Ten candidates have been confirmed for the election of the next Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Among them are broadcaster, comedian, and former Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig, and businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller, the only two women in the race.

The Chancellor is the Head of the University but does not exercise executive authority. However, they do have the authority to call and chair Congregations of the Regent House in addition to deciding on certain contested and unresolved matters on appeal. The elected candidate will partake in public-facing activities, fundraising, and in providing advice to senior members of the University.

Miller, who led two successful legal challenges against the Government, told Varsity last month that she hopes to become the University’s first female Chancellor in its 800-year history, pledging to champion “inclusion and social mobility”.

Toksvig, a Girton College alumna and former Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, has pledged to be “a unifying force for educational good.” In her campaign statement, she described the Chancellor as “a fearless advocate for the university,” warning that academia faces mounting challenges from “advancing technology and the politicisation of free speech”.

High-profile names also include Mohamed El-Erian, President of Queens’ College, who also told Varsity last month that he would be “an engaged, inclusive Chancellor” focused on academic freedom, financial resilience, and academic excellence; Lord Browne, the former CEO of BP, who stressed his commitment to tackling “climate change, energy, and artificial intelligence”; and Lord Smith, Master of Pembroke and former Culture Secretary, who told Varsity that he would champion knowledge and free expression “in a world of misinformation”.

Cambridge astrophysicist Professor Wyn Evans was the first to announce their candidacy. He has centred his campaign on reversing what he has called, the University’s “administrative oligarchy,” stating allegations of bullying and financial mismanagement. Addressing Evans’ allegations, a spokesperson for the University of Cambridge said that “concerns about bullying [are taken] seriously, and we strongly encourage anyone who experiences such behaviour to report it.”

The added: “We are supporting Departments to take action, where issues have been identified, and have recently refreshed our Dignity at Work and Grievance policies and introduced a new code of behaviour.”

Also running are “ethical candidate” Tony Booth, an education professor and local activist, who is campaigning on environmental policies and divestment from arms companies; Ali Azeem, a policy consultant and former Treasury advisor who stated Cambridge must “foster growth in a fast-changing world”; and Ayham Ammora, a Trinity College alumnus and sustainability expert promising “a bold, progressive, and inclusive Cambridge”.

Another addition is Dr. Mark Mann, a former academic, now an innovation strategist, who has told Varsity he would use his “experience in building collaborations between institutions” to ensure academics can make more of “an impact on society”.

Each candidate received at least the minimum 50 nominations from members of the Senate to qualify. El-Erian leads the field with 254 nominations, followed by Tony Booth with 132. Meanwhile, Wyn Evans received 112, Toksvig 79, Lord Browne 75, Lord Smith 79, Miller 62, Ali Azeem 57, Mark Mann 54, and Ayham Ammora the minimum 50.

Candidates have also drawn a range of endorsements from across academia, politics, and the arts. El-Erian has been backed by Gordon Brown, Stephen Fry, and Emily Maitlis. Smith’s candidacy has been endorsed by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, while Booth’s campaign has been supported by Cambridge for Palestine.

Toksvig’s candidacy has been backed by Lord Simon McDonald, the Christ’s College Master and former diplomat. Artist Antony Gormley and former Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull are also listed as having nominated Lord Browne.

Voting will be conducted online from 9 to 18 July, and in person at the Senate House on 12 and 16 July, with the winner to be announced in the week beginning 21 July. This year marks the first time in the history of the University’s Chancellorship elections that voting can be conducted online.

The election will use the Single Transferable Vote system, in which voters rank candidates by preference and votes are redistributed until a majority winner emerges.

The current Chancellor is David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville. Sainsbury, a former chairman of Sainsbury’s supermarkets, was elected the Chancellor of the University by the Senate in October 2011, and was ceremonially installed as Chancellor in the Senate-House in March 2012.