Zumba teacher? 'Anti-woke' cleric? 38 candidates line up to head Oxford

One is an Anglican clergyman who presents himself as the “anti-woke candidate.” Another is a left-wing activist who boasts that he has never “invaded any West Asian countries.” Still another is a Zumba teacher who says her cardio training would help her face the rigors of the job.

- MARK LANDLER

These are three of the 38 people in the running to be the next chancellor of the University of Oxford, a largely symbolic, yet enduringly prestigious, post as the titular head of one of the world’s most ancient universities.

For the past 21 years, the job has been held by Chris Patten, a former Conservative Party chairman and the last colonial governor of Hong Kong. Patten’s retirement in July kicked off a selection process that has drawn predictably high-flown public figures, but also several earthbound candidates for a post at the pinnacle of Oxford’s dreaming spires.

“We’ve moved from the old-school approach of a tap on the shoulder to a far more open process,” said Jonathan Black, a fellow at New College, Oxford, who is director of the university’s career services. “The issues the university is facing are very different than when Chris Patten arrived,” he said.