Outsider to be new Oxford Uni chief

Dr John Hood was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford in the late 1970s

Oxford University's next chief executive is to be an outsider, for the first time in its 900-year history.

The man who will lead the university through the changes brought about by the introduction of top-up fees is Dr John Hood, the current vice-chancellor of Auckland University.

He has been nominated as the new vice-chancellor of Oxford, although the appointment has yet to be approved by the university.

He is expected to take over from Sir Colin Lucas in autumn, 2004.

Dr Hood is the first person in the university's 900-year history to be selected from outside the institution.

He attended Oxford in the late 1970s as a Rhodes Scholar at Worcester College, where he did an MPhil in management studies.

His appointment is for at least five years, during which time universities will be given the power to increase tuition fees from their present level of £1,100 to a maximum of £3,000.

Privilege

Dr Hood said: "I am humbled to have been invited to lead Oxford, one of the world's great universities.

"It will be a privilege to work with the University's internationally-renowned scholars and its global community of students and alumni.

"Although I expect that the greatest immediate challenge that Oxford will face in 2004 will result from UK national legislation following the White Paper that was published earlier this year, there is also much important work to be done building on the impressive governance foundations that Sir Colin has laid."