https://www.scmp.com/rss/521994/feed 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... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kevin McSpadden Kevin McSpadden If one were to travel to central China, in what is now Hubei province, 4,500 years ago, they might have been fortunate enough to discover a vibrant civilisation characterised by palaces, advanced engineering, and luxuries such as jade. However, in the generations that followed, this culture gradually declined, with its people dispersing across the region. Until now, the reasons behind the collapse of such a thriving civilisation were not well understood. A group of scientists now believe that... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347814/how-climate-change-led-demise-once-thriving-chinese-civilisation-4500-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347814/how-climate-change-led-demise-once-thriving-chinese-civilisation-4500-years-ago?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse King Harold’s legendary 200-mile march across England to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is a “myth” that likely never happened, according to research published on Saturday. In arguably the most famous battle in English history, the Anglo-Saxon leader was defeated by William the Conqueror, who became the first Franco-Norman king of England, at Hastings on October 14, 1066. The decisive clash, which marked the start of the Norman conquest of England, is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, set to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347447/king-harolds-200-mile-uk-march-battle-hastings-1066-myth-says-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347447/king-harolds-200-mile-uk-march-battle-hastings-1066-myth-says-research?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:33:23 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s move to supply Bangladesh with diesel as fuel prices soar amid the Iran war reflects its “first responder” role in the region and clout through the use of its critical commodities to deepen ties with neighbouring states. If the fuel shortages were to persist, however, India would have to balance between its own energy demand and that of its neighbours, according to observers. Bangladesh will be importing 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India by April, with 5,000 tonnes having been delivered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:52:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, with the effects particularly worrying in teenage girls in English-speaking countries and western Europe according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published on Thursday. The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, also found that Finland was the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347092/worlds-happiest-places-revealed-social-media-weighs-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347092/worlds-happiest-places-revealed-social-media-weighs-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:17:39 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press With hundreds of millions of people turning to chatbots for advice, it was only a matter of time before tech companies began offering programs specifically designed to answer health questions. In January, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Health, a new version of its chatbot that the company says can analyse users’ medical records, wellness apps and wearable device data to answer health and medical questions. Currently, there is a waiting list for the program. Anthropic, a rival AI company, offers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345364/should-you-ask-ai-chatbot-about-your-health-5-things-know-you-start-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3345364/should-you-ask-ai-chatbot-about-your-health-5-things-know-you-start-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Russia’s call to revive a troika with China and India is unlikely to be greeted with enthusiasm by New Delhi, with critics pointing to tense border stand-offs and India’s reluctance to be seen as part of an “anti-West” grouping. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this month lauded Moscow’s bilateral ties with Delhi and Beijing, calling for the revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trialogue. First mooted in 1998 by then Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, the RIC has not taken... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341882/will-india-warm-russias-bid-revive-troika-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341882/will-india-warm-russias-bid-revive-troika-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin United States President Donald Trump’s “America first” agenda is helping to make China great again and ushering in a “truly multipolar world”, according to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations. “A year on from Trump’s return, in countries across the globe, many people believe China is on the verge of becoming even more powerful,” the think tank said after surveying 25,949 people from 21 countries, including the US, China, Russia, Britain and Brazil. Most respondents thought... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340086/trumps-america-first-agenda-driving-countries-closer-china-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340086/trumps-america-first-agenda-driving-countries-closer-china-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 02:28:28 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A giant flower’s rediscovery in a West Sumatran forest of Indonesia has spurred a growing campaign among researchers to change the colonial-era name of one of the world’s most famous plants. Last month’s find of an extremely rare Rafflesia hasseltii – one of the giant, foul-smelling blooms often dubbed “corpse flowers” – has energised researchers and activists seeking to strip the genus of its association with Thomas Stamford Raffles, a figure widely credited with founding colonial Singapore but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337518/rare-rafflesia-flower-rediscovery-indonesia-revives-push-drop-colonial-name?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337518/rare-rafflesia-flower-rediscovery-indonesia-revives-push-drop-colonial-name?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 11:04:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday it had identified a new strain of the mpox virus in England in a person who had recently travelled to Asia. “Our genomic testing has enabled us to detect this new mpox strain,” said Katy Sinka from the UKHSA, a government agency responsible for preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The agency said it would continue to “assess the significance of the strain”, which had elements of both mpox subtypes: the more severe... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335659/new-mpox-strain-found-uk-after-travel-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335659/new-mpox-strain-found-uk-after-travel-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:00:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The recent rediscovery of Rafflesia hasseltii, an extremely rare giant parasitic red flower, in a forest in Indonesia’s West Sumatra has sparked a backlash after Oxford University’s initial social media post credited only its scientist, leaving out the local researchers who made the search possible. Analysts say the uproar reflects long-standing grievances over how Western researchers and their Global South counterparts are recognised in joint projects, and the lingering legacy of colonialism in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335090/joy-rare-indonesian-flower-find-wilts-over-oxfords-failure-name-local-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335090/joy-rare-indonesian-flower-find-wilts-over-oxfords-failure-name-local-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 02:00:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Oxford University Press has named “rage bait’’ as its word of the year, capturing the internet zeitgeist of 2025. The phrase refers to online content that is “deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive,” with the aim of driving traffic to a particular social media account, Oxford said in a statement. “The person producing it will bask in the millions, quite often, of comments and shares and even likes sometimes,’’ lexicographer Susie Dent told... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334788/rage-bait-named-word-year-uks-oxford-university-press?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3334788/rage-bait-named-word-year-uks-oxford-university-press?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:45:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nasa released fresh images on Wednesday of the interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS that astronomers have determined is a comet probably even older than our solar system, as US space agency officials dismissed speculation that it was actually an alien spacecraft. 3I/ATLAS was first spotted in July by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile, and has been tracked by astronomers since then. Its unusual trajectory indicated that it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333482/nasa-shares-new-images-3i/atlas-and-rejects-alien-spacecraft-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333482/nasa-shares-new-images-3i/atlas-and-rejects-alien-spacecraft-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 03:13:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Kissing did not begin with star-crossed human lovers but with the primate ancestors of great apes around 20 million years ago, according to a study published on Wednesday. Researchers from Oxford University and the Florida Institute of Technology wanted to examine when kissing began, given that from an evolutionary standpoint it has no obvious survival benefit, and could spread disease. Yet humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas all kiss, which strongly suggests the habit was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3333341/when-was-first-kiss-probably-around-20-million-years-ago-scientists-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3333341/when-was-first-kiss-probably-around-20-million-years-ago-scientists-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 03:30:37 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The growing global health threat posed by diabetes has rightly been described as an epidemic. The chronic condition is a serious concern in Hong Kong. More than 700,000 people in the city have diabetes, placing them at risk of severe complications such as heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. The condition cost 570 Hongkongers their lives in 2023, but changes to lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and it can be managed with treatment. That is why the early identification of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331898/hong-kong-making-right-moves-keep-diabetes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3331898/hong-kong-making-right-moves-keep-diabetes-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 22:45:09 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma The China-Europe row over the seizure of chipmaker Nexperia looks set to drag on even after the Chinese government opened talks with European companies about restarting chip supplies. China’s move “avoids a worst-case scenario” for European industry, EU trade spokesman Olof Gill told the Post this week. Exports of chips from Nexperia’s Chinese plants were halted in the wake of the Dutch government seizing the company from Chinese owner Wingtech on September 30. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331764/china-us-domination-leaves-europe-looking-sidelines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3331764/china-us-domination-leaves-europe-looking-sidelines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:01:16 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Any amount of alcohol increases dementia risk, study finds. Why is it so bad? A sobering new report led by the University of Oxford in the UK suggests that having any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia. 2. The Chinese restaurant bringing real Hong Kong barbecue to Bristol Wangs, soon to be Bristol’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328338/alcohol-increases-dementia-risk-cantonese-lessons-kid-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3328338/alcohol-increases-dementia-risk-cantonese-lessons-kid-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:15:07 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Six Hong Kong institutions have been listed among the world’s top 200 universities, a record for the city, with the British compiler of the table attributing their higher rankings to increased investments in research and staffing. The University of Hong Kong (HKU), the city’s oldest, rose from 35th to 33rd place, the highest among all the local institutions, while the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) registered the biggest jump, moving from 66th to 58th. Renowned British... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3328255/6-hong-kong-universities-set-new-record-global-top-200?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3328255/6-hong-kong-universities-set-new-record-global-top-200?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Anthea Rowan Anthea Rowan This is the 73rd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. A sobering new report led by the University of Oxford in the UK suggests that having any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia. Researchers from Yale University in the US and the University of Cambridge in the UK also took part in the research that challenges previous suggestions that light to moderate drinking may have a protective... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328001/why-alcohol-so-bad-brain-and-how-any-amount-increases-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3328001/why-alcohol-so-bad-brain-and-how-any-amount-increases-dementia-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:15:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India is expected to continue developing a key port in Iran due to its strategic value as a trade gateway to Central Asia and the Middle East, despite the project facing the threat of imminent US sanctions, according to analysts. Washington’s revocation of a waiver on sanctions for the Chabahar port may lead to delays in construction and investments, as well as complicate India’s efforts to boost trade with Afghanistan and beyond, forcing it to rely again on overland routes through its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327020/indias-look-west-policy-anchored-iranian-port-under-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327020/indias-look-west-policy-anchored-iranian-port-under-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:00:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after his party was trounced at the parliamentary polls earlier this year, the country was already staring at what could be an era of flux, marked by revolving door leaders who are slaves to approval ratings amid relentless electoral cycles. And this trend, according to observers, is likely to persist, pulling Tokyo into a period reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s when prime ministers were replaced... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327047/ishiba-exits-japan-doomed-revolving-door-era-political-instability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327047/ishiba-exits-japan-doomed-revolving-door-era-political-instability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 00:00:23 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and how Hong Kong could strengthen its position as a “superconnector” linking the mainland with global markets. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. In a LinkedIn post earlier this month,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327000/how-hong-kongs-role-chinas-economic-strategy-could-evolve-next-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3327000/how-hong-kongs-role-chinas-economic-strategy-could-evolve-next-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Ian Goldin is a professor of globalisation and development at the University of Oxford. Before his time in academia, he worked at several development lenders, including the World Bank, where he served as director of development policy and vice-president. His latest book, The Shortest History of Migration, was published in July 2024. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Where do you think globalisation is heading? Is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324320/oxfords-ian-goldin-why-globalisation-alive-and-well-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324320/oxfords-ian-goldin-why-globalisation-alive-and-well-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 22:00:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The anticipated absence of US President Donald Trump from this year’s Quad summit in India is likely to “highlight cracks” in American-led alliances and raise fresh concerns over Washington’s dependability, according to analysts. While observers say the United States is unlikely to abandon the Quad altogether, they suggest its engagement may fall short of the intensity seen under the previous administration – at a time when regional anxieties over China’s assertiveness remain high. Citing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324371/trumps-absence-quad-summit-india-sign-fragile-us-led-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324371/trumps-absence-quad-summit-india-sign-fragile-us-led-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:07:33 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Ian Goldin is professor of globalisation and development at the University of Oxford. He previously worked at development banks, including serving as vice-president of the World Bank. His publications include The Shortest History of Migration, which was published last year. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. This article will be available to regular SCMP subscribers next week. Where do you think globalisation is heading? Is globalisation... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324283/oxfords-goldin-globalisations-asian-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3324283/oxfords-goldin-globalisations-asian-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong Growing up, being Chinese was always optional. Don’t get me wrong – I am ethnic Chinese through and through, having been born and raised in a middle-class family in Hong Kong. “Chinese” was what I might fill in on a dental appointment form or a rare visa application if I was travelling to an exotic locale. But by and large, I never labelled myself as “Chinese” – it was an unfamiliar familiarity at the back of my mind, as nondescript as the train arriving on time at Tsim Sha Tsui. I went to an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322746/half-world-away-hong-kong-i-had-chinese-epiphany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322746/half-world-away-hong-kong-i-had-chinese-epiphany?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A man in China has been dubbed “the food delivery worker with the highest education level” due to earning degrees from several prestigious global universities, including Oxford. The story of 39-year-old Ding Yuanzhao has reignited intense discussions surrounding the devaluation of academic qualifications against the backdrop of a challenging job market, as reported by the news portal 163.com. Ding, a native of southeastern Fujian province, sat for China’s national university entrance exam, known... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3316503/china-delivery-rider-graduated-top-schools-oxford-inspires-others-stay-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3316503/china-delivery-rider-graduated-top-schools-oxford-inspires-others-stay-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 01:00:09 +0000