University of Oxford Notable Alumni

Ever wonder what is common between Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India and Rowan Atkinson, everyone’s favourite, Mr Bean? They both are alumni of the University of Oxford. Ranked as the second-best university in the world, the University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world. Apart from being renowned and esteemed for its experienced and stellar faculty and world-class education, the university boasts of a strong alumni network. The University has hosted 50 Nobel prize winners, 27 British prime ministers and 100+ Olympic medalists. In the given blog we will discuss some of the most renowned University of Oxford notable alumni.

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Notable University of Oxford Alumni

The University of Oxford is replete with countless examples of alumni who have made their mark in their respective fields. Given below are the names of the most esteemed and notable University of Oxford alumni-

• Adam Smith
• Margaret Thatcher
• Tony Blair
• Indira Gandhi
• Dr Manmohan Singh
• Vikram Seth
• J.R.R Tolkein
• Rowan Atkinson

Top 5 University of Oxford Alumni

Out of the given list of university of Oxford alumni, the journey of the top 5 alumni of Oxford is chronicled in brief.

Adam Smith

• Education- University of Glasgow, 1737
• Occupation- Economist, Philosopher
• Oxford Batch of 1740

Adam Smith was a towering and distinguished figure in the field of economics who is best known for his classic works such as the theory of moral sentiments (1759) and the wealth of nations (1776). The Wealth of Nations was considered the first modern work in the field of economics and in his famous work, he talked about the absolute advantage of economics.

Adam Smith studied social philosophy at the University of Glasgow and Balliol College, University of Oxford. He was a scholar student at the University of Oxford. Some of the important concepts propounded by Adam Smith, such as the significance of free markets, assembly-line production methods, and gross domestic product (GDP), laid the foundation for classical economic theories.

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Dr Manmohan Singh

• Birth year- 1932
• Education- BA and MA Economics, Punjab University
• Occupation- Economist, Academician and Politician
• Oxford Batch of 1960 (DPhil)

Dr Manmohan Singh was the 13th prime minister of our country and was the first prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing his term

At the University of Oxford, he wrote his doctoral thesis on ‘India’s export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications’. He introduced the LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation) reforms in 1991 when he was the finance minister, which gave a much needed boost to the economy of our country.

Vikram Seth

• Birth year– 1952
• Occupation– Novelist and Poet
• Education-Politics, philosophy and economics at Corpus Christi college

Vikram Seth is an Indian novelist and poet who is best known for some of his timeless classics such as A suitable boy, the golden gate, mappings and the frog and nightingale. He has been bestowed with recognition and fame for his work and some of the most notable awards which he bagged are Padma Shri, Sahitya academy award and commonwealth writer’s prize.

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Margaret Thatcher

• Birth year– 1925
• Occupation– Lawyer, Chemist and Politician
• Oxford Batch of 1943-1947 BSc Chemistry, Somerville College University of Oxford

She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and her tenure lasted from 1979 to 1990. Margaret Thatcher was also known as the Iron lady because of her leadership style. She played a pivotal role in changing the British economic structure by making it more liberalised and she was the most esteemed politician in Britain after Winston Churchill.

Rowan Atkinson

• Birth year– 1955
• Education- B.Tech Electrical Engineering, Newcastle University
• Occupation- Actor and Comedian
• Oxford Batch of 1975 MSc Electrical Engineering, The Queen’s College University of Oxford

Rowan Atkinson is a veteran comic actor who is best known for his hilarious portrayal of Mr. Bean in TV shows and movies. Some of his other popular works are The Thin Blue Line (1995-1996), Blackadder (1983-1989). He suffered from stammering problems but did not let it become a disability and his success can be attributed to his never say die attitude.

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This was all about the University of Oxford’s notable alumni. Your name can be on this list as well. Get in touch with Leverage Edu for end-to-end support for making your abroad education dream a reality.