Zagham Farhan

After completing his studies at Univ, Zagham Farhan (2023, History and Politics) was elected to the post of Oxford Student Union (SU) President for Undergraduates 2026/27.

Oxford SU is the official student representative body for students at the University of Oxford, which was established in 1961 to provide a central voice for student concerns, coordinate student activities, and advocate for student welfare.

Zagham also met his partner Richanne at Univ, and they recently got married.

Why did you choose to study History and Politics?
Politics has always been my favourite subject. If I was going to university, it was going to be for politics. I’m fascinated by constitutions and the way we organise states. In particular, I love learning more about the United Kingdom; British politics, British history, and our past overseas. I have a particular interest in what our relationship with Commonwealth countries is, and can be, going forward. My degree allowed me to explore all of that in serious depth, with some of the best academic minds in the world.

Choosing history gave me the opportunity to explore the stories parts of diverse and fascinating places and times; including the rise of early Islam, Norman Sicily, and post Act of Union Ireland.

What did you like most about the College and the community at Univ?
Univ felt like a home. The staff clearly had our best interests at heart. Everyone, especially the non-academic staff, helped to create such a positive and welcoming environment. Transitioning from living at home to a completely new city isn’t simple, and Univ gave us the scaffolding we needed to enjoy the benefits of being at Oxford. I was really sad to close my room door for the last time a few months ago, and I’ll always have fond memories of the community.

Do you have any highlights from your time at Univ?
My main memory of Univ is actually just how consistent and reliable the support was. My tutors were always there, and always considerate. There was always a room if I needed to stay last minute in the vacation.

One of my favourite memories was receiving a prize for contribution to College life. That made me feel that the contributions I was making outside the tutorial room were seen and valued, as much my counterparts who were excelling academically.

I think that speaks to the Univ experience as a holistic one, which I loved.

You’ve been elected SU President for Undergraduates 2026/27. What does your role entail?
Lots of meetings! The primary purpose of the SU Sabbatical Officers is attending the vast range of University and inter-Collegiate committees that govern the University. In my role in particular, I focus on the educational side of the degree – representing the student body on a vast range of matters including exams, libraries, funding, admissions, and digital systems. It’s an incredible opportunity to be the student voice in some of the most important rooms affecting student experience.

What do you hope to achieve in your new post?
The SU’s been through a lot recently, including going through a really successful transformation period over the last two academic years. The job for the four of us this year is about ensuring that student confidence in the SU is high, and keeps getting better. I want students to be able to more clearly understand what the SU is, why it matters, and what we do for them.

Achieving that goal will mean making sure our communications are clear, and achieving some of our priorities. For example, we’re about to launch a ‘SU Pantry’ for Michaelmas Term, making some essential food products available for free. We know that lots of students are struggling with the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, and this kind of action demonstrates just how impactful the Students’ Union can be.

By the end of the year, we want students to clearly know what we do, how we do it, and why it’s so important. That will help secure the foundation for the Officers that come after us.

What direction would you like your career to take in the future?
I’ve been a keen debater, both competitively and otherwise, for many years now, and so I’m thinking of training to become a barrister. At the moment, I’m attracted to criminal and constitutional law in particular.

It’s a chaotic world out there, and its difficult to know where a humanities/social sciences graduate fits into that chaos. The main goal is to feel like I’m doing something where the work is meaningful, dynamic, and making a serious positive impact

What do you do to relax?
As a student, I spent a lot of time doing student politics and societies. I re-founded and was President of the Oxford Students Liberal Association, and was Returning Officer of the Oxford Union Society. I also took up Quadball (formerly Quidditch), where the Oxford team won the 2026 national championships. This summer, I was selected to play for Wales for the first time, and played at the European Games in Catalonia this October. I’m also a big TV fan.

What’s your advice for students at Univ?
Remember to savour and enjoy your time at the College, and at the University. Oxford is an incredibly special place, and it’s very easy to forget that when you’re struggling through an essay. Being here is an enormous privilege – and you should get as much out of that as you can.

For some people, that looks like an absolute devotion to the academics, and the joy of learning. For other people (myself very much included), that might look like throwing yourself into societies or sports teams.

There is no ‘right’ way to do Oxford, so long as you’re doing whatever interests you as well as you can and getting as much out of your time here as possible.

Describe Univ in three words
Home in Oxford.

Published: 8 October 2026

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