Monday 30th June 2025
Blog Page 20

Trinity College dedicate new artwork to renowned physicist

Elizabeth Hamilton
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Trinity College dedicate new artwork to renowned physicist

A door at Trinity College designed by acclaimed sculptor Antony Gormley in collaboration with UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has been dedicated to physicist Henry Moseley. The artwork forms part of the redevelopment of the College and its new Levine Building on site.

Moseley, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity in 1910, conducted research to establish the concept of the atomic number. Moseley’s Law helped to reveal the structure of the atom and changed the arrangement of the periodic table to its current form. The scientist was set to win the 1916 Nobel Prize in Physics, but was killed at the Battle of Gallipoli in August 1915. This dedication was announced as part of the college’s VE Day celebrations.

Trinity’s president, Dame Hilary Boulding told Cherwell: “We are thrilled that two such distinctive and admired artists accepted the commission to create a functional piece of public art.  We set out to create something to enhance the public realm and to provide something intriguing and thought-provoking, next to one of the most photographed views in Oxford. 

“The door is very much part of Trinity’s desire to engage with the City’s wider community and we hope that it will provide an additional point of interest for pedestrians in the city.”

Gormley’s design features a cutout in the shape of a silhouette walking, through which the viewer can look towards Oxford’s science area. Antony Gormley said: “The idea of the threshold and the function of doors have been interests of mine for a long time; I want the physical engagement of approaching the door and going through it to be in balance with the door itself where word and material come together. Simon echoed the feelings I had about the door as the arbiter of inner and outer in a poem that gives the door a voice or a mind.”

The aperture itself emphasises the passage of time; as it continues to rust, the patina will evolve as the seasons change, and the touch of people passing through the door will polish the surface naturally.

It invites passers-by to consider where things – the body, time, space – begin and end through a series of raised concentric rings radiating out from the central silhouette.

Armitage, honorary fellow of the college, also composed a poem, entitled ‘Hinge’, to appear in relief on the door itself, reflecting the themes represented by Gormley’s design. It highlights the two-way operation of the door, and the differing views which can be seen through the aperture. Armitage states that “the poem is advocating a dialogue and a coming and going between formal and informal learning, between the heart and the head, and the need for a balance between the two approaches.”

The pair have highlighted the focus on collaboration in an effort to link their respective artforms. Simon Armitage was approached in 2020 to write the poem with a view to incorporating it into a new door and he was interested to work with Antony Gormley. Trinity told Cherwell that “finding two artists who positively wanted to work together was an important step in creating a collaborative work of art.”

Armitage said that Gormley’s design “puts the human form and also humanity at the centre of the door and at the centre of the poem”, while Gormley has emphasised the design’s aim of “integrating words into an object” and how he hopes it will “generate thought and feeling both for the passer-by and the regular user.”

The dedication ceremony included poetry readings and a flypast. It was attended by senior scientists from around the world, as well as Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi. A new portrait of Moseley is also to be unveiled, and the University is to announce the introduction of the Marconi-Moseley Scholarship for Science in the Service of Humanity.

Oxford scientists develop new screening method to combat antimicrobial resistant bacteria

Hassan Akram
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Oxford scientists develop new screening method to combat antimicrobial resistant bacteria

Oxford scientists have developed a new screening method which reveals new ways of combating antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

In research published by Chemical Science, scientists at the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research (IOI) have identified several compounds that could make tetracyclines (a type of antibiotic) effective against drug-resistant bacteria. 

Tetracyclines are mostly used in treating respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. However, increasing bacterial resistance is making them less and less useful. An enzyme called Tet(X), which breaks down tetracycline antibiotics and, essentially, makes them ineffective, is especially resistant.

The IOI team has developed a “fluorescent tetracycline probe” which binds to Tet(X). This means they can identify any substances which block Tet(X). As a result, scientists can test thousands of existing drugs to test if they have the potential to block resistance to antibiotics. 

Three of the six drugs were already in clinical use. X-ray crystallography showed that these compounds bind within Tet(X)’s active site, providing insight into how they block the enzyme and suggesting routes for future drug design.

Professor Christopher Schofield, Director of Chemistry at IOI, said: “The global rise of Tet(X)-mediated resistance threatens to undermine the effectiveness of last-line antibiotics. Pairing these antibiotics with inhibitors that block enzyme degradation is essential to protect these drugs.

“We have found promising compounds and developed a robust assay platform to accelerate development of tetracycline inhibitors—laying the groundwork for next-generation combination therapies.”

Dr Matthew Beech, Postdoctoral Research Associate at IOI and first author of the paper, also said: “Our newly-developed fluorescent probe has helped us discover existing medicines such as antipsychotics and antimalarials that can be used to protect tetracycline antibiotics. Crystal structures have also revealed how these compounds latch onto Tet(X), unlocking new design strategies.

“We will now work to refine these molecules, with the ultimate aim of delivering a new combination therapy that can be used in clinical settings.”

The study is titled “Binding Assays Enable Discovery of Tet(X) Inhibitors that Combat Tetracycline Destructase Resistance”.

How Military Personnel Can Deal with Boot Camp Injuries

External Contributor
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How Military Personnel Can Deal with Boot Camp Injuries

Boot camp has emerged as an excellent training avenue for people seeking fitness, discipline, and de-addiction. It is also necessary training for military personnel, giving them strength and resilience for adverse times.

However, boot camp injuries are unfortunately common. Although trainers use updated safety protocols to limit accidents, they are sometimes inevitable. Military personnel often undergo rigorous exercises that need them to stretch their bodily limits. It can make them more prone to getting hurt.

Do All Military Personnel Go Through Boot Camp Training?

The training is mandatory for all five US military branches. These include the Army, the Marines, and the Navy. Personnel in the Air Force and Coast Guard also complete this training.

Typically, it takes 8-12 weeks. However, this timing can vary by branch. Your timeline may also change if you face any injury, like a fracture, that keeps you away for an extended period.

Many boot camp injuries emanate from stress and muscle overuse. The New Yorker reports that the US military faces a recruiting crisis since many youngsters are unprepared for intensive training.

Occasionally, you may get hurt because of equipment failure or an adverse weather event.

Let’s understand how you can manage boot camp injuries as military personnel without letting them become debilitating.

Focus on a Combination of Exercises 

You may find boot camp a lot more challenging if you are not used to physical exercise. That said, jumping straight to strenuous workouts without adequate warmup is not the best plan for the body. Light jumping and other aerobic exercises are good to prepare your body for training.

A balanced combination of necessary exercises helps you work various muscle groups, getting a more thorough workout. Working on flexibility and mobility is very important as areas like hamstrings and calves are at higher risk of injury.

Another vital consideration is mastering the correct running technique. An upright posture and natural strides can limit sprains and cramps during running, which you will do a lot.

Get Your Medication Assessed

Since boot camp injuries are often inevitable, you must stay alert about anything else that may weaken your body. Some medicines you take may be affecting your stamina and endurance. For example, a painkiller for a headache may bring you down with drowsiness. Not being attentive during training can raise your risk of injuries.

Further, some trainees attend boot camps to deal with addiction issues. For instance, you may be on a medication plan like Suboxone, which is an established treatment for opioid addiction. However, American Addiction Centers state that it can cause dizziness and impact concentration. The Suboxone lawsuit shows that the drug also has other side effects like substantial tooth decay.

While in boot camp, you should ask your doctor to reassess any medication that can affect your performance. TorHoerman Law notes that some drug manufacturers may fail to disclose possible side effects to consumers, breaching the duty of care. Military personnel must educate themselves on these risks and remain cautious.

Examine Your Diet and Lifestyle Habits

Many boot camp supervisors report an increase in musculoskeletal injuries among trainees. It could emanate from sedentary lifestyles and a lack of outdoor activity. It makes your body less resilient and more prone to injuries when lifting weights.

Often, trainees don’t realize how risky it can be not to wear sunscreen in hot climates. Skin damage may seem trivial in the larger scheme of things. But it can become a serious concern over time – UV exposure is no joke.

Diet can also help you keep safe at boot camp. Does your body lack vitamins and anti-inflammatory agents? It can delay the natural healing of your injuries. Similarly, inadequate hydration also affects your body’s capability to heal and recover, particularly during long, sweaty days of training. Yet another culprit is excessive sugar consumption.

Consider speaking to a doctor and supplementing your diet with additional vitamins. A nourishing diet can help heal wounds faster, making this extra effort worthwhile. Vitamins D and C are particularly helpful. They are present generously in foods like fatty fish and oranges. 

Protein is also essential since it helps strengthen your muscles. The USARIEM has been researching if warfighters need nutritional enhancements to meet their energy needs. Since they may consume up to 6,000 calories daily, not eating enough will put their bodies in an energy deficit. Energy bars enhanced with protein and essential amino acids can help meet nutritional requirements.

Avail of Professional Medical Attention

If your injury is severe, you should ask for a professional evaluation. Most boot camps have medical assistance on site. An expert can examine you and recommend medication if necessary. They might add a note to your file recommending a watch for future sessions. 

For example, you may have a weak ankle. It makes you susceptible to injuries during exercises that involve strenuous foot movements. You may need to be extra cautious not to hurt your ankle. Or you may need surgery to avoid problems during service. 

Many recruits are apprehensive about seeking help because they feel it will extend their training time and delay graduation. However, delaying treatment can make your injury more severe and cause serious health repercussions. Endurance is brave, but not doing what is necessary may only be foolish.

What happens if you get so severely hurt that you become unfit for service? In this unfortunate case, you will get discharged. Do note that such extreme situations are rare, as military training has evolved with time. Many trainees benefit from watching demonstrations closely and knowing their limits.

We will not deny that boot camp can be grueling. However, it remains a brilliant way to train military personnel to deal with any challenges that come their way. Learning to cope with injuries will give you strength to emerge at the other end undaunted, if not unscathed.

High Street buildings owned by All Souls to be redeveloped

Arina Makarina
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High Street buildings owned by All Souls to be redeveloped

All Souls College has received a planning permission from Oxford City Council for a project to “redevelop and revitalise” 10-15 High Street. Currently, these buildings are occupied by David Clulow Opticians, Caffe Nero and Whittards.

According to the press release, the project will aim to “renew these buildings sensitively, to provide much needed teaching and research accommodation for the College in the upper floors of the buildings, and to invest in the retail premises for the High Street.”

Designed by Wright & Wright Architects, the project will include three additional seminar spaces, including a 100-seat lecture theatre, studies and offices for the administrative team, and a roof garden. The spaces will be built primarily for academic use, but All Souls has indicated it is open to running public lectures as well once the building is open.

The college has also expressed plans to invest in sustainability. Refurbishment is intended to improve the energy efficiency of the historic buildings, “minimising the College’s carbon footprint and moving as far as possible to a net zero position”. 

Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) responded to the planning application saying they “welcome the restoration of the buildings, and particularly the works to the High Street elevation, including works to improve the appearance of the existing shop fronts”. OPT noted that more information needed to be provided regarding the proposed roof terrace, as elements like lighting or area of seating “could impact upon how visible this area becomes within elevated views across the skyline”.

All Souls’ press release highlighted the “opportunity to work with neighbours, including the Covered Market”. The college is planning to invest in improving the entrances and passageways into the Market. Further, the college will work to ensure that extensive scaffolding during the construction works causes minimal hindrance to visitors.

There have been preliminary works on site for two years. The main construction works, given All Souls goes through with the project, are expected to commence closer to the end of 2025. The project is estimated to be completed by the middle of 2028. 

Oxford Fashion Gala’s ‘Metamorphosis’ reflects the beauty of change

Emma Heagney
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Oxford Fashion Gala’s ‘Metamorphosis’ reflects the beauty of change

The Oxford Fashion Gala was back and bigger than ever, with a larger venue, more ticket sales, and a grander vision. On Wednesday 14th May, the Town Hall was host to a night of ethereal glamour and exceptional young talent. Designers and models came together under this year’s theme of ‘Metamorphosis’, which had been teased through the Gala’s Instagram and Pinterest.

Before any further information came out, the Gala’s Pinterest was already a great sneak preview for what we could expect to see. Inspiration ranged from Iris van Herpen to Björk to Ancient Greek vases, and of course, butterflies. Think ethereal, think draped, think flowy. 

A week prior, your Cherwell Fashion editor was lucky enough to get a chance to start building a sense of the designs through a sneak peek of the show at their dress rehearsal. Gearing up for the big day, the organisers of the Gala were on top form, thinking carefully about the right music to fit the theme and experimental ideas for the runway setup. It was delightful to see the range of models, from their diverse appearances to their different approaches to ‘the walk’. Of course, even in their rehearsal outfits, the models were still incredibly stylish.

During the rehearsal, I sat down with one of the designers at this year’s Gala, Axel Roy Lee. His interpretation of the theme is incredibly moving, with a recent bereavement inspiring him to channel his loved one’s distinctive style into his designs. Metamorphosis and change allowed him to express his tragedy through something beautiful, and pay homage to someone who had changed his life for the better. This touching sentiment reminds us of why fashion is so important to so many, providing a platform for us to connect emotionally through the medium of design, and proving that beauty lies as much in the concept as it does in the final product.

At last year’s Gala, Axel put his foot through the door of fashion design, and this year he planned to impress once again. Inspired by Paco Rabanne’s innovative ‘metal dresses’, his second piece reflected the scales of a snake, which are another major source of inspiration for the designer born in the year of the snake. When asked for a preview of the show, Axel fittingly told Cherwell: “Sparkly!”

Another designer, Olivia Moore, told me about her design, a beautiful dress with a heart at the centre. She was inspired by the butterfly, and a little known fact that during the metamorphosis, every part of the caterpillar breaks down except the heart, which is the only part that carries through to the final form. She sought to reflect what we can keep, rather than change. Her experience with sewing on-and-off since the age of sixteen has clearly been productive, with her dress doing a great job of representing her love of kitsch and circus style.

Alongside the personal resonance of ‘Metamorphosis’, the theme was not limited to what we saw on the runway: this year, all profits and Youni booking fees from the Oxford Fashion Gala were donated to Oxford Mutual Aid, a network providing emergency support and food parcels to those in need. Metamorphosis and changing society was at the heart of this year’s show, whether through creativity or raising awareness for the need for volunteers and donations to the charity.

On the night of the gala, I also had the chance to see behind the scenes, in the dressing room. So much glamour was packed into one historic place, with OFG President Isabel ‘Iggy’ Clarke sporting a sparkly, sheer dress which meant you couldn’t miss her. The space was crowded with people, from models to makeup artists to a very underdressed Cherwell section editor. Fashion photography was already underway, and from across the town hall we could hear the thumping beats of the DJs. With change after change, walk after walk, the models didn’t strut but swanned gracefully down the runway, embodying the theme.

Fashion enthusiast or not, this year’s Oxford Fashion Gala was definitely not one to miss. With music provided by Nightschool, The Booksellers, and Rough Edge Brass Band, the occasion was a visual and social thrill.

Oxford Spotlight: Masood Najar, the man behind Najar’s

Sydney Walter
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Oxford Spotlight: Masood Najar, the man behind Najar’s

Those unfamiliar with Oxford may not understand why there’s a queue running down the street for a refurbished cabbie shelter on St. Giles’. But to those in the know, that small blue shelter is the Lebanese restaurant Najar’s Place. To those really in the know, it’s Masood Najar’s place, and he has been the man behind the magic of Oxford lunchtime, dinnertime, and sometimes even breakfast, for twenty years.  

I first heard about Najar’s Place in a freshers’ guide to the best eats in Oxford, Najar’s Place taking top spot—which I can now confidently endorse. One day, on my walk to college, I stopped by to ask if ‘the owner’ would be open to doing an interview. When I approached the counter, Masood was holding a giant tub of chickpeas, mashing them with some kind of unknown contraption and wearing a blue apron. I had never met Masood formally before, but by the way he carried those chickpeas, and his immediate smile as soon as he saw me, asking “what can I do for you?”, I knew he was the man in charge.

Masood Najar is 47 and has been in Oxford since 2004. It was in 2005 that he put the ‘Najar’ in Najar’s Place when he took the business over from his friend. Propped up on a counter which faces the street to speak with me, Masood told me that he makes everything himself and everything is his recipe:

“When you’re cooking food, what are you thinking about?” 

“About love.”

“About love!”

“I love cooking. I love doing it with my heart. I don’t want nobody else to do it.” 

Originally from Aleppo, Syria, he moved to the UK because, as he puts it, he didn’t like Middle Eastern culture:  “The culture there is all rules. Not just rules against you, but you know your freedom. You don’t have freedom for yourself. You don’t have a right. You don’t have a say. Or everything is limited, and you can’t do lots of things you do here and in Europe. So I always wanted a free society, a free world. I mean, everything is available. Yeah, always. Like this.”  

He gestures outside at the street behind me. But it wasn’t just this feeling of being free which made Masood want to come to the UK, it was also the opportunity of education:“I wanted to feel free, of course, but, you know, the learning as well. You know, I learned a lot here. Yeah, I lived there, like in back home, maybe 24 years, and I’ve been here for 23 years, and I learned more here than when in school.”

Masood believes deeply in four things: hard work, determination, kindness, and learning. He wants to learn as much as he can about the world. From animals, to the potential of life on other planets—“We are just a dot in this universe! There is no way we are the only ones”—He hopes that he is passing that love of learning on to his three kids, too. 

When he told me about his kids, he didn’t even try to conceal who his favourite was, saying that he prefers his daughters because his daughters are “very sweet. Every day, if I’m late, where are you? Why are you late? And if I come home, they run to the door. And my son, he’s playing video games, he doesn’t even know I am coming.”

 I laugh. “He doesn’t know?”

“No! Or care!” 

Masood shifts his body so I can see the fryer behind him, and he tells me about how sometimes he stays late because he is preparing the falafel. 

“Do you want your kids to take over the restaurant one day?”

Turning away from the fryer, he shakes his head. 

“I want them to be educated, you know, education, there’s no substitute. I want my family to go to study in universities, my kids, that would be great. And if I can buy them houses and stuff. I have been saving them some money, so hopefully when they are eighteen, they’ll have some deposit for the house.” 

He sighs.

“And if I can’t, oh well, at least I tried. Unlike my dad. My dad never tried anything.” 

Masood laughs and taps the counter with his thumb.

“All [this] I did myself.” 

He fixes his gaze on the fryer again.

“It’s not easy. It hasn’t been an easy journey. But I’m enjoying it, you know? I choose to learn about everything, to change myself for the better, change my life for the better. And do business, you know, make some money for my kids, for myself, I bought a house. I’m happy. I’m lucky to have bought a house, and, yeah, I work seven days. I work long hours. And yeah [it takes] consistency and determination, [but] I am determined to do well in this business.” 

A typical day for Masood starts at 4:00 AM when he comes in to begin roasting four legs of lamb and fifteen kilos of chicken, all of which will be finished by the end of the day. And yes, he works seven days a week. He doesn’t like to take days off, and if he sleeps too much, he complains that his back hurts. He told me that he only wants to be alive if he’s useful; “If I don’t have anything to offer, yeah, to my kids, to my house, to myself, to this city on my back, I don’t want to live one day.” But the rigours of running Najar’s Place will one day catch up with him. He kept talking about his health and acknowledged that it wouldn’t always be this good, but for now he is grateful.  

Masood doesn’t know what would come next for Najar’s Place were he not to run it. But he does know, and feels deeply, that if the day were to come for his retirement, Oxford would miss him and Najar’s Place immensely. His relationship with the customers is what he prides himself on, almost with the same energy that he talks about his kids:

“You know, I have students coming from 20 years [ago], they still come to me. When they finish [and] visit Oxford, they still come to me and see me, sometimes with their kids.”

His customers, he says, are the backbone of Najar’s Place. They keep the business afloat with their patronage and give Masood purpose. His number one rule for his employees is that:

“They don’t have to respect me, but they have to respect the business and the customer. That’s it. Because of this little place, five people working here and [supporting] five families, you know? And this place, nobody expects anything from it, but I show you can make [food] fresh and cheap and you still make [a] little money. And it’s not all about money, it’s all about happiness.”

Blavatnik School hosts Kyoto Prize Laureates

Conor Walsh
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Blavatnik School hosts Kyoto Prize Laureates

Last week, the Blavatnik School of Government welcomed the 2024 Kyoto Prize Laureates, holding a series of lectures and public events to celebrate their achievements in science, technology and the arts.

The Kyoto Prize is an annual, internationally renowned award dating back to 1985. Awarded by the Inamori Foundation, it recognises visionary individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. The three fields include science, technology, and philosophy and the arts, with one award presented for each field. Each of the prize winners is awarded a diploma, a medal and 100 million yen – equivalent to half a million pounds. 

The 2024 Laureates were theoretical physicist Sir John Pendry, who was recognised for his ground-breaking work on metamaterials, including laying the groundwork for invisibility cloaks; geologist Paul Hoffman who was celebrated for his ‘snowball Earth’ hypothesis concerning glaciation; and choreographer William Forswythe who was recognised for his experimentation with contemporary dance.

Since 2016, the Blavatnik School has hosted the Kyoto Laureates annually at Oxford. The school uses the opportunity to provide a platform for celebrating and learning about a “shared commitment to excellence, global understanding, and the public good” across science, technology and the humanities.

Professor Ngaire Woods, founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, said: “We are honoured to welcome these visionary Kyoto Prize Laureates to Oxford. Their work represents not only the highest level of academic and creative excellence, but also a profound commitment to making the world a better place. These values are at the heart of what we strive to do at the Blavatnik School through our independent research and supporting future leaders to succeed.”

The Kyoto Prize follows the legacy of Kazuo Inamori, a Buddhist priest and the founder of the Japanese ceramics and electronics manufacturer Kyocera, who believed that the future of humanity can only be assured by a balance between scientific progress and spiritual depth.

Shinobu Inamori-Kanazawa, President of the Inamori Foundation who awards the prize in honour of Mr Inamori, said: “We are delighted that the Blavatnik School of Government provides a European home for the Kyoto Prize, creating opportunities for the brilliant young minds in the Oxford community and beyond to meet with the inspiring Kyoto Prize Laureates each year.”

University calls for tighter measures to control the rise of AI deep fakes

Georgia Campbell
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University calls for tighter measures to control the rise of AI deep fakes

A new study from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) has found a sharp rise in the number of AI tools used to generate deep fake images of identifiable people, primarily targeting women. Will Hawkins, the leader of the study titled “Deep fakes on Demand”, suggests that there is an “urgent need” for improved safeguarding to address the creation and distribution of the AI models. 

The research was carried out via a meta-data analysis of thousands of publicly available text-to-image models hosted on two popular platforms, Civitai and Hugging Face. 

According to the findings, deep fake generators have been downloaded more than 15 million times since late 2022, and have led to a rapid increase in AI-generated non-consensual intimate images. Central to the findings was the ease with which these images can now be created. Many deep fake model variants can be generated with as few as 20 images of a target individual, and within 15 minutes of processing time on a standard consumer-grade computer. 

Especially worrying was the fact that these models overwhelmingly target women, which account for 96% of deep fakes analysed. These women range from internationally recognised celebrities to smaller influencers with a relatively minor following. 

But the results, the researchers acknowledge, may only be the “tip of the iceberg”. The study did not take into account those not publicly available on reputable platforms, which may lay host to “more egregious deep fake content”. 

The sharing of sexually explicit deep fake images was made a criminal offence in England and Wales under an amendment to the Online Safety Act in April 2023. The UK Government hopes to also make creating such images an offence as part of its Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage.

On the potential technical safeguards that could be introduced, Will Hawkins told Cherwell: “Firstly, platforms could decide to monitor and remove model variants which indicate that AI-generated NCII content is intended to be created. For example, models which are tagged with both “Celebrity” and “Porn” labels could be removed.

“To go further, platforms could choose to remove any model variant which targets the generation of an identifiable individual without their explicit consent. Secondly, technical safeguards could include research investment into the impacts of pre-training filtering for pornographic content, or investment in provenance techniques such as watermarking content generated by AI models.”

Sheldonian Series hosts final discussion of academic year

Amelia Gibbins
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Sheldonian Series hosts final discussion of academic year

Oxford University brought its Sheldonian Series to a close for the academic year with a panel discussion on the nature of “truth”, featuring Mitali Mukherjee, Professor Kimberly Johnson, and Fraser Nelson. 

The event was moderated by Richard Ovenden, the University’s Head of Gardens, Libraries, and Museums (GLAM). Ovenden’s 2020 book, Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack, explores the destruction of knowledge across history.

Professor Kimberly Johnson, a Visiting Professor of American Government at Oxford, brought a political science angle to the panel. Her research focuses on American and urban political development, as well as race and ethnic politics. She was joined by Mitali Mukherjee, who was named Director of the Reuters Institute last month, having led its Journalist Programmes since September 2022. She is a political economy journalist with experience working in TV, print, and digital journalism. 

The third panellist was editor of The Spectator, Fraser Nelson. Under his editorship, The Spectator’s value increased fivefold, being sold for £100m when he stepped down last year. Nelson is currently a columnist for The Times and has previously presented documentaries for Channel 4.

Discussion ranged from definitions of the truth, to the responsibilities of the media and public institutions. Unsurprisingly, references to the Trump administration and the COVID-19 pandemic loomed large, and all three speakers pointed to these as moments where the concept of truth had come under strain. Mukherjee, however, pointed out that misinformation is far from a new phenomenon, though it may feel existential at this moment in history.

Public engagement with journalism was another central theme. Nelson observed that the reach of traditional print media has somewhat shrunk, no longer ranking among the most widely sought after sources of news. He argued that those still paying for high-quality journalism tend to be wealthier and older, highlighting a divide in how different audiences are able to access reliable information. Mukherjee added that younger people often turn to social media for news, prompting questions about how trust is built on those platforms, and the extent to which news organisations must meet social media users in the middle.

The conversation also turned to the role of universities in shaping or defending truth. Johnson noted that academic institutions often become arenas for conflicting personal truths that are held with equal conviction. Mukherjee echoed this sentiment, recalling a conversation with the Vice-Chancellor about the importance of listening to students and engaging with their interpretations of truth, rather than imposing a single narrative.

The session ended with questions from the audience, with these ranging from whether young people should be more comfortable with formal means of truth seeking, like using the Freedom of Information Act, to the ways in which news outlets should restore public trust in a “post-truth society”.

In her closing remarks, the Vice Chancellor looked forward to Michaelmas, when the Sheldonian Series will continue; she urged the audience to share their ideas for future topics of discussion, and reflected on the success of the Series this academic year.

Kashmir: Radicalising a diaspora

Anonymous
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Kashmir: Radicalising a diaspora

A recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a town in the Kashmir Valley, has led to the escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. Most international students who live in the region have responded with fear, shock and confusion, calling home to hear about blackouts and air raid warnings. Concerning, however, is the tone of many diaspora students, raised in the West with no lived experience of conflict. It seems to reflect an uncomfortable enthusiasm for an escalation in violence. Fuelled by social media algorithms that report nationalistic framing of events on both sides of the conflict, those who have no memory of the Kargil War now appear to romanticise military conflict. I write this as a British Indian myself, concerned about the ease with which some are prepared to accept government actions that would bring about considerable human suffering.

Oxford’s India and Pakistan Societies are among the University’s largest – serving as a place for students to have a community away from home that keeps them in touch with their culture. The societies also play a political role; they are perceived as representing the collective opinion of Indian and Pakistani students. Whether or not this is fair, it remains the case that any public statement should be carefully worded and avoid deepening divisions. This is a serious responsibility, and one that was handled disappointingly. Pak Soc released a statement calling for “peace, justice and liberation”, while India Soc later responded by cancelling the inter-society cricket match, an understandable choice to avoid a scene at the game, but also condemning “the Pakistani military’s continued support for terrorism as state-policy and disregard for international law”. The latter statement serves only to fuel tension– it is irresponsible for a student society to make such claims, regardless of one’s view of them, in a University with a diverse student body which needs calming, not incitement. This is not to argue that student societies should entirely avoid politics, but instead to ask that those who have influence recognise their responsibilities. This was a missed opportunity to come together and release a joint statement that denounces violence and calls for peace – which would help students feel safe at University at such an emotionally charged time. It is these aims which both societies should work towards, rather than to act as pseudo-embassies of national governments.

Setting societies aside, the wider student response, largely driven by Instagram and TikTok, shows an ignorance of the true nature of war. The US-led misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq are not memories for most students, but features of textbooks. The lessons of the past, that war brings devastation, suffering and instability, have been forgotten, and the mistaken conclusions reached by Blair and Bush have re-emerged in mainstream discourse in both Indian and Pakistani national media, which has filtered through to students online.

Those who enthusiastically endorse escalation today are often those who have no memory of past wars, and forget the personal risk they face from a future one. It is their extended family in India and Pakistan who are threatened by a resumption of conflict, and to repost articles calling for “retribution” from the safety and comfort of a foreign country is to emotionally detach from the costs. War, as Tony Benn remarked in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, has become a “news item” or “computer game” for young people, rather than a lived experience.

Social media algorithms, and the decline of quality media coverage in India and Pakistan, threaten to become a vehicle for the quiet radicalisation of the South Asian diaspora in the UK. Many posts that have reached young people on Instagram stem from WhatsApp groups, which are the favoured campaign strategy of India’s ruling party, the Hindu nationalist BJP.

The creation of a feedback loop between WhatsApp propaganda targeting middle-aged parents, and duplications on Instagram and TikTok targeting Gen Z, has the potential to encourage sectarianism not only among students, but among older Indians and Pakistanis in the UK who are told that their children are at risk.

A frequently forwarded WhatsApp poster produced by Insight UK, which calls itself a “social movement of British Hindus and Indians”, includes a claim that “Hindu or Indian students are being targeted or harassed by other students, including those of Pakistani origin”. Meanwhile, political figures like Akhmed Yakoob suggest that the Indian government is engaged in a conspiracy with Israel, arguing that “Zionists want to take away Pakistan’s nuclear weapons”. Yakoob came within 3,421 votes of becoming an MP at the last General Election and, given the Labour government’s dire polling numbers, would be even better placed to win in 2029. Men who spread such views should not be in Parliament, but if young people follow their parents in voting on identitarian lines then many more like him will be elected at the next election.

This is not only an argument that concerns people from the subcontinent, but a broader comment on the normalisation of aggressive political rhetoric at universities. Student societies should not try to emulate the worst instincts of foreign nationalist governments; they have a responsibility to be a positive forum for solidarity and de-escalation. What students say may not affect the conflict abroad, but it will determine whether it is carried in our communities at home.

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