Overview

• Lord Chris Smith was formally elected as Cambridge’s 109th chancellor on July 23, winning by a 10,569–8,440 vote margin over runner-up Dr Mohamed El-Erian.
• The contest marked the university’s first hybrid election, with more than 23,000 alumni and staff casting ballots online or in person under a single transferable vote system.
• Smith’s election signals a move toward modernized governance after centuries of exclusively in-person voting by the Regent House.
• Outgoing Master of Pembroke College, Smith will step down later this month to take on ambassadorial and fundraising duties alongside Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice.
• He has pledged to prioritize academic freedom and open debate throughout his ten-year ceremonial tenure.