Our two Honorary Fellows have distinguished careers at the forefront of world affairs.
On 27 September, Lucy Cavendish College held a special ceremony to induct two new Honorary Fellows: Alec Russell, Foreign Editor of the Financial Times, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
The event recognised the extraordinary achievements of both honourees and their outstanding contributions to journalism, international economics, and global governance.
Alec Russell
Alec Russell is a distinguished journalist who currently serves as the Foreign Editor of the Financial Times, where he oversees its global network of correspondents and leads coverage of major international developments. Prior to this role, from 2016 to 2023, Alec was the Editor of FT Weekend. During his tenure, it was named European Weekend Newspaper of the Year and UK Weekend Newspaper of the Year, and he also established the successful FT Weekend Festival in both London and Washington. Alec’s distinguished career as a foreign correspondent spans several pivotal global conflicts and political transitions. He reported on the wars in the Balkans, the Gulf War, the end of apartheid and the presidency of Nelson Mandela in South Africa, as well as US politics from Washington, DC. He is the author of three books and his reporting and writing have earned him multiple accolades, including a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in 2008.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The first woman and first African to hold the position. She is an economist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, African Risk Capacity and Co-Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in addition to serving as a Senior Advisor at Lazard and sitting on the Boards of Standard Chartered and Twitter, now X. She is Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brookings and a Harvard Kennedy School Global Public Leader. She served as Nigeria’s first female and longest serving Finance Minister (7 years) and was also the first female Foreign Minister. Her 25-year career at the World Bank culminated in her rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honors and has authored several books. She holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The New World Disorder
Following the ceremony, as part of this year’s Alumni Festival, Dr Okonjo-Iweala joined Alec Russell for a thought-provoking discussion titled The New World Disorder. The conversation explored the challenges facing the global order, with particular attention to shifting geopolitical dynamics and the weakening of multilateral systems in recent years.
The full transcript is available here.
Transcript by Jessica King
