Lord Hague will chair the Reuters Institute’s Advisory Board from 2027

The University of Oxford’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon The Lord Hague of Richmond, will chair the Reuters Institute’s Advisory Board from March 2027, following in the steps of his predecessor, Lord Patten. The Institute’s Advisory Board meets once a year on the day of the Reuters Memorial Lecture and provides general input and suggestions for the Institute’s work. It consists of high profile international figures from news organisations, technology companies, media policy-making and the academy.

Founded in 2006, the Institute is an integral part of the University of Oxford and is accountable to the Department of Politics and International Relations as well as to its own Steering Committee, which has general oversight of its activities. 

In April 2025 Indian journalist Mitali Mukherjee was named Director of the Institute, succeeding Danish academic Rasmus K. Nielsen, who led it from 2018 to 2024. British journalist Helen Boaden was recently named Chair of the Institute’s Steering Committee succeeding Alan Rusbridger, who chaired the Committee for nine years.

The Institute’s core funding comes from the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Its work is also supported by a wide range of other funders including academic funding bodies, foundations, non-profits, and industry partners. 

Lord Hague’s career

Born in Rotherham in 1961, Lord Hague studied at Magdalen College, becoming President of the Oxford Union and graduating in 1982 with First Class honours and the College Prize in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). Later he took an MBA at INSEAD in France.

Hague was elected as the MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, at the age of 27 in 1989. He served for 26 years in the House of Commons in many senior roles, including leader of the Conservative Party (1997-2001) and Foreign Secretary (2010-2014). 

As Minister for Disabled People he was responsible for the landmark Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and was known globally for the Campaign to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict, which he co-founded with Angelina Jolie. In 2015 Hague was created a life peer and became a Member of the House of Lords. 

Hague has authored biographies of William Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce. His first book won the History Book of the Year award in 2005, and he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2015 he decided to leave the Commons, became a life peer, and has devoted his time since then to charity, business and journalism. He is a weekly columnist of The Times. Since 2023 he has co-authored with Sir Tony Blair a series of reports advocating a stronger national focus on science, technology and innovation. 

Responding to the announcement, Lord Hague said: “Rigorous journalism is the bedrock of healthy democratic societies. But all over the world, it is now under threat from authoritarian pressures, digital disruption, and the erosion of traditional business models. At this crucial juncture, the work of the Reuters Institute is more important than ever, providing both the evidence-based research necessary to understand these shifts and spaces for journalists and media managers to discuss the challenges they face. I am delighted to chair the Institute’s Advisory Board at this crucial time.”

Professor David Doyle, Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations of the University of Oxford, said: “I am delighted that our Chancellor, Lord Hague, will take over the Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Reuter’s Institute for the Study of Journalism. Lord Hague has been a wonderful supporter of the University and the Department, and given his deep connection to journalism, politics and democracy, I cannot think of a better person to succeed Lord Patten.”

Helen Boaden, the Institute’s Steering Committee’s Chair, said: “We are delighted and very grateful that Lord Hague has agreed to support the Institute in this key role. His strong commitment to democratic values underpinned by reliable, independent journalism will be invaluable. We are also looking forward to tapping into his sharp intelligence about the important issues facing journalism today.”

Mitali Mukherjee, Director of the Reuters Institute, said: “As part of the University of Oxford, we are deeply honoured to have Lord Hague as the new Chair of our Advisory Board. Our mission is to explore the future of journalism worldwide through research, debate and engagement. We look forward to the Chancellor leading discussions that bring global perspective and deep experience from the world of journalism and academia to help inform our work.”

Note: The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the core funder of the Reuters Institute, based in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. The Institute was launched in November 2006 and developed from the Reuters Fellowship Programme, established at Oxford more than 40 years ago. The Institute, an international research centre in the comparative study of journalism, is committed to exploring the future of journalism worldwide through debate, engagement, and research.

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