The King has approved the appointment of James Maynard as the new Regius Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He will take up the post on 1 October 2026, and will also be a professorial fellow of Merton College.
This chair is one of three Regius Professorships of Mathematics in the United Kingdom, the others being at St Andrews and Warwick. The Oxford Regius chair was created in 2016 as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. James will succeed the inaugural postholder, Andrew Wiles.
In 1920, playwright Karel Čapek imagined a world of A.I. and rebellion, inspiring and influencing a century of sci-fi cinema. 100 years later, Headlong reawakens his visionary play R.U.R. as ROBOTA – high-voltage theatre for the age of artificial intelligence.
ROBOTA runs at the Schwarzman Centre from the 3-18 July. There is a special £10 ticket offer for all staff and students.