Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has joined the race to be elected as the new Chancellor of the University of Oxford to "give back" to the world.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician studied philosophy, politics, and economics PPE at the world-famous university Keble College from 1972 to 1975.
He called 'The Daily Telegraph' this week from his prison cell in Rawalpindi to say that he would be a passionate advocate for the university.
"Oxford University helped me a lot in my formative years. As Chancellor, I would passionately advocate for Oxford, championing its values of diversity, equality, and inclusion, both in the UK and abroad," said Khan in his application.
I will be equally committed to giving back to the world all the resilience, determination, and integrity that life taught me, even when people had all the odds against me," he said.
Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, has been in prison for more than a year on charges he claims are politically motivated to keep him from regaining power in Islamabad.
He is now reported to be one of several candidates to take over from 80-year-old Lord Chris Patten, who formally resigned from the honorary headship last month.
Conservative Party peer Lord Daniel Hannan has supported Khan, describing him as a "towering figure in the worlds of philanthropy, sport, and politics."
"He would make a superb Chancellor for the world's foremost university," he said.
However, his application is also considered to highlight his imprisonment and pressure the Pakistani government and military leadership.
This will certainly be a tough race because Khan's opponents are distinguished British political personalities: former Tory UK foreign secretary Lord William Hague and former Labour Party minister Lord Peter Mandelson.
More than 250,000 Oxford alumni will vote in an online ballot later this year. The winner will serve a 10-year term supporting Professor Irene Tracey, the university's current Vice-Chancellor.
According to the institution, the Chancellor is the titular head of the University of Oxford and presides over several key ceremonial events. Other formal duties include advocacy, advisory, and fundraising work, serving as ambassador for the university at a range of local, national, and international events.
According to the official guidelines set for the election, the online voting is to be conducted during the third week of Michaelmas term – the week beginning on October 28.
The final list of candidates is to be published only in early October.
The University added that applicants for the unpaid position are required to display, to a very special degree, distinction in their field of endeavor and earn respect beyond their formal field; profound appreciation for the university's research and academic mission, its international community, and its determination to remain a top-notch research and teaching university; the ability and willingness to augment the University's prestige locally, nationally, and internationally.
For the first time, an election is being held for a post held by only three people since 1960, including former Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan, former Labour home secretary and president of the European Commission Roy Jenkins, besides Lord Patten, a former governor of Hong Kong, most recently.
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