, EU students paid the same as home students, however under the new system they pay the same as all other international students. The impact of these changes has been stark, with the proportion of EU students falling from 8.2% in 2018 to 3.8% in 2022. 

Impact on the University’s accessibility and diversity

The fee rises have changed the composition of the international student cohort, and therefore the entire student population. This is due to the large financial challenges that now face prospective international students, particularly those from developing nations. 

SU President Danial Hussain told Cherwell: “The recent rises in tuition fees limits Oxford’s international student body to mostly wealthy individuals, undermining the university’s commitment to academic excellence and accessibility.”

This is in contrast to the wide-ranging changes to admissions criteria that have been made over the last couple years to make Oxford more accessible for UK students, which have led to a significant increase in the proportion of state schooled students as well as people from underprivileged backgrounds and communities. 

A second-year law student, Nanditha Dileep, expressed her frustration at the inaccessibility of the university: ”The ‘world’s best university’ is only restricted to the economically privileged, or that if anyone from a background that isn’t financially privileged dares to pursue their academic dreams, they’re saddled with student debt and loans as a price for their ambition.”

“After getting into Oxford, I started mentoring other students who wanted to do the same. These students come from families that scrape up every penny to send their children abroad for a better life. However, despite being extraordinarily academically gifted, many choose to apply to other universities instead of Oxford, in order to make it affordable.

“Other students choose to do cheaper courses when they’d much rather be doing other ones because international students’ fees differ by the subject.”

Impact on students

The University states that they undertake “a detailed review of fee rates to ensure that these remain competitive”, enabling them “to continue to deliver world-leading teaching, research and a wide range of student support services against a backdrop of increasing financial pressures.” However, fee rises have made the “Oxford dream” significantly more challenging to attain for international students. 

A second-year Biomedical Sciences student from Germany told Cherwell: “Personally, I have had to resort to hours and hours of research, culminating in only barely scraping together enough funds from three different foundations across different countries to support my studies.

“I also have to renew these annually, which makes me anxious about the ability to progress through my course.”

He also addressed the difficulty faced by international students from underprivileged backgrounds to attain funding, adding: “Compared to for example Ivy league universities in the US, Oxford offers no form of financial aid and only little support to a very tiny amount of international students from a selection of countries. Although some students, e.g. from HK, may be able to access governmental funds, others, especially from EU countries, are neither eligible for support from the UK, Oxford nor their home country.”

“Working for Project Access, a non-profit supporting underprivileged international students applying to top universities in the world, it has been disappointing to see how many were discouraged to apply to Oxford due to financial hardship. Ever since Brexit, the number of EU students and thus diversity amongst the student body have also dropped. Diversity should be valued and is an integral part of the uni experience.”

Oxford’s international dilemma: national champion or global leader?

How to consider international students and their fees is a dilemma that results from the university’s two interlocking missions. On the one hand is the role of the university as a “national champion” that exports its quality education, all the while utilising the profits made from international students to subsidise home fees and fund scholarship programs for UK students from underprivileged backgrounds.

The other goal is to reinforce the university’s world renowned reputation for its research, education and alumni. On how to achieve this, the SU President said: “For Oxford to maintain its status as a globally leading educational institution, it must focus on admitting the most qualified applicants, irrespective of their ability to pay.”

It is likely that this dilemma will persist well into the future, at least as long as it continues to be both globally renowned for its research, and central in shaping Britain’s future generations. 

Toilet training: the unexpected troubles of living out

Flora Symington
-
0
Toilet training: the unexpected troubles of living out

It started with a whining. A soft, barely discernible purring every time we flushed the toilet or turned the taps. “Character”, we called it. This house was built in the 1920s after all, and didn’t we move out of college precisely because we hated living in soulless institutional newbuilds? Didn’t we want to live somewhere with a mind of its own?

After a while, we noticed that the soft gurgling noise coming from the shower drain every time we used the toilet was accompanied by an eddy of water bubbling out onto the shower floor. A little quirk, we thought. It’s probably just getting used to us. When we realised what was coming out of the shower looked suspiciously like what was going into the toilet, the regurgitations became harder to defend. Still, we knew it would only be a temporary issue, probably relating to the new bathroom that had been put in downstairs over the summer, which had delayed our move-in date by two months. A quick email to the letting agent and all would be resolved, we were sure. 

Two days later, a plumber, professionally known as “The Drain Doctor”, was shaking his head at our new bathroom. His diagnosis? “Piss poor” – delivered without a trace of irony (I suppose once you’ve been in the drain game for a few years the puns start to lose their potency). This came after the agent’s first two attempts at solving our problem, which took the form of a mysterious cleaner who poured bleach down the drain, and a silent builder who bailed ten buckets of water out of our garden. We decided it was time for a good old strongly-worded email in the hope that we might be taken a bit more seriously. After a heated housemate discussion over whether “squelching underfoot” was a technical term, the email was sent, and we were told an appointment with the Doctor had been arranged.

The Doctor’s diagnostic approach and recommendations were drip-fed to me through the house group-chat whilst I was at work, beginning with the tantalising fact that I wouldn’t be able to put my bike away in the garden as it is currently a pit of open sewage. During the full debrief I received when I got home, it transpired that this was because the builders who were in over the summer had decided to cover the drainage trench in the garden with a sheet of plywood and a layer of gravel rather than filling it in. This meant that on any occasion  which we had used the garden in the last two weeks we could have come to a particularly sticky end. The Doctor was able to successfully perform some emergency surgery on the bathroom, but prescribed at least another month of building work to get the garden back to its former self. The letting agent informed us that this is not their responsibility, but the landlord’s, who, it turns out, lives in California, so isn’t what you’d call the hands-on type. As of now, our garden resembles a crime scene – only with red spray paint outlining a sewage dump rather than a dead body.

Much like new parents, the house is all my housemates and I can talk about – so much so that I am considering imposing a ‘no house talk’ rule during meals. Just like those couples who think they’re the first people in the world to have a baby, I’m probably documenting something that has happened in some iteration to every first-time tenant, especially if they’re renting as a student. I’m not even particularly trying to offer any advice: as far as I’m concerned, we did everything by the book, taking over a contract from friends who lived in the house before and had absolutely no issues with the house or the landlord.

The message, if any, that I’m trying to deliver to anyone who is considering moving out of college or is about to move into their house, is that it’s not your fault. You can do everything right, you can do all your research, you can show the house all the love and care it deserves (one of my housemates has recently taken to stroking the boiler every time he passes in case it’s feeling neglected), and your beloved house can still turn around and throw it back in your face. 

Oh well. They say the first few months are the hardest. How long does the toilet toilet training stage usually take?

Image credit: Jan Antonin Kolar via Unsplash.

Warhol Island: Large-scale exhibition on a German island

Fay Lorien
-
0
Warhol Island: Large-scale exhibition on a German island

At the meeting point of the Austrian, Swiss, and German borders lies the historic old German town of Lindau. The entirety of the old town is separated from the ‘mainland’, a tiny island of about 70 hectares on Lake Constance (or ‘Bodensee’ in German). Though this part of the city is only home to about 2800 people, the historic island attracts many visitors. Restaurants line the lake-side promenade and the town offers incomparably stunning architecture; a giant stone lion opposite a lighthouse, and plenty of historic towers and churches. Most shops are small business operated.

If you were to visit the island now, there is one man you wouldn’t be able to escape: Andy Warhol. His face in black and white on yellow background adorns posters in nearly every shop window and one of the local bookshops has a whole display of different biographies and prints centering the artist. When you enter the island by crossing the bridge you are greeted by large banners sporting the artist’s name. 100 pieces by Andy Warhol are being displayed here until late October, all thanks to a small art museum close to the island’s train station. 

For the unacquainted, an exhibition of this scale at the simply named ‘Kunstmuseum Lindau’ (Art-Museum Lindau) may be quite surprising; a town of that size becoming a temporary home to world-famous and priceless pieces of art? In fact, showcasing big names such as Andy Warhol has been common practice since 2011. In 2013, the museum was first able to show select pieces by Picasso. In the summer of 2021, an exhibition of the works of Mark Shargal attracted around 50.000 visitors, so the expectations for this year’s exhibition to measure up are quite high. 

How does a Warhol exhibition of this magnitude come to be for such a small museum? A member of staff was able to give some insider knowledge. It all started with last year’s exhibit which showed a wide-ranging collection of works on the theme of nature by such artists as Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Gauguin, and two pieces by Warhol. Establishing private collection connections was instrumental. Indeed, most of the exhibitions at the museum are put together in collaboration with private collectors. In this case, however, a connection to the Andy Warhol Foundation had to be made as well. The most expensive affair in this case, according to the member of staff, was the insurance.

I was able to visit the exhibition twice, once with and once without an audio guide. The tour using a guide lasts about 38 minutes, giving insight on select pieces including context and background of the artworks, Warhol’s life, and a few explorations of pop art as a movement. Screens around the space offer additional information in both English and German accompanied by videos of Warhol. 

Though personally, I’m usually not the biggest fan of audio guides, I think in this instance they are very much necessary. Otherwise, the walkthrough might be over quite quickly (there is only so much time you can spend on just staring at ten prints of Marilyn Monroe). Because Warhol’s art is heavily based on and inspired by pop culture it benefits from some background information. 

Image Courtesy of Fay Ferster

Most of the pieces shown are Warhols originals produced in the ‘Factory’ using his silk-screen printing technique. Subjects include: Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Queen Elizabeth II, and Mick Jagger. What interested me much more than his icon-status prints, however, were two series of much lesser-known pieces. The first is a series of coloured illustrations on paper, titled ‘25 Cats Named Sam’. These illustrations came to be when Warhol was working as a children’s illustrator and was living with his mother with (you guessed it!) twenty-five cats all named Sam. The paintings are vibrant and childlike and give off a certain authenticity, though not in the style we associate with the artist today. 

An even more unavowed series of sketches is displayed just on the opposite wall. They are part of a sketchbook from 1955 titled ‘House of Hearts’. The pieces are currently privately owned and prints and photographs of them are incredibly hard to find, even on the internet. This fact might have intrigued me the most, along with the intimate nature of the sketches. The main subject is a man with wavy hair dressed in an elegant suit. The series shows him in different positions, tenderly blowing kisses or fanning himself with a large feathery fan. Warhol’s art has reached such notoriety and icon status that lesser-known works and collections such as the two described above seem much more intriguing than Marilyn Monroe or the Campbell’s soup cans. 

The guided tour ends on a sombre note, briefly describing Warhol’s personal struggles with his shyness and identity. Although I was largely satisfied with the narration and context given, I was missing some exploration of the art scene which Warhol inspired and fostered (Basquiat, Haring, the Velvet Underground, etc). Nonetheless, I find this exhibition well put together and accessible, and would recommend even if you’re not a diehard pop-art fan. 

The museum is worth keeping an eye out for future projects of this scale – I am sure there are many more to come. As a former local, I would naturally recommend a visit to the island if you ever find yourself in around – Lindau has so much to offer.

A24’s Rise Through the Ranks

Eden Kilgour and Matt Unwin
-
0
A24’s Rise Through the Ranks

Celine Song’s moving debut ‘Past Lives’, the most recent release for distributor and producer A24, is being showered with critical acclaim, but this sort of praise is nothing new for the studio. We’ve all seen it — the flashing white and RGB animated logo that characterises one of the most rapidly-rising studios of this century, and which has now formed a distinct brand, and spawned a dedicated cult following. 

The studio was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges, with a name lifted from the Italian A24 motorway that Katz was driving along when he decided to found the company. Such a name seems fitting: the A24 motorway crosses hilly and mountainous terrain, forcing it to employ several daring and unorthodox civil engineering solutions, mirroring the novel storytelling techniques employed by A24’s own films. Whilst these have no singular common characteristic, tending to span diverse genres, settings and plots, still many recognise elements of their films that make them distinctly ‘A24’.

Since their inception, A24 films have risen almost exponentially into the public consciousness, producing and distributing landmarks of contemporary cinema like ‘Lady Bird’, ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Hereditary’. 

It would be far-fetched to state that these films have anything remotely in common, but they are alike in their unique tone and voice. Perhaps the film that best encapsulates the studio’s philosophy is ‘Swiss Army Man’. This film, by the same directors as ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, centres on a relationship between a castaway and a farting corpse. Most distributors were hesitant to pick it up, but A24 leapt at it. It seems that they saw in ‘Swiss Army Man’ something that traditional studios did not – that its bizarre gimmick and strange humour wasn’t a turn-off, but in the age of the internet, was a unique selling point that could market the film. They believed that the film’s unique voice and storytelling would stand out, especially in a world of increasingly risk-averse mainstream studio releases. 

The reason this comes through so distinctly is the fact the company works almost exclusively with writer-directors and pride themselves on being creator-driven. Thus, their films often feel intensely personal and hand-crafted, with edges that haven’t been worn down by multiple redrafts from different writers and studio interference. Through their fundamental loyalty to filmmaker vision, A24’s films, in all their differences, are often characterised by their focus on character relationships and dynamics, bringing out the best and worst human qualities and allowing a post-watch self-reflection. 

‘Past Lives’ is a striking example of these personal films, marked by an individual ‘authorial voice’. Through its references to migrant experience shaping the protagonist’s sense of identity, ‘Past Lives’ feels deeply personal to Celine Song herself, just as the autobiographical elements of nostalgia, grief and loss do to director Charlotte Wells in the A24-distributed ‘Aftersun’. This focus on human emotion is also evident within ‘The Lighthouse’, which explores mental deterioration induced by insanity and isolation, and within ‘Hereditary’, which explores grief and anguish. Perhaps most notably, this is demonstrated through ‘Moonlight’, which achieved A24’s first Academy Award in the infamous envelope mixup of 2017. The film follows the protagonist through his internal, interpersonal and societal conflicts of grief, race, masculinity, identity and sexuality, giving a voice to underrepresented voices in cinema, as many other A24’s films similarly do. Though these films are vastly different in both their settings and narratives, they all offer audiences a fresh, personal perspective, and the fact that A24’s films consistently achieve this is a feat achieved by few other studios.

Image Courtesy of A24 Studios

We can’t say that every A24 film has been critically raved about, but they have certainly had their fair share of success. Perhaps a more cynical person would say that A24’s unexpected popularity lies not in their unique obsession with ‘authorial voice’, but with their tactical marketing strategies, utilising social media to appeal to a young demographic, like their ‘Ex Machina’ ad campaign that saw the creation of a Tinder account for the AI antagonist Ava. 

Regardless, A24 is no longer simply the flashing logo that appears on-screen but rather has established an entire brand with its own identity of film, one that allows contemporary cinema viewers to recognise their work even without such a logo. The future of cinema is exciting, and I have little doubt that this inquisitive and innovative studio will be at the forefront of that. 

The fire that still burns: the political relevance of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ and its message of human continuity

Cate Morris
-
0
The fire that still burns: the political relevance of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ and its message of human continuity

Three months ago, American pop-punk band Fall Out Boy released an updated version of Billy Joel’s 1980s Top Hit, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. For those who were neither around in the 80s, nor are fans of Alternative Indie playlists, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ is a dizzying commentary of rapid-fire lists of people, events, and cultural flagstones from the mid-20th century to the late 1980s. Fall Out Boy’s version continues this trend from the late 80s to the present day. Consider it a modern chronicle, edition two. Both versions reference not only a series of isolated historical moments, but a continuous narrative that we are all acutely aware of. Fall Out Boy’s ‘Trump impeached twice’ is Joel’s ‘Richard Nixon’s back again.’ So, what does this revised version suggest about the message of human continuity? 

Human Continuity 

In psychological theory, human continuity is the ability to continue in the same manner indefinitely. Gestalt theory speaks of the undisrupted creation of continuous patterns connected to objects. ‘Objects’ in this context refer to both political and social issues. That is not to say that society is stagnant, but rather that it is interconnected to historical events in a cyclical manner, and that change is a complex and multifaceted process. 

Political Relevance 

In both Joel’s and Fall Out Boy’s versions there is a reach of political relevance. In Joel’s version, the song delivers a quick-fire run-down of major events, including the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal. Through its quick, and sometimes witty, delivery covering over forty years, there is a sense of continuous narrative, rather than a suggestion that these events are isolated moments, as modern media would sometimes have us believe. 

Fall Out Boy’s version of the song updates the reference and commentary to include events from the 80s to the present day, including the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the rise of terrorism. The commentary of these modern events becomes a part of the same narrative that Joel covered, and stresses that society continues to grapple with many of the same issues, only this time in a new shape. 

Social Themes 

Perhaps the most notable theme in both versions is the persistence of social unrest. In Joel’s version, the song touches on the struggle for racial equality, including references such as ‘Little Rock (Nine, 1957)’ and ‘Ole Miss’ (a public research university in Oxford, Mississippi, where violent protests began over the admission of James Meredith, the first African American student to enrol at the school), as well as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Malcom X. 

Although Fall Out Boy’s cover updated the list of events to include more recent social issues, similar themes of social inequality and public unrest continue to be recorded. The cover addresses the Black Lives Matter movement and the struggle against racial discrimination, as well as the ongoing fight for the LGBTQIA+ communities. The repetition of themes over the course of the song reminds us that many of the new issues we face today are deeply rooted in our culture and history. Granted, that is no excuse, but there is a powerful message in this narrative. Recurrence of these issues over the decades creates a sense of shared frustration and disillusionment that transcends historical and cultural differences. 

The Message of Human Continuity 

It is cyclical. It is a reminder that humans have been fighting metaphorical, and sometimes literal, fires for decades. It is a shower of political bullets, a rapid-fire of social injustices, and a three minute and thirty five second melody that remembers conflict as the result of resource scarcity, ideological indifferences, and power imbalances. In spite of all the chaos, the lyrics express a message of hope that transpires across time – eight decades to be exact. While society may be slow to change, there is a shared experience in our troubles that brings us together across different eras and generations. Each verse continues this narrative and reminds us that neither Baby Boomers, nor Generation Z, nor any generations in between, are independently responsible for the world’s problems. In the words of Billy Joel, ‘It was always burning since the world’s been turning.’

Image credit: Drew de F Fawkes // CC-BY-20 via Wikimedia Commons

The Unwritten (Until Now) Oxford Dress Code

Katie Saunders and Shaan Sidhu
-
0
The Unwritten (Until Now) Oxford Dress Code

Liberated from the constraints of school uniforms and dress codes, University is a wonderful time of fashion freedom. But this bewildering independence can be a source of anxiety for many, sometimes even prompting a regression into their three-year-old self (think jorts, hair ribbons and Peter Pan collars). Never fear! We’ve put together a practical guide of the unwritten Oxford dress code that covers all the bases head-to-toe, from staying warm this winter to surviving a walk of shame with style.

The Everyday Oxford Dress Code

Shoes

Being at Oxford inevitably involves a lot of walking. Alongside a pair of comfy trainers – over which the Adidas Samba currently reigns supreme – Docs are another Oxford staple. But if you’re planning to break in a nice new pair this term, pack some thick socks or prepare for them to become your red-raw Achilles’ heel (Wonder Balsam is also truly wonder-FULL for softening the leather). Any such chunky, platform or biker boots will also help lift you another inch away from the grime of the Atik cheese floor. When it comes to fancy footwear, however, the impulse can be to prioritise fashion over functionality- but tread this line carefully, especially if you’re clip-clopping over the Radcam cobblestones in cowboy boots. Oxford roads can be a perilous territory for the weak-ankled and uncoordinated, so we recommend you wave goodbye to ballet flats and stilettos. And if in doubt, just default to the trustworthy, versatile, stylish Croc (check out @crocsford for inspiration).

Image courtesy of Katie Saunders

Scarves

Essential to surviving Oxford in the colder months, sporting a chunky fluffy scarf will prevent you from shivering in pub gardens and college libraries alike. Material matters too, so make sure to find something made with wool or cashmere. A preferred staple for both students and tutors here seems to be the striped cashmere scarf, but please avoid being so obsessed with it to the point that you will wear it to Bridge, because you will lose it, and a year later, you will see someone in Pret wearing it.

Although skinny scarves might be fashionable and very à la 2000s, you will regret abandoning thicker options as November rolls around. Overall, a good scarf adds flair to an outfit, and can be easily complemented by other winter accessories like hats and gloves.

Image Courtesy of Katie Saunders

Coats

Many Freshers anticipate the unofficial rite of passage of purchasing a college puffer in their first term. The hype is certainly warranted given how practical they are, especially in the winter months. However, there are a plethora of outerwear styles that are just as warm but more stylish. Down is more insulating than the synthetic filling in college puffers so, all clichés aside, The North Face puffer and others like it are great alternatives when bought second-hand. The same rule goes for lavish lovers of the fur coat, which keep you classy and very cosy.

Long wool coats are also very common around Oxford as they can be styled casually during the day or dressed-up for formal events. Loved by farmers and academics equally, wax jackets like the Barbour are rather popular around town, and resist rain well. Thus they make up for what leather jackets lack, even if half the student population prefers the latter over the former. So unlimited in styles and colours, it is no wonder that every other person owns at least one. Workwear jackets are also designed with durability in mind, and like leather jackets they are suitable for all seasons. Search for brands like Carhartt and Dickies and you are sure to come across one. 

Image Courtesy of Shaan Sidhu

Bags

It seems to go without saying that a good, practical bag is an Oxford essential. That’s probably why so many students bin their backpacks and succumb to the debilitating condition of Tote Bag Shoulder (or the luxury alternative, the Longchamp Lats). But if you do so, beware. It rains a lot here, and the flimsy sheath you nabbed from the Freshers’ fair is unlikely to keep your books dry. Not convinced? If you’re cycling in every day, a backpack is probably more ideal. If you’re feeling adventurous (or professional), use a satchel. If you want everyone to know how heavy your course load is, use a suitcase. And the most cursed option? The humble Tesco bag, with your unprotected laptop, pens and loose chewing gum rattling about the bottom. Environmentally conscious, cost-effective and unlikely to get stolen (although it may get binned).

Oxford Dress Code: What to Wear on a Night Out:

Oxford’s laid-back club culture is reflected in our outfits. The college puffer is an essential wear in the migration from college to Atik, since you probably care about it less than your rare vintage leather trench. You might even save £2 by skipping the cloakroom and taking a cheap jumper that you can just tie around your waist once you get inside. For footwear, some old trainers will do the trick, ideally with no mesh if you fear drink spillages. Clubs are also a great place to break in your Doc Martens.

Since venturing back into Bridge in broad daylight to dig through the lost and found just feels wrong, don’t wear anything you would be devastated to lose or damage. With the exception of the post-formal night out, nobody wears heels, nice dresses or suits. Leave any expensive or sentimental jewellery behind. The same goes for scarves and nice coats, even in the coldest months; either take a less precious alternative, or else rely on the tried-and-tested ‘liquid layers’ method (taking a couple of shots before speed walking across Oxford).

There are two kinds of Walk-of-Shame outfit:

  1. Post-formal 

The classier of walk of shame uniforms is of course last night’s black tie, with heels (or bowtie) in hand, sprinting across Oxford to a forgotten tutorial sans laptop, notepad or dignity.

  1. Post-club 

The luckier ones out there might get home in time for a frenzied outfit change, whereas the slightly less fortunate, having lost their cloakroom ticket, might have to borrow something from their new ‘friend’ and college tour provider. No shame involved though – the combination of a rugby shirt’s boyish charm with ultra-low waist jeans is peak Cornmarket Street-style.

Book Recommendations from the Editors’ Desk

Rufus Jones and Ananya Parakh and Zainab Rashid
-
0
Book Recommendations from the Editors’ Desk

Read our book section editors’ Michaelmas book recommendations: Rufus Jones on Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon, Ananya Parakh on Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, and Zaynab Rashid on Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Rufus Jones: Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes

The protagonist of this novel is an unlikely one: a 32-year-old man named Charlie Gordon with an IQ of 68. Seeking self-improvement, he attends reading and writing classes at a state institution, Beekman. His teacher Alice, kindly and solicitous, suggests he keep a diary. The novel comprises these diary entries. 

Scientists at Beekman, after successful experiments on a mouse named Algernon, are looking for a human test subject for a surgical technique believed to increase intelligence. Recommended by Alice and clearly motivated himself, Charlie is chosen. The surgery is a success and Charlie’s IQ skyrockets. Though initially excited by his new-found adeptness, his acuity sheds light on painful events he was previously oblivious to unavoidable; for instance, those he thought his close friends were actually bullies, delightedly ridiculing him to his face. 

The novel documents the wonder, fear and confusion with which Charlie comes to view the world and himself. The style and the content of the novel reflect his development as his writing improves. Though published in 1966, the subject of disability is treated with remarkable candour. Flowers for Algernon offers a stirring view of how the disabled are perceived and treated. It is one of the most moving novels I’ve read.

Image Credits: Flowers for Algernon, Oil on Canvas by Marshall P. Baron, via. Wikimedia Commons

Ananya Parakh: Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller

It’s tough to find a place to start with Henry Miller, because he never starts at the beginning. He dives into an obscene piece of insight you’d think you could have had yourself but you never did. He describes himself as “hungry, homeless and happy”. The autobiographical nature of Tropic of Cancer reflects that. With nothing to lose, he has complete freedom to welcome anything that comes his way, he has no grounds for compromise or sacrifice, just complete freedom and independence for thought and belief. For literature.

I read this book in bits. It was like a feast, that I had to take deep sighs to digest. Karl Shapiro, in his introduction to the 1961 edition said that it’s like poetry in a book written by a man that hates poetry. This could not have been more accurate. He rarely ever actually sticks to the subject, but that is the best part of the book. The corners and crevices of genius, almost scriptural, talk. Set in Paris in the 1930s, Tropic of Cancer is disgusting, pushing the boundaries of free speech in every way possible; misogyny, racism, violence and intoxication. You name it, and it’s a ‘trigger warning’ in the book. One of the longest standing banned books in the history of literature, for reasons that I understand, it is the best piece of literature I have ever read. It’s the perfect book to carry to a desert island with you, because while you’re hungry and homeless, you’ll also be happy.

Image Credits: Tropic of Cancer First Edition Cover, via. Flickr

Zainab Rashid: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is a magical and beautifully poetic writer. Every review glorifying ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ is both correct and unable to do it justice. My heart was pounding throughout and I was nervous to turn the page because of what I feared would come next. 

The story begins with Mariam, a young girl living in Afghanistan. Although she adores her father and cherishes his visits from the city, his ultimate rejection of her culminates in her marriage to Rasheed. And so, she is doomed at fifteen to live out the rest of her days with a cruel older man. With political conflict raging in the background, Laila is born and their paths cross in a shocking twist.

The story explores female life under Taliban rule, abusive relationships and family dynamics in an extremely empathetic way and centres on the personality, character and strength of both women. Hosseini’s writing and plot are captivating and the novel is intense, with themes of love, grief, sacrifice and hope threaded throughout. In short, it is absolutely heart wrenching.

Oxford malaria vaccine recommended for use by WHO

Fay Lorien
-
0
Oxford malaria vaccine recommended for use by WHO

An Oxford malaria vaccine has been recommended for use by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the second of two malaria vaccines produced in the last two years. Oxford’s vaccine has been selected for a mass rollout because of its potential for cheap mass distribution.  

The first-ever malaria vaccine, which was approved by the WHO in 2021, represented a significant step towards lessening the impact of the disease. This second vaccine is easily deployable, requiring a smaller dose than its predecessor, and is manufactured at about half the cost. 

The WHO said the new R21 vaccine would be a “vital additional tool”. Each dose costs $2-4 (£1.65 to £3.30) and four doses are needed per person- about half the price of RTS,S.

The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, will make 100 million doses per year, with plans to increase to 200 million. The vaccine is set to help prevent half a million deaths per year.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said in a press statement: “Demand for the [the first] vaccine far exceeds supply, so this second vaccine is a vital additional tool to protect more children faster, and to bring us closer to our vision of a malaria-free future.”

Due to constant mutation, malaria is hard to eliminate entirely. In 2021 96% of malaria deaths worldwide were in Africa. Recently the new vaccine has been approved for rollout in Ghana, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. 

Dr. Ghebreyesus said this was for him a moment of “great pleasure”. 

“I used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. Now we have two”, he said.

Data that has been published online shows the R21 vaccine is 75% effective at preventing the disease in areas where malaria is a seasonal, but has not yet been through the usual process of scientific review.

Is Shakespeare’s Globe still Relevant?

Kiaya Phillips
-
0
Is Shakespeare’s Globe still Relevant?

The Globe is certainly still one of the biggest and most recognisable names when it comes to theatres despite now being over 25 years old. It is renowned for its Shakespearean roots in drama and constant stream of productions every year. The Globe theatre is undoubtedly a household name for anyone with even the remotest interest in the dramatic arts. But with its almost exclusive adherence to traditional plays, primarily Shakespearean ones, is it still able to keep up with the times? When modern theatre is on the up, and people want to see pieces that are provoking and get people talking, is The Globe able to accommodate the ever changing needs of a modern audience? 

This summer, like many others, I went to see a few productions at The Globe with my father, a yearly bonding ritual we enjoy partaking in. This summer we saw two productions; ‘The Comedy of Errors’ and ‘As You Like It’. What always intrigues me when going into a production of a Shakespearean text, is how the director and actors are going to make their version “different”. Being an avid Shakespeare fan I can safely say I feel as though I have seen it all. I’ve seen very traditional versions that strongly adhere to the original speech and directions of the texts, and I have equally seen overly modernised interpretations that take a go at bringing Shakespeare into the 21st century. I have no particular preference for either but I always find that the plays that stick with me are the ones that bring a unique interpretation to the table. 

In this summer’s production of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ we can see directorial choices being made to bring a quirky take on the original comedic text. The production I saw was overtly camp and playful in style. They utilised the underlying innuendos of the original text and played on them using exaggerated physical movements and costume. Costume designer Paul Wills’ dynamic choices emphasise the overly dramatic take the director is embarking on with this text (I myself am particularly curious to know where the black and silver starred cowboy boots he uses are from…). In a review of the production by The Guardian they state that the ‘context remains relatively untouched yet the show feels contemporary’, further revealing that people are beginning to recognise the steps that The Globe is taking to bring its plays into this more modern dramatic space, whilst still paying homage to its Shakespearean roots. Moreover, the costume and set’s bright colour palette would incite the eye of any spectator, especially members of a younger demographic. The Globe is known for its audience participation and I do think this is an element that they utilise well to keep their productions interesting and relevant. It brings theatre into the outside space, breaking down that fourth wall between actor and audience member, a connection that is emphasised further with their classic in the round staging design and particularly their unique standing section.

Additionally, in this year’s production of ‘As You Like It’ I saw The Globe enter into a new more gender and racially inclusive space. The casting was deliberately gender neutral and diverse and the context of the text was made to be more fluid and open to wider interpretations. Director Ellen McDougall employs composer Michael Henry to integrate modern pop music into the production, adding some pizazz to the age-old classic and encouraging a hearty audience sing-along to Bruno Mars. The costumes in this production also take a more modern, untraditional, approach integrating traditional silhouettes and structures with layers of distressed ruffles and more modern accessories like neck chains and dangly earrings. The play could be viewed as pushing traditional limits too far, but I think it took a new approach and I enjoyed the gender neutral casting and felt that it did not interfere with my understanding of characters and their relationships in the slightest. I look forward to seeing more of this level of inclusivity and diversity in future Globe productions. 

I also think that The Globe ensures that their productions remain accessible to the masses by offering £10-15 tickets for the standing section of the theatre. Though it isn’t exactly enjoyable to stand for some of the lengthier Shakespearean plays (I don’t think I could exactly “enjoy” standing for three hours watching a dense play like Hamlet!), it does give the option for people to come and see a production for a fraction of the price of what the seated tickets often go for. This means young thespians are given access to these world class productions without much financial sacrifice.  

On The Globe’s website they say that they ‘celebrate Shakespeare’s transformative impact on the world by conducting a radical theatrical experiment.’ They are seemingly striving to create this new identity for themselves by offering alternative productions that aren’t Shakespeare and encouraging their actresses and directors to make radical and progressive choices ‘to collide old and new’ to form something revolutionary.  

Though I think that The Globe is trying to keep themselves relevant there are definitely advances they could make to ensure this even further. I feel like they are slowly beginning to push against the boundaries of traditional texts, but it’s time to break those walls down and venture into something new and profound. I think by integrating newer modern plays into their repertoire they would generate new traction to the theatre and give back to the community by allowing up and coming practitioners a bigger setting to show their productions on. Despite this idea, I do have a lot of respect for the Globe and its productions, and I will undoubtedly continue to visit their theatre and enjoy their shows for many years to come. 

Oxford centre with mystery £10M donor and family links to autocratic ruler silent on regime’s imprisonment of LSE academic

Suzanne Antelme
-
0
Oxford centre with mystery £10M donor and family links to autocratic ruler silent on regime’s imprisonment of LSE academic

The Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre (ONGC) is funded by an anonymous £10 million donation and has on its board the sister-in-law of President Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s autocratic ruler. The makeup of the centre’s board and the University’s refusal to identify the donor have drawn criticism from academics concerned about the preservation of academic freedom.

This comes amidst the ongoing imprisonment of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, an LSE academic and government critic arrested in Azerbaijan this summer on charges condemned as false and politically motivated.

Neither the University nor the centre have reacted to Dr Gubad’s predicament. His family are calling for this silence to be broken.

The centre

According to its website, the Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre was established in 2019 to study the “history, languages and cultures of Azerbaijan, the Caucasus and Central Asia”. The centre offers visiting fellowships and funding for graduate students, and supports Azerbaijani language instruction at Oxford. It is funded by an anonymous £10 million endowment “given in recognition of the British Foundation for the Study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus [BFSAC] in 2018”.

On the centre’s board sits Nargiz Pashayeva, the sister-in-law of President Ilham Aliyev, the autocratic ruler of Azerbaijan. Her sister, Mehriban Aliyeva, is Azerbaijan’s First Lady and first ever ‘Vice President’, the second highest constitutional office in the country to which her husband appointed her immediately after creating it in 2017.

Freedom House characterises Azerbaijan as an authoritarian regime, with power “heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev … and his extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution.”

Dr Tena Prelec, Assistant Professor at the University of Rijeka and a former Research Fellow at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, told Cherwell: “[Pashayeva’s] connections with the Azerbaijani ruling elite could not be stronger. It has been proven that hundreds of millions of pounds linked to the Azerbaijani elite have been laundered through UK real estate (the Azerbaijani Laundromat); while attempts by Azerbaijan to influence political decisions through bribery have also been established beyond doubt (the so-called ‘caviar diplomacy’ scandal at the Council of Europe). For those reasons alone, Pashayeva’s involvement in an Oxford research centre warrants particular care and attention.”

In addition to being on the ONGC’s board, Nargiz Pashayeva played a key role in setting up the centre. She is credited with establishing collaboration with the University back in 2014 in the form of the ‘Nizami Ganjavi Programme’, a five-year research programme worth £1 million with similar research aims. She also “facilitated” the creation of the ONGC itself in her role as chair of the British Foundation for the Study of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus (BFSAC). 

Given its focus on cultural studies, the centre appears non-political. However, in a letter to the Foreign Secretary in 2020 urging the UK to take a more pro-Azerbaijan approach regarding conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Lord Malcolm Bruce described the ONGC as an “important symbol of inclusiveness promoted by Azerbaijan today”. Lord Bruce is a member of the UK House of Lords and was also the British co-founder of BFSAC, the charity chaired by Pashayeva and recognized by the ONGC’s mystery £10 million donor. BFSAC closed down in October 2022.

Lord Bruce told Cherwell he “supported the establishment of the [ONGC] as a non-political, academic and cultural centre for promoting interest in the Caucasus and central Asian region”, noting that “the donation enabling the foundation of the centre was subject to and approved through Oxford University due diligence”. 

Regarding the contents of his 2020 letter, he pointed to UN criticism of Armenia’s actions at the time and emphasised that his “only interest was and remains in securing a long-term settlement and improvement in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations”, adding that he has “been critical of the regime in Azerbaijan and the lack of free and fair elections”.

Lord Bruce was formerly the Council of Europe’s Rapporteur for Political Prisoners from 2003-2005, and is noted in ESI’s ‘Caviar Diplomacy’ report as having taken a relatively critical stance towards the Azerbaijani regime. 

The funding

When asked about the identity of the anonymous donor, Oxford University told Cherwell: “The University will not disclose the name of the donor; the terms of the gift are such that the donor wanted to be anonymous, and the University is respecting that agreement. 

“All major prospective donors are carefully considered by the University’s Committee to Review Donations and Research Funding under the University’s guidelines for acceptance. The committee, which includes independent, external representatives, has robust and rigorous guidelines regarding the acceptance of donations and research funding.”

A University spokesperson previously told Times Higher Education that the donation “does not come from a government”. 

When Cherwell prompted the University to clarify what scope is given to the term ‘government’ in this statement, the University re-emphasised the expertise of its donations review committee, adding that the committee “was made aware of the donor of this gift, who was considered and approved through our usual due diligence process”.

Dr. Prelec emphasised to Cherwell that “it is not enough for the public to know that the donor was not a governmental entity. In many countries … much of the political economy rests on an exchange of favours between businesspeople and the rulers.

“In order to be able to conduct business and prosper, individuals hoping to do business in or with Azerbaijan often donate hefty sums to philanthropic activities that are used to enhance Azerbaijan’s image in the world. Alex Dukalskis has called this money-fuelled burnishing of a country’s reputation ‘authoritarian image management’.”

In an Azernews article from early 2017, Pashayeva is quoted saying she “would like to thank Mr Iskandar Khalilov for his first financial support of the Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre”. 

Iskandar Khalilov (name sometimes spelt as Iskander or Iskender) is an Azerbaijani businessman. He is the founder of ISR Holdings, which describes itself as “one of the largest [structures] in the private sector of Azerbaijan”. He also appears to have been on the board of directors for Russian state oil company Slavneft, and according to Azerbaijani state media has been Vice President for Russian multinational energy corporation LUKOIL Oil Company. In 2016, Khalilov was amongst those awarded by the Azerbaijani President for services to the development of the Azerbaijani diaspora. 

When asked to clarify what financial contribution from Khalilov was being referred to, the University declined to comment further. This reply came in a new email thread with ‘confidential’ added to the subject line in all caps. 

In response to Cherwell’s Freedom of Information request asking for details on any donations received by Khalilov, the University would neither confirm nor deny whether it held this information. The University argued that exemptions protecting personal data and commercial interest applied, and said it “would not be appropriate for the University to provide information which could lead to donors … being identified by a process of elimination”.

Dr John Heathershaw, Professor of International Relations at Exeter University and founding member of the Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group, told Cherwell: “It was a serious error of judgement by Oxford’s gift committee to agree to an anonymous £10 million donation … In the US it would have been illegal to accept such a high donation anonymously and in the UK it is certainly unethical.

“While confidentiality in small donations is reasonable, it is never admissible in large donations, especially with respect to regions and topics where there are credible risks of reputation laundering and authoritarian influencing.” 

The silence

Neither the University nor the ONGC have responded to the arrest and ongoing detention of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, a UK-based Azerbaijani academic, democracy advocate and regime critic.

Dr Gubad, a Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE, was arrested in late July while visiting family in Baku. He was charged initially with selling counterfeit money and then with distributing religious extremist materials. Human Rights Watch has dismissed these charges as “false” and “politically motivated”, and demands his immediate release. Dr Gubad is reportedly being denied medical attention in prison and his family have expressed concern about the impact on his health.

Tomila Lankina, LSE Professor of International Relations, has been working closely with the campaign to secure Dr Gubad’s release. Speaking to Cherwell, she questioned the ONGC’s silence on the matter: “The question is, where is their voice? I would have thought a centre at one of the most prestigious institutions would have done something by now, because they have much better connections than everyone else…

“If they have someone close to the regime [Pashayeva], one would think they would use those channels to secure the release of a man who’s health conditions have deteriorated since imprisonment and on whose behalf there has been a huge campaign.”

Lankina said she found the anonymity of the ONGC’s donor combined with the identity of its board members “deeply troubling”.

Zhala Bayramova, Dr Gubad’s daughter, told Cherwell regarding the ONGC’s silence that “at the very least” she would like to see a statement from the centre and the University expressing their concern.

She added, “If they cannot even muster a Twitter statement, which is a minimal gesture of endorsement and support without significant binding power, it raises serious doubts about their commitment, especially when they are meant to be guardians of scholars.”

Regarding the anonymous funding, Zhala emphasised that “it is imperative for universities to prioritise transparency”, as anonymity can “obscure the nature of donations and their impact on university policies and decision-making processes”. 

Similarly, Dr Heathershaw noted that “given Oxford’s secrecy [about the donor], it is not appropriate for the sister-in-law of the President of Azerbaijan to sit on the board of ONGC…. While there is little doubt that any direct attempts to limit academic freedom would be challenged by other members of the [ONGC] board, we know that research activities are influenced in more subtle ways including who is likely to apply to fellowship positions and what they propose if there is a perception of preference to a particular regime.”

The University told Cherwell: “The [ONGC’s] Board comprises seven members, five of whom are Oxford University academics and two of whom were nominated by [BFSAC]. Each member serves a three-year term which is extendable for one further term, and the Board reports to the University’s Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies….

“All research projects and researchers at Oxford University have absolute freedom of academic enquiry without influence from donors or donations. The [ONGC] follows these principles and academic decisions about their research agenda and outputs are made entirely independently of the Board, donors or any political interests in Azerbaijan.”

Emin Bayramli, one of Dr Gubad’s sons, expressed concern that the ONGC, as a space the Azerbaijani community in Oxford is likely to rely on, is not fit for purpose: “It’s essential for individuals living abroad, many of whom have relocated … to have impartial and secure spaces… As someone living in exile, I would not feel secure seeking support from a centre [whose board] is closely related to a dictator”. 

Adding that “[i]t is crucial for institutions to demonstrate their commitment to academic freedom and the protection of scholars, and issuing a statement is a minimal but necessary step in that direction”, Emin called for the ONGC and the University to do so. 

The ONGC and Nargiz Pashayeva have been approached for comment. Cherwell has also tried to reach Iskandar Khalilov through ISR Holdings.

1...156157158...2,516Page 157 of 2,516

Support Student Journalism

Cherwell is Oxford’s oldest independent newspaper, established in 1920. We are entirely student-run. By supporting us, you will contribute to keeping our paper in print and online. Every donation makes a difference.

Donate

Explore

Follow us

More

Oxford Student Publications Limited © 2025 - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

Website by James Ashley