The new chief of an independent Oxford college has set out his strategic vision to turn it into a university within a decade.

Professor Fawad Inam will take on his position as executive principal at the Oxford Business College in George Street from November 1.

He has been the vice dean of the University of East London since 2018.

The professor hopes that the college achieving university status will inspire a new wave of expansion in the sector following the transformation of polytechnics in the mid-1990s.

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Professor Inam said: "I’m delighted to be joining Oxford Business College as executive principal, and I hope to use my position to make a difference to the whole higher education landscape.

“My goal is that within ten years, Oxford Business College will achieve university status and act as a beacon for other higher education institutions."

He added that one of the key strengths of the Oxford Business College was that the majority of its students come from non-traditional backgrounds.

"The UK’s underrepresented communities need more universities to offer the courses and the flexibility they want, delivered in the way they want them," he said.

“Widening participation should be an ambition for us all, and I want to shake up the UK’s higher education to make it more adaptable and inclusive for students of every background."

Founded in 1985, Oxford Business College describes itself as "the fastest-growing independent higher education college in the country" which offers undergraduate degrees to more than 7,500 students.