An 800 year old glass ceiling shatters. A beam of liberating light shines on the student mind.

Broaden your minds, Oxford students told.

But first, our sincere congratulations to Prof. Louise Richardson, the first woman vice-chancellor of Oxford in its 800-year history.

Following is an extract from her inaugural speech: (The Times, London, 13/01/2016):

"How do we ensure that we educate our students both to embrace complexity and retain conviction?

How do we ensure that they appreciate the value of engaging with ideas they find objectionable, trying through reason to change another's mind, while always being open to changing their own?

How do we ensure that our students understand the true nature of freedom of inquiry and expression? "

Prof. Richardson 's intervention comes amid growing signs of intolerance among British student leaders:

(1) they have tried to ban a series of controversial speakers from addressing meetings, and

(2) they have been running a campaign to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes (founder of Rhodesia).