The University of Cambridge spoke on July 23rd, the vast alumni and student horde (or at least those who remembered their Raven password) elected Lord Chris Smith as the new Chancellor of the University.
Lord Smith, a former Labour MP and Culture Secretary under Tony Blair, is a Cambridge alumnus and former Pembroke College Master. He graduated with a double first in English before completing a PhD on Wordsworth and Coleridge. This academic foundation, paired with his progressive political career, gives him a foot firmly in both tradition and change, qualities that readers will agree feel especially relevant in today’s world.
This election, the first under the University’s new 10-year term policy (replacing the previous system of lifetime appointments), drew more than 23,000 voters to decide on a list of ten high-profile candidates—ranging from former BP boss Lord John Browne to broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.
Lord Smith is the first openly gay male MP in British history and has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his career. In a university that still wrestles with questions of inclusivity and identity, this appointment then feels particularly symbolic.
Of course, the Chancellor’s role is largely ceremonial—presiding over degree ceremonies, liaising with donors, and representing Cambridge to the outside world. But Smith has made it clear that he wants to be more than a figurehead. He’s already spoken about championing free speech, but with nuance: protests must be respected, he argues, but not at the expense of academic freedom or exam disruption. That’s a subtle but important message, especially in a time when student activism and administrative response often seem at odds.
It’s also worth noting that Smith didn’t coast to victory. He won with just over 10,000 first-preference votes, beating out El‑Erian and Toksvig, according to the official Cambridge Reporter announcement. The 73-year-old became the 109th person to secure the role, which has existed for 800 years. The outgoing chancellor is Lord David Sainsbury, the businessman and philanthropist who succeeded Prince Philip in 2011.
Still, questions remain. In his first term, will he engage with student issues or focus mostly on high-level diplomacy and donor relations? Will he help steer the university’s stance on pressing global issues like climate change and digital ethics? And crucially, can a figure from Westminster’s past really speak to the anxieties of students facing a very uncertain future?
We will all be watching to see if we are going to see change—or continuity—as Lord Smith soon begins his first academic term as Cambridge’s 109th chancellor.
