Professor Kersti Börjars has been appointed Master of St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Professor Börjars is the 7th Master of the College since it was founded in 1962 and its first female Master.
Professor Börjars is a leading linguistics scholar and had spent her entire academic career at the University of Manchester. She is also Professor II of Nordic Languages at the Oslo University and has held visiting professorships at Gothenburg University in Sweden, Universität Konstanz in Germany and the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
St Catherine’s College, Oxford was founded in 1962, having developed out of the University’s Delegacy for Unattached Students and is the youngest, but also largest (by membership) of the undergraduate Colleges. It hosts the Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship of Contemporary Theatre and has had many distinguished alumni, including Nobel Laureates, Olympic champions, broadcasters and former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan.
Professor Börjars said: “It is a privilege to have been chosen as Master of St Catherine’s. With its energetic and high-achieving student body, exemplary Fellowship, generous alumni community and diligent staff, Catz is an extraordinary College. As I follow in the footsteps of the late Professor Roger Ainsworth, who did such magnificent work throughout his time as Master, I feel honoured to be leading Catz from next year and look forward to becoming a part of this very special community.”
Professor Börjars begins her term in January 2020, when she takes over from the Pro-Master, Professor Peter Battle.