Business·Weekly·Bonus

Oxford+ in Brief with Lord William Hague, Chancellor of the University of Oxford

Susannah de Jager

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Bonus · 24 Mar 2026

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Show notes

What would success for UK innovation actually look like in practice?

In this short Oxford+ in Brief bonus episode, host Susannah de Jager asks Lord William Hague four fast questions that cut straight to the future of Oxford, the Oxford ecosystem, and Britain’s ability to translate world-class ideas into lasting prosperity. Hague argues that the UK should aim to make the Oxford–Cambridge–London triangle the place in the world to build a career, invest, and create globally significant companies.

The Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor has become a central plank of the UK’s growth agenda, with the Chancellor previously pointing to an ambition to add £78bn to the economy by 2035, as reported by BBC News. Against that backdrop, Hague’s answers highlight two recurring themes: Oxford’s extraordinary breadth across disciplines, and the structural challenge of moving quickly inside a decentralised institution.

Lord William Hague: Lord William Hague of Richmond is the Chancellor of the University of Oxford and a former Leader of the Conservative Party. He studied PPE at Magdalen College, Oxford, later completing an MBA at INSEAD, and served as MP for Richmond for 26 years, including as Leader of the Conservative Party (1997–2001) and as Foreign Secretary (2010–2014). As Minister for Disabled People, he was responsible for the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and he co-founded the Campaign to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict. He was elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford in November 2024 and took up his duties in February 2025.

Connect with Lord William Hague on LinkedIn

Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content

Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.

Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Transcript

Susannah de Jager

Alongside our main episodes of Oxford Plus for Season Four we are introducing a short fortnightly miniseries in between the main episodes. Brought to you by me, Susannah de Jager, and in partnership with Mishcon de Reya. In each episode, we ask our guests the same four questions designed to reveal how they think, what shapes their decisions, and what they're curious about right now. The questions stay the same. The answers rarely do. This is Oxford Plus in brief.

Thank you Lord Hague. Just a few quick questions for you for the mini episode. What would success look like if we got this right and for this conversation, I mean, innovation in the UK?

Lord William Hague

Success would be that the UK would again, be one of the most prosperous countries in the world. There would be great careers for young people in Britain, and we'd be able to say, when we look at the whole area between Oxford, Cambridge, and London, well, that is the place in the world to be. To make money. To build a career. To learn. That's where the movers and the shakers are. That would be success.

Susannah de Jager

What advice would you give somebody entering the Oxford ecosystem tomorrow?

Lord William Hague

You are entering a fantastic ecosystem. You've come to the right place. You will find an abundance of talent. You'll be able to invent some of the world's best technology. But you will need the capital. So I hope that person arriving in the ecosystem, he's bringing some capital to invest in all the talent.

Susannah de Jager

Wonderful. What is Oxford uniquely good at and what is it structurally bad at?

Lord William Hague

It's uniquely good at, although other universities would come close, at really cherishing all disciplines and having the fullest possible breadth and this is true in particular across science of having the entire breadth of human intellectual endeavor. Of course what any university like that can be bad at is rapid change and bringing everybody along together because it has a very decentralised structure there. There are great strengths in decentralisation. As I said in my speech of being admitted as Chancellor, we may make mistakes, but there's no danger we will all make the same mistake at the same time because it's so decentralised.

But that can mean that it's difficult to respond quickly enough.

Susannah de Jager

And in your opinion, what do you think Oxford will look like, in whatever that means to you, in 2050.

Lord William Hague

Well, I hope it will look very similar, of course, because one of its great attributes is it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world and that does actually contribute to its intellectual and social environment. So I hope it looks very similar, although with ever, ever more numerous and stronger science parks and growth zones around Oxfordshire and around and about Oxford.

So physically I hope it looks like that. It looks today like a place where the whole world can meet and make connections and share ideas. I hope it's even more central to what's going on in the world. Even more than today.

Susannah de Jager

Wonderful. Thank you very much.

Lord William Hague

Thank you.

Susannah de Jager

Thanks for listening to this episode of Oxford+, presented by me, Susannah de Jager. If you want to stay up to date with all things Oxford+, please visit our website, oxfordplus.co.uk and sign up for our newsletter so you never miss an update. Oxford+ was made in partnership with Mishcon de Reya and is produced and edited by Story Ninety-Four.