Oxford University’s China Dilemma – POLITICO

She described the chancellor’s role as essentially the “diplomat” or “secretary of state” for Oxford – someone who can both promote international engagement and lobby the UK government for what it wants.

“The reason we are having the debates is that these two candidates (Mandelson and Hague), plus the former chancellor, have diametrically opposed views on China,” she added.

Some see the chancellorship as mere window dressing, regardless of the battles being fought over the Beijing ties.

Anthony Seldon, a political historian who also attended Worcester College, Oxford, said the competition, whoever won, might not add much to the university’s stature, dismissing it as little more than a vanity project for aging has-beens.

“Chancellors rarely make much of a difference, and the stronger the university, the less a chancellor can do,” he said. “It’s nice for parents on graduation day to see someone they recognize, but we’re not talking about something that’s going to propel Oxford into the second half of the 21st century.

“For Oxford, it won’t make much difference whether it’s William Hague or it’s Peter Mandelson or someone else.”

“Obviously, it means something to them,” Seldon added. “It’s one of the nicest post-career jobs imaginable.”