Ranchi

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will interact with leading academic institutions at the University of Oxford later this month, including St John’s College, as part of his official visit to Europe, government officials said on Saturday.

The visit to the United Kingdom follows the state’s participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled to be held from January 18 to 24. Soren will lead a high-level delegation from the Jharkhand government during the tour.

According to officials, the Oxford engagement forms a key component of the UK leg of the visit. During his time at the university, the Chief Minister will engage with institutions such as St John’s College and All Souls College, and deliver a special lecture at the Blavatnik School of Government, followed by an interactive discussion.

“These academic interactions aim to place Jharkhand’s priorities—such as inclusive development, education, leadership and institutional capacity-building—within global policy and academic discourse,” an official said.

The visit underscores the state government’s emphasis on education and leadership development as central pillars of governance, the official added.

Officials also highlighted the historical significance of Jharkhand’s association with Oxford University. In 1922, Jaipal Singh Munda, a prominent Adivasi leader born in the Chotanagpur region of present-day Jharkhand, became a student at St John’s College—an extraordinary achievement for an indigenous leader during the colonial era.

At Oxford, Munda studied philosophy, politics and economics, served as president of the Oxford Union Debating Society, and represented the university in hockey. After returning to India, he emerged as a leading advocate for Adivasi rights, represented indigenous communities in the Constituent Assembly, and played a pivotal role in the movement that ultimately led to the formation of Jharkhand in 2000.

Within Oxford, Jaipal Singh Munda is recognised among its distinguished alumni, with records of his academic, sporting and public leadership contributions preserved in St John’s College archives, officials said.

In Jharkhand, he is revered as Marang Gomke (the great leader), whose ideals of dignity, land rights and self-governance continue to influence the state’s social and political ethos.

Officials noted that the state has institutionalised access to global education through initiatives such as the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Overseas Scholarship and the Chevening Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Scholarship, aimed at students from Scheduled Tribes and other historically marginalised communities.

“These programmes are long-term investments in human capital, intended to strengthen governance and leadership in Jharkhand through global academic exposure,” an official said.

Scholarly work revisiting Jaipal Singh Munda’s legacy at Oxford, including research published in 2012, has further reinforced this historical connection, they added.

Describing the Chief Minister’s visit as symbolic, officials said it represents a renewed engagement with global centres of learning—this time on the state’s own terms—as Jharkhand approaches 25 years of statehood.

“The future of Jharkhand lies in education, institutional capability and creating pathways for talent to engage globally and return with knowledge and public purpose,” an official said.

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The Jharkhand Cabinet on Friday approved the Chief Minister-led delegation’s participation in the Davos summit, followed by the official visit to the United Kingdom.