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Oxford University

The latest news and top stories on Oxford University. A prominent Oxford, England-based collegiate research university, Oxford University is dedicated to academic excellence, research, and world-class teaching. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, it focuses on diverse fields including humanities and sciences, notably medicine. Recognised globally for its prestige, it has educated numerous influential figures, including UK Prime Ministers and Nobel laureates. Oxford also houses the Bodleian Library and the Oxford University Press, contributing significantly to scholarship and the UK economy.

Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the plague. New DNA analysis reveals the pathogen was causing deadly outbreaks 5,500 years ago. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

Our ancient enemy: scientists discover oldest-known plague outbreak

Ancient DNA from Siberian burials reveals prehistoric outbreaks struck hunter-gatherers long before the Black Death.

18 Jun 2026 - 12:00PM

Africa

Outbreak of rare Ebola strain sparks race to find vaccines and treatments

20 May 2026 - 4:43PM

US-China relations

Letters | China’s stance on Iran war has strengthened its global position

3 May 2026 - 11:30AM

Science

Oxford AI star Song Yuhang returns to China, but why did he leave chip start-up?

Talented young scientist’s links with Beihang University raised in recent article but questions remained unanswered.

30 Apr 2026 - 10:04AMvideocam

AI pioneer Song Yuhang has joined Nanjing University’s School of Artificial Intelligence. Photo: Handout

Science

10,000 suns: mind-blowing power of black hole jets measured for the first time

The jets can help scientists understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures.

17 Apr 2026 - 2:34AMvideocam

Trending in China

How climate change led to demise of an advanced Chinese civilisation 4,500 years ago

New research paints a picture of a culture that struggled to navigate a significant increase in rainfall and slowly disappeared from history.

25 Mar 2026 - 6:00PM

Britain

Truth battle: did UK king’s long march to Hastings in 1066 really happen?

The account of the legendary mission, taught in classrooms and museums, rests on what a historian now says is a misinterpretation of records.

21 Mar 2026 - 11:52PM

The Bayeux Tapestry illustrates the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when the Normans took over England. Photo: Shutterstock

India

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

20 Mar 2026 - 8:52PMvideocam

Wellness

World’s ‘happiest’ places revealed as social media weighs on us

Heavy social media use is undermining youth well-being in many countries, according to a UN-sponsored report.

19 Mar 2026 - 2:11PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during the International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, on February 18. Photo: AP

Wellness

Paging Dr Chatbot? 5 things to know before you ask AI about your health

AIs like Chat GPT and Claude are not substitutes for professional care, say experts, but can give useful information if used responsibly.

4 Mar 2026 - 3:15PM

AI chatbots can offer health insights but they are not substitutes for professional care. Here are some things to consider before talking to a chatbot about your health. Photo: Shutterstock

India

Will India warm to Russia’s bid to revive troika with China?

Analysts say New Delhi may see a ‘limited role’ for the Russia-India-China trialogue amid global tensions and competing priorities.

31 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

US-China relations

Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda driving countries closer to China: survey

Nearly 26,000 people from 21 countries overwhelmingly agreed that Chinese global influence will grow over the next decade.

16 Jan 2026 - 4:56PMvideocam

Indonesia

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

23 Dec 2025 - 7:04PM

A close-up of the rare Rafflesia flower rediscovered in West Sumatra last month by flower-hunter Septian Andriki, a team led by researcher Joko Witono, Oxford scientist Chris Thorogood and local guide Iswandi. Photo: X/Chris Thorogood

Britain

New mpox strain found in UK after travel to Asia

New recombinant mpox strain raises concerns over global spread and viral evolution.

9 Dec 2025 - 12:00AM

A colorised electron micrograph shows green mpox particles within a pink and purple infected cell cultured in a lab. Photo: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/AFP

Indonesia

Oxford slammed for not naming Indonesian researchers in rare flower find

After an uproar over the perceived snub, the university named the Indonesian researchers involved in Rafflesia’s rediscovery on social media.

5 Dec 2025 - 7:39AM

Britain

Why social media’s favourite fuel is Oxford University Press’ word of 2025

‘Rage bait’ – online content engineered to provoke – beat out ‘aura farming’ and ‘biohack’ to win the prize, underscoring 2025’s digital division.

1 Dec 2025 - 6:59PM

Space

Nasa shares new images of 3I/ATLAS and rejects alien spacecraft ‘rumours’

US space agency officials say that 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever observed, is a comet.

20 Nov 2025 - 2:12PMvideocam

3I/ATLAS as it streaks through space. The image was taken from Manciano, Italy. Photo: Gianluca Masi via AP

Science

When was the first kiss? Probably around 20 million years ago, scientists say

A new study suggests our primate ancestors were kissing - but how it emerged remains a subject of debate, as does why it persisted.

19 Nov 2025 - 2:33PM

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hong Kong is making the right moves to keep diabetes at bay

Chinese University projects and a government scheme for subsidised private sector screening are welcome steps to combat the increasingly prevalent disease.

8 Nov 2025 - 6:45AM

China-EU relations

China-US domination leaves Europe looking on from sidelines

The US and China bypassed Europe when discussing Dutch chipmaker Nexperia, showing how the continent has become marginalised in the new G2 world.

6 Nov 2025 - 5:28PM

SCMP Highlights

Cantonese lessons from a kid, Chinese chef sparks debate: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a Hong Kong filmmaker’s political themes to Bali’s first contemporary art fair, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

9 Oct 2025 - 5:36PM

A chef shows the folding technique for xiaolongbao at A.Wong. Photo: James Gillies

Education in Hong Kong

6 Hong Kong universities set new record in global top 200

Times Higher Education says rankings highlight shift in research and higher education excellence from West to Asia.

9 Oct 2025 - 7:00AM

Wellness

Any amount of alcohol increases dementia risk, study finds. Why is it so bad?

A sobering new report challenges previous suggestions that light to moderate drinking may have a protective effect against dementia.

6 Oct 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

India

Is India’s ‘Look West’ policy anchored by Iranian port under threat?

With the US removing a waiver on sanctions for the port, India is set to re-examine its goal of expanding trade with its western neighbours.

28 Sep 2025 - 5:00PM

A cargo vessel is seen at Chabahar port during an inauguration ceremony for the first export convoy to India via Iran in Chabahar, Iran on February 25, 2019. Photo: Getty Images

Japan

‘Too many elections’? Japan faces another chapter of unsteady leadership

Factional politics stand in the way of a new prime minister’s bid for longevity in office, analysts warn.

27 Sep 2025 - 8:50PMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will make way for a new leader after barely a year in office. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

How Hong Kong’s role in Beijing’s economic strategy could evolve in next 5 years

From stablecoins to yuan internationalisation, analysts weigh the city’s place – and Taiwan’s – in the coming five-year plan.

3 Oct 2025 - 5:53PMvideocam

China economy

Open Questions | Oxford’s Ian Goldin on the biggest challenges for China’s transitioning economy

Professor and former World Bank official says globalisation will become ‘more Asian’ in wake of US policy, with China as a potential leader.

8 Sep 2025 - 11:10AMvideocam

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Oxford University

Our ancient enemy: scientists discover oldest-known plague outbreak

Ancient DNA from Siberian burials reveals prehistoric outbreaks struck hunter-gatherers long before the Black Death.

Outbreak of rare Ebola strain sparks race to find vaccines and treatments

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Letters | China’s stance on Iran war has strengthened its global position

Oxford AI star Song Yuhang returns to China, but why did he leave chip start-up?

Talented young scientist’s links with Beihang University raised in recent article but questions remained unanswered.

10,000 suns: mind-blowing power of black hole jets measured for the first time

The jets can help scientists understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures.

How climate change led to demise of an advanced Chinese civilisation 4,500 years ago

New research paints a picture of a culture that struggled to navigate a significant increase in rainfall and slowly disappeared from history.

Truth battle: did UK king’s long march to Hastings in 1066 really happen?

The account of the legendary mission, taught in classrooms and museums, rests on what a historian now says is a misinterpretation of records.

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

World’s ‘happiest’ places revealed as social media weighs on us

Heavy social media use is undermining youth well-being in many countries, according to a UN-sponsored report.

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

Paging Dr Chatbot? 5 things to know before you ask AI about your health

AIs like Chat GPT and Claude are not substitutes for professional care, say experts, but can give useful information if used responsibly.

Will India warm to Russia’s bid to revive troika with China?

Analysts say New Delhi may see a ‘limited role’ for the Russia-India-China trialogue amid global tensions and competing priorities.

Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda driving countries closer to China: survey

Nearly 26,000 people from 21 countries overwhelmingly agreed that Chinese global influence will grow over the next decade.

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

New mpox strain found in UK after travel to Asia

New recombinant mpox strain raises concerns over global spread and viral evolution.

Oxford slammed for not naming Indonesian researchers in rare flower find

After an uproar over the perceived snub, the university named the Indonesian researchers involved in Rafflesia’s rediscovery on social media.

Why social media’s favourite fuel is Oxford University Press’ word of 2025

‘Rage bait’ – online content engineered to provoke – beat out ‘aura farming’ and ‘biohack’ to win the prize, underscoring 2025’s digital division.

Nasa shares new images of 3I/ATLAS and rejects alien spacecraft ‘rumours’

US space agency officials say that 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever observed, is a comet.

When was the first kiss? Probably around 20 million years ago, scientists say

A new study suggests our primate ancestors were kissing - but how it emerged remains a subject of debate, as does why it persisted.

Editorial | Hong Kong is making the right moves to keep diabetes at bay

Chinese University projects and a government scheme for subsidised private sector screening are welcome steps to combat the increasingly prevalent disease.

China-US domination leaves Europe looking on from sidelines

The US and China bypassed Europe when discussing Dutch chipmaker Nexperia, showing how the continent has become marginalised in the new G2 world.

Cantonese lessons from a kid, Chinese chef sparks debate: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From a Hong Kong filmmaker’s political themes to Bali’s first contemporary art fair, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

6 Hong Kong universities set new record in global top 200

Times Higher Education says rankings highlight shift in research and higher education excellence from West to Asia.

Any amount of alcohol increases dementia risk, study finds. Why is it so bad?

A sobering new report challenges previous suggestions that light to moderate drinking may have a protective effect against dementia.

Is India’s ‘Look West’ policy anchored by Iranian port under threat?

With the US removing a waiver on sanctions for the port, India is set to re-examine its goal of expanding trade with its western neighbours.

‘Too many elections’? Japan faces another chapter of unsteady leadership

Factional politics stand in the way of a new prime minister’s bid for longevity in office, analysts warn.

How Hong Kong’s role in Beijing’s economic strategy could evolve in next 5 years

From stablecoins to yuan internationalisation, analysts weigh the city’s place – and Taiwan’s – in the coming five-year plan.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Open Questions | Oxford’s Ian Goldin on the biggest challenges for China’s transitioning economy

Professor and former World Bank official says globalisation will become ‘more Asian’ in wake of US policy, with China as a potential leader.

Letters | China’s stance on Iran war has strengthened its global position

Open Questions | Oxford’s Ian Goldin on the biggest challenges for China’s transitioning economy