Oxford University’s Notable Alumni

Did you know that Cornelia Sorabji, India’s first female lawyer, was the first woman to study law at Oxford in the 1890s? Oxford University is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The renowned Oxford University’s notable alumni list includes prime ministers, presidents, and Nobel laureates from across the world. This article covers a list of a few such famous alumni.

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An Overview of the Oxford University 

According to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, Oxford was noted as the top university in the world. It offers many undergraduate and graduate degree programs and research opportunities to students from around the world. Some of the most popular subjects here include mathematics, medicine, law, engineering, and computer science.

The university has a long history of academic excellence and is known for its rigorous academic standards. It encourages students to think critically and pursue their interests inside and outside the classroom. Keeping up with the needs of the hour, Oxford also provides many student services, such as career counseling, mental health support, international student support, and financial aid advice.

Notable Alumni from Oxford University

Here’s a table summarizing some of the notable scholars, laureates, fellows, and scholars associated with Oxford University as of 2023:

Nobel Laureates	56
Fields Medallists	4
Turing Award Winners	3 (till 2021)
Rolf Schock Prize Winners	7
Abel Prize Winners	2

Disclaimer: The numbers above may change as new awards & honors are presented, and new affiliates join the university.

List of Oxford University’s Famous Alumni

Here are the top 20 alumni of Oxford University from various countries who gained international recognition for their work while bringing laureates to their respective nations.

Alumni Name	Famous for	Nationality
John Donne	Poet	English
Oscar Wilde	Playwright, poet, and author	Irish
Frederick Soddy	Nobel Prize-winning chemist	English
Sir Robert Peel	British Prime Minister	British
Lewis Carroll	Author and academic	English
Adam Smith	Political economist	Scottish
David Vitter	United States Senator	American
Sir Andrew Wiles	Mathematician	English
Professor Oliver Smithies	Nobel-prize winning scientist	British-American
Ernst Schumacher	Economist	German-British
Sir Matthew Pinsent	Four times Olympic gold medal-winning rower	British
Dame Janet Vaughan	Hematologist and radiobiologist	British
Dr Manmohan Singh	Former Prime Minister of India	Indian
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi	Captain of the Indian cricket team	Indian
Ken Loach	Filmmaker	British
Sir Peter Medawar	Nobel Prize-winning scientist	Brazilian-British
Norman Manley	Former Leader of Jamaica	Jamaican
Bob Hawke	Former Prime Minister of Australia	Australian
Professor Stephen Hawking	Physicist	British
Tony Hall	Director General of the BBC	British

A Peek at The Life and Achievements of Oxford University’s Famous Alumni

Here’s a list of 7 notable Indian alumni from Oxford University:

1. Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was an alumna of Oxford University, having studied at Somerville College from 1937 to 1940. She was the Indian Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, making her the world’s longest-serving female head of government.

As Prime Minister, she oversaw the nationalization of several major industries and made India a nuclear power. She also worked to improve relations with Pakistan and China.

Gandhi was a controversial figure, and her policies were not always popular with everyone in India. However, she is widely respected for her leadership during a time of great change for India.

2. Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh is an Indian writer best known for his novels- The Circle of Reason (1986) and The Shadow Lines (1988). He has also written non-fiction books, such as In an Antique Land (1992) and A Passage to India (1997). Ghosh was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, and studied at Delhi University and Oxford University. He has taught at various universities, including Sorbonne, Columbia University, and Yale University.

Ghosh has written extensively about colonialism and its effects. He has explored the complex relationship between the East and West in his works, such as The Glass Palace (2000) and The Hungry Tide (2004). He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2007 for his contribution to literature. He is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, India’s highest literary honor, for his work- The Shadow Lines. Ghosh’s recent publications include Flood of Fire (2015), an epic trilogy set in colonial India and Southeast Asia.

3. Dr Manmohan Singh

Dr Manmohan Singh is an Indian economist and politician who served as the PM of India from 2004 to 2014. He is credited with boosting India’s economy in 1991, helping to spur the nation’s economic growth at a critical time.

Dr Singh was born in 1932 in Gah, Punjab. He studied economics at the University of Cambridge, completed his DPhil from the University of Oxford, and went on to become an economist and lecturer at several universities in India.

In 1971, he began working as an economic adviser for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later, in 1982, became the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. In 1991, Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao appointed him as the Finance Minister of India. During that time, he implemented a series of economic reforms that transformed India’s economy from socialism to free market capitalism.

4. Sujata Vasant Manohar

Sujata Vasant Manohar is an Indian-American jurist who served as a Supreme Court Justice in India from 1994 to 1999.

She grew up in Bombay, India, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Following her graduation from Elphinstone College, Bombay, she went on to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she received her master’s degree.

After completing her education, she worked as a civil rights attorney in San Francisco. She also served as a law clerk for Justice Harry A. Blackmun at the Supreme Court of the United States from 1978 to 1979.

5. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was a world-renowned cricketer and the captain of the Indian national cricket team. He took his education at Oxford University, where he studied politics, economics, and history.

Pataudi was born on 5 January 1941 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He had a privileged background, as his father was the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. As a young man, Pataudi excelled at cricket and was selected for the Indian national team in 1961. Pataudi captained India in 40 Test matches and led them to victory nine times. His batting average of 34.91 is among the best for any Indian batsman.

6. Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth is an Indian poet and novelist with several collections, including the Booker Prize-nominated, A Suitable Boy, and An Equal Music. He also translated works by Rabindranath Tagore and the Sanskrit classic The Mahabharata into English.

Seth was born in Calcutta in 1952. He attended The Doon School and then attended Tonbridge School in England. He went on to study philosophy at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Vikram Seth is also a noted environmental activist and supports many causes such as the conservation of tigers, helping farmers affected by drought in India, volunteering during the Gujarat earthquake relief efforts in 2001, and more recently, speaking out against violence against women.

7. Cornelia Sorabji

Cornelia Sorabji was an Indian lawyer, writer, and social reformer. She was also the first woman to study law at Somerville College, Oxford. After graduation, she became the first female barrister in India and the first female advocate in the Bombay High Court.

Sorabji’s legacy remains strong to this day, and she is considered an icon of women’s empowerment in India. In 2017, she was posthumously honored with a Google Doodle, celebrating her 151st birthday. In addition, several Indian universities have named scholarships after her in recognition of her pioneering work as a lawyer and feminist.

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Conclusion

Oxford University is home to some of the world’s most influential and successful people, including many Nobel Prize winners. From Prime Ministers and Presidents to famous actors, musicians, authors, and scientists – Oxford University can proudly boast an impressive list of alumni that stand as a testament to its quality education and commitment towards academic excellence.