An Indian PhD student claims that the University of Oxford “forcibly transferred her” to a master’s degree program

Last update:October 26, 2024, 7:35 pm EST

Lakshmi Balakrishnan said she already holds two master’s degrees and has invested almost £100,000 (around Rs 1.09 crore) on her education and living expenses at Oxford

People walk on the campus of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. (photo in AP file)

An Indian PhD student from Tamil Nadu has alleged that the University of Oxford “forcibly transferred” her to a master’s degree program without her consent.

“They forcibly removed me from my PhD program and transferred me to a Master’s program without my consent,” said Lakshmi Balakrishnan BBC.

Expressing her sense of betrayal and disappointment towards the prestigious institution, she added: “I feel a sense of betrayal and feel as if I have been let down by an institution that I respected greatly.”

Balakrishnan further noted that she already holds two master’s degrees and has invested nearly £100,000 (approximately Rs 1.09 crore) on her education and living costs at Oxford.

“I already have two Masters degrees from India and I paid £100,000 at Oxford to do a PhD rather than another Masters course,” she added.

“He made enormous sacrifices.”

Balakrishnan’s journey was full of challenges. She lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her father in southern India. Determined to succeed before she became the first person in her family to study abroad.

“I am the first person in my family to come to study abroad and I come from a poor background. I made huge sacrifices to come and study at Oxford,” she said.

She alleges that the university’s English department did not act in “good faith,” noting that her thesis idea was initially accepted during the application process and in her first year, and then rejected in her fourth year. This year she faced an assessment where two different assessors failed her, saying her Shakespeare research did not meet PhD standards.

Despite challenging the department’s decision and going through the appeals process, Balakrishnan was unsuccessful. “I believe the university’s strategy is to force me to wade through endless appeals and grievance procedures in the hopes that I will eventually give up and leave,” she explained.

The university confirmed that the appeals process had been completed. Queen’s College, where Balakrishnan studied, expressed concern over her treatment, stressing that her term reports had not raised any serious issues regarding her work despite her failing two exams. The university also pointed to possible errors in the appeals process, questioning how she was transferred to the master’s degree program.

Two professors specializing in Shakespeare said her research had potential and was worthy of a Ph.D. However, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) supported the university’s position.

In response, the University of Oxford stated: “To obtain confirmation of status, progress must sufficiently demonstrate a high likelihood of successful completion of the PhD thesis. Unfortunately, not all students succeed in this.” They added that students have the right to appeal grades and that the process ensures fairness and transparency.

Location:

United Kingdom (UK)