An Indian student enrolled at the UK’s Oxford University has accused the prestigious institution of academic bullying, harassment, injustice and racial bias. Lakshmi Balakrishnan joined Oxford University in October 2018 to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare. She made it clear in her application that her PhD would be focused on Shakespeare, and Oxford University accepted her application and provided an offer letter based on that application, allowing her to pursue her PhD in the English faculty.
However, today her goal seems nowhere in sight. A few intermediary procedures have made sure that she never completes her PhD, at least not in Shakespeare.
Discrepancies in assessments
In her initial years at the University, Balakrishnan claimed she took an exam that known as the Transfer of Status for the PhD. The purpose of this assessment, according to her, is to evaluate the “scope” and “validity” of the student’s research. “In June 2019, two assessors formally approved the scope and validity of my PhD project,” she said.
However, in November 2021, during an advanced internal assessment known as the Confirmation of Status, her two new assessors failed her, claiming that Shakespeare did not have sufficient ‘scope’ for doctoral research, she accused. “The assessors who initially approved my project were not the same as those who evaluated me in November 2021; they were a different set of assessors,” she alleged.
Ongoing legal battle
“My primary goal in pursuing legal action and speaking out is to obtain my PhD degree. Since November 2021, I have fought to be allowed to submit my thesis and complete my PhD program. After paying an exorbitant fees, being denied my PhD under unfair circumstances is inhumanly exploitative.”
Balakrishnan has been engaged in a prolonged process of appeals and complaints, since the failure, challenging what she describes as an unfair decision and breach of contract by the university. She said, “I began the appeals process in December 2021, and it's been nearly three years of ongoing appeals. I first appealed within different stages of the university. If the appeals within the university were not upheld, we could escalate to an external entity called the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). I submitted my complaint to the OIA in May 2023 and received the outcome on November 10, 2023.”
According to Balakrishnan, the OIA, which runs a free, independent and impartial scheme to review student complaints, agreed with her that assessing the ‘scope’ of a PhD thesis is a criterion for the first-year transfer of status examination and acknowledged that Balakrishnan had already passed this exam. Despite this, the OIA did not uphold her appeal, claimed Balakrishnan.
Balakrishnan has since created a GoFundMe page to pursue legal action because, despite nearly three years of appeals and complaints, she had not been given justice.
Unauthorised transfer: from PhD to MLitt
In November 2021, after her PhD assessment failure, the university transferred her to a master's course known as the MLitt without her consent. According to Balakrishnan, the university justified this by claiming that "Shakespeare is ‘better suited, in scope,’ for a master’s-level degree rather than a PhD."
Balakrishnan accused the university of a lack of transparency and possible bias in the decision-making process. “They did not follow the proper process for this transfer to MLitt. Normally, there is paperwork and consent required from the student, but they did not obtain my consent. My College, The Queen’s College, supported me by providing a statement saying that the English faculty asked them to remove me from the paperwork surrounding my transfer from PhD to MLitt,” she alleged.
Allegations of racism and misconduct
She also claimed that she faced racism when compared to other white students. Balakrishnan alleged that other students in similar circumstances were allowed to keep their PhD status and appeal their decisions, while her PhD status was revoked before she could even appeal. According to Balakrishnan, she was the only student of colour pursuing a PhD in Shakespeare at Oxford’s English faculty in recent years. She said, “Two white students from my 2018 cohort were allowed to submit and pass their PhD theses on Shakespeare, with one even having the same assessor as me.”
She also accused one of the assessors of engaging in academic misconduct and plagiarism of her work after failing her PhD assessment. She says: “Experts worldwide testified that my PhD work is ‘ground-breaking’, ‘field-changing’, ‘bold, interesting, and impressive’. The evidence of academic misconduct and plagiarism of my work demonstrates that the assessor failed my PhD assessment in order to sabotage my academic career so that she can appropriate my ‘ground-breaking’ ideas”. However, The Free Press Journal has not been able to verify these claims independently.
Balakrishnan also alleged that her supervisor, who was appointed as the sole supervisor, was new to Oxford in 2018 and did not specialise in Shakespeare. She also accused him of failing to submit mandatory supervision reports regularly, which affected her confirmation exam outcome. When she requested a second supervisor before her Confirmation exam, her request was denied, she claimed.
Financial struggle and fight for fair treatment
Coming from an underprivileged background, Balakrishnan said she has invested all her savings into her PhD dream at Oxford. She said, “I sacrificed everything to pursue my Oxford dream. I sold my properties and used all my savings. My PhD course cost nearly one crore rupees. It’s unfair that after such an investment, my PhD was dismissed with the reasoning that Shakespeare does not have ‘scope’ for doctoral studies.”
“I have paid approximately £65,000 pounds (approximately 71 lakh rupees) in tuition fees over the three years, double the amount British students pay, and the treatment I received is unacceptable given this financial burden,” she alleged.
Balakrishnan said her ultimate goal is to pass the confirmation of status exam and eventually earn my PhD in a fair academic environment with appropriate supervision.
“Based on my experience, students must understand that the journey to prestigious institutions like Oxford is not always smooth. Facing problems and injustices can be a significant part of a student’s life experience,” Balakrishnan said. “We must fight against these injustices to prevent them from becoming a norm. If we don’t address issues like mine, it sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to the exploitation of more students.”
The Free Press Journal reached out to Oxford University on August 22, 2024, for their response on Balakrishnan’s allegations, but a response is yet to be received.
